Regular Meeting
Oct. 16, 2007
The
Staff Members Present:
2 and 3.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and the meeting opened with an
invocation by Rev. Otis Byrd, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Holly
Springs.
4.
Agenda Adjustment: The
Motion
By: Dickson
Second
By: Atwell
Vote: Unanimous
Items
Added to the Agenda: Discussion of
banking land for future school sites was added to New Business.
Items
Removed from the Agenda: None.
Consent
Agenda Items Moved to New Business:
None.
Other
Changes: None.
5.
Public Comment: At this time, an opportunity was provided for members of the audience
who had registered to speak to address the Council on any variety of topics not
listed on the night’s agenda. The
following input was recorded:
Otis Byrd,
Van Crandall,
He said he feels the comprehensive
plan draft should be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in fiction because the
projections were unrealistic.
6a.
Mr. Thomas said the Falcon
organization is part of the Carolina Football Development League, a North
Carolina-based 501c3 non-profit organization.
Currently, the CFDL has organizations in
He said the Falcons are seeking
donations for uniforms and equipment through local businesses and private
sources.
Action: None.
6b. National Massage Therapy Awareness
Week,
Proclaiming Oct. 21-27 as National
Massage Therapy Awareness Week in Holly Springs, Mayor Sears recognized local
massage therapists including Betsy and David Jandorek;
Lisa Fruescella; Ernie Alasandro;
Donna Pendergraft; Sara Toogood;
and Arvella Roberson.
Action:
None.
7a.
Public Hearing: Special Exception
Use Petition 07-SEU-08,
She said the total square footage of
the home is 1,816 square feet, and the applicant proposes to use 325 square
feet for the business.
With that explanation completed, Mayor Sears opened the
public hearing to accept sworn testimony and qualified evidence. Under oath administered by the Town Clerk,
the following provided testimony to be recorded:
Jennifer Schindler,
Councilman DeBenedetto asked how many children Ms. Schindler
expected to care for in her home.
She responded that her intent was to keep four pre-school
aged children plus her own children, although the law would allow her to keep
up to three more children of school age.
There being no further testimony, the public hearing was
closed.
Action #1: The
Motion By: Atwell
Second By:
Dickson
Vote: Unanimous
Action #2: Having made findings
of fact that the project meets the requirements to be granted a Special
Exception Use, the Council approved a motion to approve Special Exception Use
Petition #07-SEU-08 to allow a family childcare home at
Motion By: Atwell
Second
By: Womble
Vote: Unanimous
A copy of Special
Exception Use application 07-SEU-08 entered into the record by the applicant
and addressing the findings of facts is incorporated into these minutes as
addendum pages.
7b. Public Hearing: Development Plan Amendment 06-DP-09-A02,
She said the central location within
the PUD is comprised within Element C, D, and E, the Neighborhood Center
District. Overall, the central element
within this PUD will provide services to the residents, creating a pedestrian-friendly
atmosphere helping to cut down of the amount of vehicular traffic.
Ms. Huffman said the applicant is requesting
an addition of 8 apartment units to Buildings 15 and 16; a combination of
buildings 13 and 14 into one building, now labeled as Building 13; a reduction
in the civic space; and an addition of 12 condo units.
She said the previously approved
live/work units are being revised to an office building. A major amendment is required due to the
addition of residential units, she added.
Calvin Cochran,
Councilman Atwell asked why the applicant wants to combine
Buildings 13 and 14.
He responded that the combination would promote pedestrian
activity.
Councilman Atwell said his impression is that the approved
building elevations seem more attractive than the proposed elevations for
Building 13.
Mr. Cochran said the scale of the two comparison drawings
may make the approved elevations look different, but the same architectural
detail is used.
With that explanation completed, Mayor Sears opened the
public hearing to accept input. The
following comments were recorded: None.
There being no further input, the public hearing was closed.
Action: The Council approved a motion to approve Development
Plan Amendment #06-DP-09-A02 for Main Street Square Element C, D and E as
submitted by Bass Nixon and Kennedy, Inc. Consulting Engineers, project number
05904000, dated revised
1. All previously
approved conditions of approval for Main Street Square Element C, D and E
applies to this plan.
Motion By: Womble
Second By:
Atwell
Vote:
Unanimous.
