Agenda - 12-05-2016 - 6-a - Minutes

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5 1 Trish McGuire said the rezoning of area 2 is not to occur until transition area 1 has 2 reached 75% build out, per a number of criteria, which are spelled out in the plan. 3 Commissioner Jacobs asked if Trish McGuire could identify where in that process the 4 areas currently stand. 5 Trish McGuire said these calculations are being worked on currently. 6 Chair McKee said this is an interesting idea, and he likes the focus on local businesses. 7 He said he does not need specific answers tonight, but he does have some concerns. He 8 asked if the 90,000 square foot building is the maximum foot print build for this property. 9 Trish McGuire said that is the maximum for a single level building, with the possibility of 10 a bit more space through a mezzanine level, or something similar. 11 Chair McKee said if a commercial site is going to be built here, he would like it to be the 12 maximum size. 13 Chair McKee asked if the proposal is to build a shell to rent, which would be outfitted by 14 the renter to suit their needs; or is the proposal to build out to the maximum level. He said a 15 building shell would only cost around $100,000, and even with five buildings the total would be 16 far less than $9 million. 17 Trish McGuire said the concept was that the development would be done by a private 18 entity instead of the Town, but she would check on this. 19 Chair McKee said the land would remain in the ownership of the Town, which would 20 provide no tax benefit at all. He said the buildings would be a leasehold improvement to the 21 land, and he read a 30-year term is proposed for the lease. He said he would like to know what 22 would happen after the 30-year lease. He said he keeps coming back to the revenues, as they 23 may have to defend the use of economic development monies for this on Highway 86. He 24 agreed with Commissioner Jacobs about the use of water and sewer, and the development it 25 may open up. 26 Commissioner Jacobs agreed with Chair McKee, and that is why he keeps saying to do 27 a cost analysis of this proposal to determine if this is a wise investment. 28 Commissioner Jacobs suggested not calling this an industrial park, to make it more 29 user-friendly for this community. 30 Commissioner Rich said having a copy of the Northern Transition Area (NTA) plan 31 would help all of them to understand this area. 32 Alderman Gist said she went to Boulder, CO several years ago, and while there were 33 lovely amenities, there was no middle class present. She said Carrboro and the County are 34 being gentrified in the same way, and this is a chance to provide real living wages and space 35 for those who make a living with their hands. 36 Chair McKee said there was still no middle class in Boulder on their recent trip there. 37 Chair McKee said the County's zoning regulations have a great, but limiting, benefit. 38 Alderman Chaney said she is not opposed to the cost benefit analysis, but she is 39 opposed to doing it based only on current assumptions. She said it is useful in understanding 40 potential dynamics, and in creating a plan, but may cause potential benefits of the project to be 41 missed if such an analysis were to be weighed too heavily. She said it is a tool, but not an up 42 or down decision-making tool. 43 44 b) NC Highway 54 West— Commercial Potential and Challenges 45 46 The purpose of this agenda item is to provide an opportunity for the Board of Aldermen and the 47 Board of County Commissioners to discuss the Town's interest in extending its extraterritorial 48 jurisdiction to encompass the entirety of five lots along NC Highway 54 West, the jurisdiction 49 and zoning of which are currently split between the Town and County. 50