HomeMy Public PortalAbout12-17-2015 Minutes PB Regular meetingPlanning Board Minutes
December 17, 2015
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MINUTES
PLANNING BOARD
Thursday, December 17, 2015
7:00 PM, Town Barn
PRESENT: Rick Brewer, Christy Raulli, Janie Morris, Chris Wehrman, Erin Eckert
STAFF: Planning Director Margaret Hauth, Town Attorney Bob Hornik
ITEM #1: Call to order and confirmation of a quorum
Chair Eckert called the meeting to order. Ms. Hauth confirmed the presence of a quorum,
given current vacancies.
ITEM #2: Consideration of additions or changes to the agenda
Ms. Hauth noted that she had sent the board an additional item 6 the day after board
members received their packets.
ITEM #3: Approval of minutes from November hearing/meeting.
MOTION: Mr. Brewer moved to approve the minutes as submitted. Ms. Morris seconded.
VOTE: Unanimous
ITEM #4: Interview of 3 volunteers for current vacancies – one in town and one out of town.
Ms. Hauth noted there will be two in-town vacancies and one ETJ vacancy. There are three
volunteers. She noted that out of town member John Bemis has come to the end of his
second term and cannot be reappointed. She noted the in-town vacancies are due to Keith
Jordan passing away and Christy Raulli indicating her schedule will not allow her to seek
reappointment.
Jennifer Sykes said she previously lived in Becketts Ridge, moved away for a few years,
and now lives in West Hillsborough. She is interested in economic development, how can
we establish residential areas and incorporate more businesses. She is also interested in
keeping Hillsborough vibrant for younger adults.
Dan Barker, a former member of this board, said he has lived in Hillsborough 14 years and
has served on several boards. He worked on the Unified Development Ordinance and
desires to serve again.
Lisa Frazier lives in the ETJ. She has lived here since 1992 and she is interested in being a
part of something that benefits many people.
MOTION: Chair Eckert moved to recommend to the Town Board (Sykes for Jordan, Barker for
Raulli) and County Board (Frazier) that the three candidates be appointed to the Planning
Board. Ms. Morris seconded.
VOTE: Unanimous
ITEM #5: Draft text amendments for consideration for the January Public Hearing:
a) Definition of self-storage – include exterior unit doors to allow for internally accessed
storage to go under generic storage
Ms. Hauth reviewed that there are a number of commercial buildings around town that
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December 17, 2015
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have been rented for storage for business goods. An owner of a warehouse came in and
wanted to divide up his fairly large warehouse space. It would not have individual outside
accesses. She asked if the members would be interested in working on the definition of
self-storage. Ms. Hauth is not recommending that self-storage be a permitted use in the
General Commercial district, but perhaps general purpose storage could be acceptable.
There was discussion about this item. There was the general idea that self-storage generates
more traffic and acknowledgement that there’s a trend toward self-storage being accessed
internally. The attempt is to get at the visual impact and traffic impact of exterior doors.
There was agreement to clarify the language on what constitutes self verses indoor storage,
but the bigger change would be allowing the internal storage use in the General
Commercial District where it is not currently allowed. There was interest in attaching
acreage to the definitions. The self-storage would still not be allowed in the GC District but
the indoor storage warehousing would be. The existing stock of GC properties is probably
not attractive to someone looking to create a self-storage business because of lack of
acreage, Ms. Hauth said. There’s only one site already developed that is 2 acres or bigger.
MOTION: Ms. Raulli moved to send the text amendments to public hearing. Mr. Brewer seconded.
VOTE: Unanimous
b) Definition – government maintenance yard – new use; reduce setback LI next to EDD
Ms. Hauth reviewed that the prison camp and DOT yard were placed in this Economic
Development District. This was done in case the state one day sold those properties. But in
the meantime, it is difficult to allow the state to expand on those properties while they are
zoned in the EDD. She has encouraged the DOT yard to request rezoning to Light
Industrial Use. She suggested putting in the ordinance a government maintenance yard as a
defined use. There are four in town: DOT yard, Town Operations Center on Dimmocks
Mill Road, Town Fleet Facility on NC 86N, County Public Works Facility on NC 86N.
Ms. Hauth added that the other part of the discussion is deciding on the setback between
Light Industrial and EDD because the prison camp will likely remain in the EDD. It was
acknowledged that the County is moving forward with moving the jail out of downtown
and co-locating on the prison property.
There was agreement that a 20-foot setback for LI adjoining EDD suffices. There were a
couple of small wording suggestions noted by Ms. Hauth.
MOTION: Mr. Brewer moved to send this to public hearing with the modified language. Ms. Raulli seconded.
VOTE: Unanimous
ITEM #6: Preliminary discussion about development code amendments to facilitate additional
residential density in existing neighborhoods.
Ms. Hauth reviewed that the Town Board is interested in loosening the reigns on density
throughout town, making it easier for accessory units to be constructed, under the
assumption that accessory units would be for rent and would add to the affordability of all
neighborhoods throughout town. Right now, Hillsborough allows the creation of efficiency
apartments within houses. There are fewer than two dozen throughout town. If the lot is
twice the minimum size, it’s permissible to have a second freestanding dwelling unit. A
few people have taken advantage of that. A few more have created a guest house without a
kitchen. Recently, Chapel Hill voted to permit freestanding structures and units over
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garages provided there is parking (and a few other regulations). She cautioned this, in its
extreme, could double the intensity of a town.
Ms. Hauth asked what information the planning board wants from her to help understand
or craft some language that would permit efficiency units.
There was discussion about possible setbacks and how topography affects the feel of
building a residential unit behind a house. There was acknowledgement that HOAs would
prohibit such additional development within an HOA-governed neighborhood.
It was acknowledged that setbacks and parking would be issues that would need to be
addressed.
Ms. Hauth said she’d advise keeping secondary dwellings to where there is access to
public water and sewer.
ITEM #7: Adjourn
MOTION: Mr. Brewer moved to adjourn at 8:25 p.m. Ms. Morris seconded.
VOTE: Unanimous
Respectfully submitted,
Margaret A. Hauth
Secretary