Town of Chapel Hill header
File #: [23-0127]    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Discussion Item Status: Filed
File created: 2/7/2023 In control: Town Council
On agenda: 2/15/2023 Final action: 2/15/2023
Title: Update on Administering Concept Plan and Conditional Zoning Applications.
Attachments: 1. Draft Staff Presentation, 2. Council Questions with Staff Response, 3. Staff Presentation

 

 

title

Update on Administering Concept Plan and Conditional Zoning Applications.

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Staff:

Department:

Mary Jane Nirdlinger, Deputy Town Manager

Manager’s Office

Britany Waddell, Director

Planning

Judy Johnson, Assistant Director

 

Corey Liles, Planning Manager

 

 

Overview: Tonight, we are providing the Council with an update on how staff will administer the development review process for Concept Plan and Conditional Zoning applications. Based on Council conversations about the planning system, staff plans to align review practices with the adopted Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) process and adjust our procedures to reflect the Council’s interest in adopting the Complete Community framework into the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.

 

This update does not require Council action to change the Town’s ordinances. Changes can be administered by Town staff, under the guidance of the Town Manager, through procedural updates.

 

Recommendation:

That the Council receive the update on administering the Concept Plan and Conditional Zoning application review processes and share any feedback with staff.

 

Advisory Boards

Current practice, based on previous Town Council requests, includes Advisory Board review for Concept Plan and Conditional Zoning applications, as detailed in the chart on the following page. Recently, the Council expressed an interest in refocusing Advisory Boards on providing high-level policy guidance related to specific issues. While the Council undertakes that effort around defining policy topics, the staff has the opportunity to shift practices back to the established LUMO process. LUMO requires Community Design Commission (CDC) review for Concept Plans and Planning Commission review for Conditional Zoning applications. In addition, LUMO required CDC review of building elevations and lighting at the Final Plans stage

 

Staff Review

Staff will review Conditional Zoning applications for consistency with the Comprehensive Plan and compliance with LUMO requirements. We will incorporate Council’s expressed interest in a clear articulation of community interests, benefits, and regulatory requirements in the staff review and recommendation to Council for their legislative hearing on Conditional Zoning applications.

 

The following chart shows the difference between current practice and the procedures staff will now use to administer the Concept Plan Conditional Zoning development review process according to LUMO. No changes are proposed to the Final Plan review process which occurs after Council approval of a Conditional Zoning ordinance.

 

 

Attachments:

 

Draft Staff Presentation

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The Agenda will reflect the text below and/or the motion text will be used during the meeting.

 

presenter

PRESENTER: Mary Jane Nirdlinger, Deputy Town Manager

 

RECOMMENDATION: That the Council receive the update and share any feedback with staff.