Agenda - 03-17-1998 - 9c - Laserfiche WebLink

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Summary Where We Are The Chapel Hill Town Council has created an Urban Services Boundary around Chapel Hill. The area within that boundary is proposed to be eventually developed to urban densities. This land is now, for the most part, largely undeveloped. Through this Small Area Planning Process, the Town seeks to address the question of how the land in the northwest portion of Chapel Hill could best be developed. Where We Want To Go The Small Area Plan for the Northwest Area presents a plan for the preservation and development of the land generally south of Interstate 40, including the land north of Weaver Dairy Road, the land west of Airport Road (N.C. 86), and the land north of the University of North Carolina's Horace Williams tract and Homestead Road. This Plan represents an integral part of the Town's Comprehensive Planning process. This Small Area Plan is intended to provide a more detailed land use plan for the relatively undeveloped northwest area, which is a part of the Town's projected urban services area. By reflecting on the environmental constraints and special characteristics of the Northwest Area, and by making an effort to incorporate changing conditions in this area, it is the intention of this plan to provide a long range vision for development in this area that will maintain the essential values of the Town of Chapel Hill. The recommended plan incorporates the following "building blocks" as part of the long range vision for the Northwest Area: • Protection of Existing Neighborhoods • Affordable Housing • Open Space • Geeenways • Village Pattern • Employment Campus • Transportation Corridor The protection of existing residential neighborhoods is a primary objective of the recommended Northwest Area Plan. The Plan proposes a Village Pattern of development along the rail line corridor, primarily located on the Greene tract. The plan assumes that the Greene tract will be developed and will not be used as a landfill. Generally decreasing residential densities are proposed as distance from the village center increases. The Plan also proposes that a portion of the Greene tract could be used for affordable housing. The Village Pattern is an alternative to traditional subdivision development. The village is intended to create a pedestrian - friendly environment that will provide residents with easy access to a village center that will have neighborhood stores and a central transit stop. The opportunity also exists to develop a transportation corridor in coordination with the rail line corridor. Such a transportation corridor could be used as a pedestrian/bikeway, busway, or light rail transit corridor. The plan also supports the Town's Comprehensive Planning goals of encouraging local economy by recommending an Employment Campus along Eubanks Road, near the Interstate 40 and N.C. 86 interchange. This Employment Campus would be intended to serve as a place of employment rather than as a shopping area. The Plan also proposes a new large Community Park in the northwest corner of the Greene tract. A network of proposed greenways along perennial stream corridors would connect dedicated open space in the village area with surrounding residential areas and parks. A system of local and collector streets are proposed to provide additional access to parcels located in the interior of the Northwest Area. The Plan also proposes aligning roads to avoid dangerous intersections in close proximity to the rail line corridor. N.C. 86, Eubanks Road, Homestead Road, and Rogers Road are proposed to remain as they are and serve as collector roads. Northwest Small Area Plan Page 1 23