8.
Consent Agenda: The Council approved all items
on the Consent Agenda following a motion by Councilman
Dickson, a second by
8a. Budget Report - The Council received a report of FY 2007-08 budget amendments #13
through #24 approved by the town manager.
8b.
Budget Amendments, $389,200 and $434,400 – The Council adopted amendments
to the FY 2007-2008 budget to allocate funds for projects not yet completed
from the prior budget year. Copies of the budget amendments are
incorporated into these minutes as addendum pages.
8c. Resolution
07-37 – The Council adopted Resolution 07-37 urging a safe and courteous Halloween. A copy
of Resolution 07-37 is incorporated into these minutes as an addendum page.
8d. Budget Amendment $28,000
- The Council approved contracts with Time Warner Cable and Embarq
and adopted budget amendments for the relocation of utilities for the
8e. Budget Amendment, $6,000 – The
Council adopted an amendment to the FY 2007-08 budget in the amount of $6,000 for
the purchase of oversized water meters.
A copy of the budget amendment is
incorporated into these minutes as an addendum page.
9. Main Street Enhancement Project Schematic –
Ms. Sudano said that at the Oct. 2 Town Council meeting, Council directed staff
to make the following modifications to the Main Street Enhancement Project
schematic: remove the islands/chicanes
from the street layout and extend the widened sidewalk and landscape area down
from the Baptist Church property as far south as possible, across part of the
Village Office Condos. Council also directed staff to revise the
Ms. Sudano said the amended drawing
was emailed out to council members and comments were received. With those comments, Ms. Sudano said that two
more options were drawn. Option 1 would
cost approximately $375,000; Option 2 would be estimated to cost more than $500,000.
Ms.
Sudano noted that the Option 2 design would not be able to provide the
illustrated angled parking as presented, but parallel parking would be possible
within the existing road right of way.
The property owner, she said, is not amenable to providing the
additional right of way for the angled parking.
Action: The
Council approved a motion to endorse the proposed Main Street
Enhancement Option 1 schematic that would provide parallel parking on
Motion
By: Womble
Second
By: Atwell
Vote:
The motion carried, following a 4-1 vote.
Councilmen DeBenedetto, Womble, Atwell and Dickson voted for the
motion. Councilman VanFossen voted
against the motion.
10a. Utley Creek Wastewater Treatment Plan
Expansion – Ms. Sudano explained that on Sept. 12, the Town received bids
on the Utley Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion to 6 million gallons
per day. The bids were within 5% of the
consultant engineer’s opinion of cost. T.A. Loving is the low bidder, she
reported.
She said the consultant engineer’s
recommendation, and staff’s recommendation, is to award the construction of
this project to T.A. Loving in the contract amount of $24,860,000, with the
condition that project financing from CG&L be finalized.
Ms. Sudano said that in addition,
approval of a 5% contingency for construction ($1,242,647) is recommended, for
a total construction cost of $26,102,647.
She said construction is to begin in
November of this year and will last for 24 months.
Action: The
Motion By: Atwell
Second
By: Dickson
Vote: Unanimous.
Action: The
Motion By: Atwell
Second
By: Dickson
Vote: Unanimous.
Action: The
Motion By: Atwell
Second
By: VanFossen
Vote: Unanimous.
10b.
In May the removal of the existing structure was brought
before the Council to be replaced by a picnic shelter. At that time, the Council approved demolition
of the building and construction of a picnic shelter. The plan showing the new picnic shelter
showed a reduction in parking spaces to 14 parking spaces. It was the assumption of the town manager and
staff that the consensus of the Council in May was that the illustrated parking
was amenable to the Council.
Councilman Dickson explained that he asked that the plan be
brought back to the Council because he feels it would be better to place a
small interior parking lot in the park rather than on-street parking. He said he voted for the picnic shelter but
did not feel that the parking was part of that approval.
He said both Planning and Engineering
reviewed parking and decided that fewer spaces would be ample and should meet
parking needs. The number of spaces was reduced to about 12-14 spaces.
Mr. Bradley noted that it has been
mentioned that off-street parking may be more appropriate. The park is 10 acres
in size with 7 of those acres in the pond and more in the buffer areas. There
is about ¼ of an acre in an area that could be used for parking. Use of this
area though, would eliminate any consideration for a playground or grassed play
area, would raise the cost of providing parking, and would require much more
impervious surface.
