Agenda - 03-22-2016 - 6-a - Minutes

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1 Commissioner Dorosin referred to the chart that Mayor Stevens handed out regarding 2 gradual growth over time. He said there are several projects in the works currently, and asked 3 if there is a more accurate sense of growth; for example, a big jump next year, and then 4 leveling out thereafter, followed by another big jump. He asked if there are areas that the 5 County should be anticipating currently, as the budget process begins. 6 Mayor Stevens said there is a strategic growth plan, which involved the pulling in of the 7 Town's services boundary. He said the two greatest constraints to growth are water capacity 8 and traffic. He said these constraints limit the population growth. He said the main interest 9 being expressed is in residential. He said1000 units have already been approved, with 10 potentially 1000 more to come. He said there will be pressure to grow to capacity more quickly 11 than expected. He said the quality of the developments will be important. 12 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there is a timeline for the already approved residential 13 units. 14 Mayor Stevens said a large part happened 12 years ago with Waterstone, but the 15 economic crash of 2008 slowed things down. He said the Town is now catching up, but there is 16 still 5 to 10 years to go. He said traffic is an enormous concern, especially in the downtown 17 area. He said the Town wants to draw development toward the interstates. 18 The conversation moved onto aspects of Agenda Item number 2a: Collins Ridge and 19 Effect on School Facility Needs/Rail Station Area/Daniel Boone Village, including the following 20 information: 21 22 Background 23 Collins Ridge is a 1000+ unit residential use project in Hillsborough's extraterritorial jurisdiction 24 (ETJ). Orange County commented on the project impact on traffic on Churton Street and the 25 County realized impacts on human services, especially schools. The development project 26 proposes to make town traffic consultant transportation improvements in the Churton Street 27 corridor to ameliorate project traffic. Joint staffs have had discussions with the North Carolina 28 Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to explore the ability to use developer traffic 29 improvement funds to accelerate the comprehensive Churton Street widening plans in the state 30 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). From a school capacity perspective, the developer has 31 not yet gauged the impact of the preliminary `run' of SAPFO Certificate of Adequate Public 32 Schools (CAPS). 33 34 Although capacity may appear to be available at various schools levels (i.e. elementary, middle, 35 high)which is the CAPS testing scenario, the specific school elementary zone that serves this 36 area is presently over capacity. A large concentrated project and other residential approved 37 projects in the area can cause more drastic changes in the capacity projection models which 38 can accelerate new school Capital Investment Plan (CIP) needs. 39 40 Commissioner Rich asked if there has been a discussion with the Orange County 41 Schools (OCS) regarding capacity issues, and the possibility of redistricting. She said the 42 Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is trying to open up conversations with the schools 43 and to keep them abreast of developments. 44 Commissioner Rich referred to the idea of widening Churton Street to accommodate 45 traffic, and asked if there are any alternate solutions to this congestion issue. 46 Margaret Hauth said the School Board is able to discuss redistricting at any time and is 47 aware of the Town's approved developments. 48 Margaret Hauth said the Orange County staff is involved in the Town's planning and 49 inspections process, and there is ongoing communication.