Agenda 03-19-24; 5-a - Zoning Atlas Amendment – 6915-UT Millhouse Road, Chapel Hill

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24 we are outgrowing, we offer classes to the public multiple days of the week. These include tree climbing instruction, crafting workshops, and weekly outdoor workout events. We also host bi-weekly open house days that bring together local arborists and tree enthusiasts in the community, including both residents of Orange County and visitors from out of town. In the past we have offered tree identification events, pruning training to the Carrboro Parks and Recreation staff, aerial rescue courses for state employees, and tree climbing competitions for local arborists. For our current offerings click here. During the first half of 2023 we provided approximately$30,000 worth of no-cost training for the community via classes advertised on our website. We would hold these events and classes at the 10-acre property, expanding our offerings with the larger facility and space.16 Given our dedication to community building and tree-related training and education, our development plans for the property include the goal of preserving trees and creating inviting spaces for tree-related recreation, both indoors and outdoors. I believe this will augment the attractiveness of Millhouse Road Park, offsetting any drawbacks of our use of the property for our business purposes. Beyond the County-owned parcels to our east are the 2-acre parcels owned by the Town of Chapel Hill along Millhouse Rd. From recent email correspondence with Katie Bowden, the Economic Development Manager of the Town of Chapel Hill, we are told that Chapel Hill does "not foresee any potential conflicts with the proposed rezoning at 6915-UT Millhouse Rd" For their most adjacent properties along Millhouse Rd, there has been some discussion of using them for a storage facility, with the lack of water and sewer utilities limiting the usefulness of these lots." To our north, beyond the County-owned acreage, are the 19 acres of the dog boarding house Green Beagle Lodge and the private residence of Lodge's owners Tammy and Andrew Purner. According to recent personal conversation with the Purners, neither they nor the Lodge have objections to our plans for our ten acres. The next nearest residential location is 6806 Millhouse Rd to our northeast. The house on this parcel is over 1,500 feet from the nearest corner of our 16 Treeist Community Actions (outside of paid tree services) since 2018: 2018 to 2020: 6+ hours of donated training time to community members every Saturday for two years straight. 2020 to present: at minimum 4+ hours each of the two Saturdays per month of donated training time to community members, $30,000 worth of no cost training for the community in the first half of 2023 alone(via classes advertised on the website). $18,000 worth of donated services to Rangewood to date(as of 7/28/23; this last number increases by$1000 each week). 17 According to Chapel Hill's Commercial Development Plan, available at their Economic Development webpag , their properties in the Millhouse Road are considered for light-industrial/research companies. In 2017, -12 acres of 7001 and 7000 Millhouse Rd were rezoned to Light Industrial Conditional Zoning. 17