ORD-2009-010-Zoning Atlas Amendment (Rezoning): Hillsborough Area

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Attachment 8 ~ ~ Excerpt of November 24, 2008 QPH Minutes Robert Smith was representing his mother, who owns the land where Cornwallis Hills is. His mother needs to sell her property and they are in favor of the rezoning. He just wants to - .look out for his parents. Margo Pinkerton lives in Cornwallis Hills and said that she has a long history in planning. She said that the idea of small offices makes perfect sense for this land but there was a proposal on this property 18 months ago and the same concerns are current today. She said that one of the proposed changes in the zoning involves the buffers and this conoems her. She said that one acre of impervious surface produces 16 times more runoff than one acre of meadow. There is already flooding at the end of the neighborhood. She showed a picture of the flooding. She said that if buffers will be reduced and impervious surfaces are increased, the flooding will get worse. She asked if the Planning Board had consulted with the river keepers of the Neuse River. This is a very sensitive river with national sensitivity. She has concerns about parking behind buildings because the police cannot see what is going on behind buildings. She would urge parking in front or beside buildings. Jo Soulier lives in Cornwallis Hills. She said that last year the neighbors fought a med'~cal complex because of the buffering and because the parking in the back of an office does not lend itself to safety. ~ She agreed that parking should be offset to the side. She asked that the lower piece be a special tract where there is much discussion when a use comes up. Member of the Planning Board also gave their comments. Mary Bobbit Cooke asked how many times this area floods per year and the citizens said many times in the lower section (tract 2). Tommy McNeill asked clarifying questions and Robert Davis said that the impervious surface is the same for both designations, but the difference is the lot size. Robert Davis said that there is no n:quirement that parking go in the rear of the building. This is an area that Hillsborough would serve with water and sewer. Chair Jacobs saki that there are tradeoffs here. He said that asix-story building located to the east of a residential neighbofiood would be a big wall between the people and the morning sun. He spoke in favor of limiting accsess points and said that this proposal has nothing about limiting access points and in fact would make road capacity worse. A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Foushee to receive the rezoning petition; refer the matter to the Planning Board for a recommendation to be returned to the Board of Commissioners no later than January 8, 2009; and adjourn the public hearing until February 3, 2009 in order to receive and accept the Planning Board's recommendation. VOTE: UNANIMOUS