Agenda - 06-03-2008-5b5e - Laserfiche WebLink

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Workgroup on Quality of Place Overall Strategy: By .Tune 2010, Orange County wall have thriving partnerships among government, business, the not-for-profit sector, UNC and congregations ensuring that the county is a great place in which to live and work, attracting and retaining the "creative community" of innovators, artists and civic leaders that will drive the desired economy. Why the strategy is critical: Stated simply, place matters. As Mary Jo Waits pointed out in her presentation at the 2004 Economic Development Summit: ® The natural environment is important ® But natural features aren't enough -urban amenities are required as well ® Lifestyle choice matters ~ Being a smart, innovative place matters ® Intangibles such as "hipness," tolerance, entrepreneurial culture are part of the calculation "The creative heart and soul of the economy will continue to be tied to place" A) Enhance urban character by connecting and supporting existing plans for increasing the commercial tag base and for revitalizing the downtown areas of Carrboro, Chapel ]dill and l~illsborough Activities are underway in each of the towns. In Chapel Hill, the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership has been established and is working to revitalize Franklin Street, utilizing the Main Street approach. KidZu children's museum has opened in the 100 block of Franklin, and there is a renewed commitment to work on parking issues. The town and Ram Development are preparing to redevelop Parking dots 2 and S as mixed-use projects with large public components. In Carrboro, private developers have proposed a major redevelopment project to house the ArtsCenter and the Cat's Cradle, along with retail and residential units and a hotel. Another mixed-use redevelopmentproject is p~°oposed for South. Greensboro Street. In Hillsborough, the Gateway project envisions amixed--use development anchored by Weaver Street ll~arket. The town's Churton Street corridorplanning is nearing completion, and the town just received a $500, ODO grant for its RiverWalk project, which will connect downtown with West Hillsborough. B) Enhance rural character by supporting local agriculture through efforts such as making farming more profitable by encouraging local markets and supporting complementary conservation and management tools Numerous activities are underway relating to agricultural diversification, including the county s efforts to revise zoning regulations to promote value-added agricultural businesses and the expansion of farmers markets (including a new