TITLE: Title
Request for direction relating to occupancy and/or size and scale of residential dwellings
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is to provide the Board of Aldermen with an opportunity to consider a request from staff for direction related to occupancy and /or size and scale of residential dwellings and neighborhood compatibility.
body
DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Patricia McGuire - 919-918-7327, pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org;
INFORMATION: Approximately one-third of the Town's residential areas were developed prior to extensive land use controls and permitting. These areas are primarily located closer to the downtown, to arterial streets and sidewalk/bike lane networks, and to transit service. Over the past two decades, these areas have become increasingly attractive as rental property, apparent both through infill/exempt subdivisions and new home construction, and the rental of existing homes. The growing interest in off-campus housing by students of UNC-Chapel Hill is a significant factor, and the potential rental income from renting to groups of students has also affected market pricing of these properties. The Town's definition of family is liberal and not limiting in terms of the number of unrelated individuals living together (attached), though Minimum Housing Code provisions for square footage per occupant can become an issue if the Town receives a complaint from a resident. Strategies to moderate this used elsewhere, including the Town of Chapel Hill (four individuals) includes limiting the number of unrelated individuals who can live together as a single housekeeping unit. The definition in the Building Code related to single-family dwellings is also attached. Careful attention to the reasonable accommodations necessary under the Americans with Disabilities Act is required, especially in relation to group living situations. As the Board realizes from the ongoing review and management of inquiries, monitoring and ...
Click here for full text