He said Parks and Recreation has
worked with the
He said it may be suggested that
parking is not necessary at the park. With the programming planned, such as
picnicking, fishing, walking and fitness equipment,
Councilmen Dickson and Atwell both suggested
an adjustment that would place the parking interior to the site. After discussing a number of scenarios, a
satisfactory plan was suggested. The
Councilmen suggested providing a thin strip of landscaping and trees along the
roadway and then (where the trees are shown on the master plan sketch) place a
drive-through/drop off/angled parking area in that location. Basically, the change would mean swapping the
location of the parking area and the trees shown on the plan.
This solution would maintain as much
of the green space and park area as possible.
Mr. Bradley said he would like to
see drawings of the idea.
Action: The
Motion By:
Atwell
Second
By: Dickson
In discussion,
Mr. Bradley said he could not say
for sure because he would have to look at the plans redrawn. He said he felt it would not be the optimal
solution.
Vote: The motion carried following a 4-1 vote. Councilmen DeBenedetto, VanFossen, Atwell and
Dickson voted for the motion.
10c. Land Banking for Schools -
He said that his request is to ask
the Town Council to join him in agreeing to have the town explore buying and
banking land for schools at today’s fair market value. In turn, the Wake County Public School System
can purchase the land from the town to build schools as soon as possible.
Councilman Womble would also suggest
a policy that when the Wake School System purchases property that an agreement
be entered that would ensure that
Councilman Womble requests a motion to direct staff to
implement a plan; however, staff would suggest that first a plan should be
devised by the Town Council. A list of
topics that would need to be addressed include:
funding, Wake County Public School System requirements for land (what
are school site criteria?); what guarantees would the town have that the school
system would purchase the property; and what adjustments would need to be made
in the CIP to accommodate this type of funding (what projects are put on
hold?). This topic seems to require more
information than is currently available and probably would be well suited for a
workshop setting, if the council desires.
Councilman Womble moved that the town explore banking land
for future school sites. Councilman
DeBenedetto seconded the motion.
Councilman Dickson noted an article in today’s N&O that
the school system prefers selecting its own property. He reported that the school system selects
property within walking zones so the town would need to know the school
system’s criteria.
Councilman Atwell asked Ms. Clapp what the town does
currently to ensure future school sites.
Ms. Clapp reported that the town works with the school
system’s land purchasers in giving them the town’s growth pattern from which
the WCPSS identified in the comp plan areas for school sites.
Councilman VanFossen said he was all for it but he feels it
should be a fall retreat topic to hash out more details regarding funding,
legal issues, etc.
Councilman Atwell said if the town is going to bank land,
the town also should be looking at park land that the town will own. He expressed concern that a motion sets
policy, de facto. He added that he has a
little concern about how the motion is being worded, but he totally is in favor
of getting more information.
Councilman VanFossen asked Councilman Womble if he would
amend his motion that it be a topic of a fall retreat.
Councilman Womble said he wanted the Council’s approval to
pursue specific properties.
Councilman VanFossen explained that Councilman Womble could
do so without a motion of the Council.
The original motion failed following a 2-3 vote. Councilmen DeBenedetto
and Womble voted for the motion.
Councilmen VanFossen, Dickson and Atwell voted against.
Councilman Atwell added that he agrees in concept, but he
would suggest that the topic be aired in a workshop
information with more information provided about school system criteria,
funding and legal issues. He added that
Councilman Atwell stressed that he endorses
11.
Other Business: Councilman Atwell expressed that
it is a loss for the town due to the retirement of Thomas Tillage; he also
commended staff and the citizen steering committee for creation of the
Comprehensive Plan update.
Councilman VanFossen thanked staff for
the crosswalk on
12.
Manager’s Report: Mr. Dean reported that the City
of
He reported that
He estimated that the Town decreased
its water usage 29% since September.
The
Council’s consensus was to enact the same restrictions as what
Effective Nov. 1, the Council
directed, the Town of
13.
Closed Session: None.
14.
Adjournment: There being no further business for
the evening, the
Respectfully Submitted on
_________________________________
Addendum pages as referenced in these
minutes follow and are a part of the official record.