Orange County NC Website
UNC-CHAPEL HILL PLANNING PANEL <br /> Fiscal Policy Goals and Principles, Cont'd. <br /> Proposed Principles. Cont'd. <br /> • As means of payment for municipal services (and related facilities)provided to the <br /> University,the two institutions should explore: <br /> — Fees for services provided through contractual agreements, <br /> — Value to the Town of new facilities developed by UNC, on UNC properties, available <br /> for broad community use, e.g., recreational facilities, <br /> — Value to the Town of new facilities on UNC property that can also be used by Chapel <br /> Hill for local government functions, e.g., a fueling and vehicle service station, and <br /> — "donation"of UNC land through favorable long-term lease terms to local government <br /> (Town, county or schools). <br /> Impact Fees <br /> While the Town holds limited authority to impose impact fees, it has never done so. State <br /> properties are not specifically exempt from impact fee authority, but they also are not <br /> specifically subject to it. Legal advisors suggest that if the Town does not impose impact <br /> fees on other developers, it might have great legal difficulty imposing such fees on the state <br /> (UNC). We understand that when impact fees are imposed there must be a well documented <br /> connection between a specific impact and a specific charge. At this point,user fees or fees <br /> for service appear more flexible and workable. <br /> The Panel discussed whether Orange County's impact fee on new housing to support capital <br /> construction for schools would apply to any housing developed on the UNC properties. The <br /> Planning Panel believes that this fee should apply to such housing development,but we <br /> recognize that this is a legal issue best addressed by Orange County and UNC attorneys. <br /> Snapshot View of Current Town-Gown Relationship <br /> The Panel believes it would be useful to identify present service relationships, providers and <br /> financial terms. These include transactions that run both ways, such as fire protection, <br /> transit, and the Town's lease of land for Public Works Department facilities. We would like <br /> to develop a comprehensive list of these exchanges, and inform the public. <br /> Such a"balance of activity"log would clarify the existing relationship. We would like UNC <br /> and Town staff help in qualifying, wherever possible,the benefits to both UNC and Town <br /> and the current arrangements. <br />