Orange County NC Website
expert in the permitting and development walkable mixed-use neighborhoods. I have developed projects in North 1 <br />Carolina, Florida, Arkansas and Missouri and obtained zoning approvals for mixed use communities with nearly 21,000 2 <br />residential units as well as commercial and retail centers and educational facilities. I'm the founding chair of the North 3 <br />Carolina Smart Growth Alliance. In addition, I am the cofounder and former board chair of the National Town Builders 4 <br />Association. I'm a signer of the Charter for the New Urbanism, and a long-time board member of the Congress for 5 <br />New Urbanism and a board member of the Seaside Institute, Durham Central Park and Preservation Durham. I served 6 <br />on the task force that developed the US National Green Building Council's LEED standards for neighborhood 7 <br />development. My articles on real estate have been published in New Urban News and The Southern Urbanism 8 <br />Quarterly, and I frequently lecture at the UNC planning school and at the UNC and Duke business schools. You have 9 <br />in front of you a map showing that this area is really an excellent and highly desirable place because of the mix of uses 10 <br />ranging from the medical campus, UNC hospital, Durham Tech, multifamily residential, townhouse residential, single 11 <br />family residential, and the site is within walking distance of Stanback Middle and New Hope Elementary schools. It 12 <br />really is a rare and very desirable area. In my professional opinion, the location and character of the use proposed, if 13 <br />developed according to the plan submitted, will be in harmony with the area in which it is to be located, and the use is in 14 <br />compliance with the plan for the physical development of the county as embodied in your regulations, codes, 15 <br />ordinances and the comprehensive plan and future land use map or portions thereof. This is the future land use map, 16 <br />and the site is in orange which is labeled mixed residential neighborhood which is exactly what's being proposed for 17 <br />that area. This is the recently adopted Hillsborough comprehensive sustainability plan and corresponds with the joint 18 <br />land use plan designating the site as a potential growth area. The urban services' boundary shows the limitations of 19 <br />public water and sewer service, water service extensions from Hillsborough and into Orange County. The site is in the 20 <br />urban service boundary and has both water and sewer previously extended to the property. To summarize, in my 21 <br />opinion, the unitary ownership commitment will greatly impede the creation of a vibrant walkable mixed-use community 22 <br />and, therefore, that requirement should be discarded by this board. The proposed redistribution of the open space is in 23 <br />harmony with the area and conforms with the goals and aspirations of the enacted land use plans for the physical 24 <br />development of the broader community. To summarize, the applicant's plans will be in harmony with the surrounding 25 <br />area. Second, the idea is laid out in the current land use plans, can only be accomplished through the removal of the 26 <br />requirement of unitary ownership as shown in the submitted SUP modification narrative and thirdly, the redistribution of 27 <br />open space is in accordance with the current unified development plan, section 7.12.c1 which explains how primary and 28 <br />secondary space should be prioritized. I'll now turn things over to Mr. Dan Jewell who will explain the benefits of 29 <br />reallocating the open space. Thank you very much. 30 <br /> 31 <br />Leon Meyers: Bob before you leave, let's see if board members have questions for Mr. Chapman. 32 <br /> 33 <br />Beth Bronson: Can you repeat that last clarification? I apologize. The last clarification you had. 34 <br /> 35 <br />Robert Chapman: The redistribution of open space is in accordance with the current unified development plan, 36 <br />section 7.12.c.1 which explains how primary and secondary space should be prioritized. 37 <br /> 38 <br />Leon Meyers: Any other questions? Thank you. 39 <br /> 40 <br />Dan Jewell: Good evening, folks. Chair Meyers, fellow board members. My name is Dan Jewell. I'm a licensed 41 <br />landscape architect, principal in the Durham office in Thomas and Hutton. We're an engineering landscaping 42 <br />architectural and planning and surveying firm located at 2510 Meridian Parkway in Durham. I obtained a degree in 43 <br />landscape architecture from Purdue University in 1981, became licensed in 1983, and have been practicing as a 44 <br />professional landscape architect in North Carolina, particularly in Orange County, since 1985. During that time, I’ve 45 <br />been responsible for the design of multiple site plans, site designs, over these past 39 years, which require consistency 46 <br />with the Orange County Comprehensive Plan and the zoning ordinances. I'd like to address the finding of fact A in the 47 <br />UDO, which reads, "the use will maintain or promote the public health, safety, and general welfare if located where 48 <br />proposed and developed and operated according to the plan as submitted." You've seen this slide several times 49 <br />already which shows the current configuration of the open space. As this exhibit shows, the open space is committed 50 <br />23