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Council retreat to focus on plan rewrite

Posted on February 3, 2011February 3, 2011 by Staff

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Chapel Hill — The Chapel Hill Town Council goes into its annual retreat this weekend with a big decision looming on the potential for moving the town library and the beginning of a yearlong effort to revise its comprehensive plan.
The major focus at the retreat will be developing a process for public involvement in the rewrite of the town’s comprehensive plan.
Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said the council wants to make sure there is meaningful citizen involvement in shaping the plan. The recently completed process for gathering feedback and increasing community participation in the town’s negotiations with UNC on the Carolina North project provided a lot of lessons in that area, he said.
UNC School of Government professor David Owens, who worked with the town in developing the Carolina North Development Agreement, will discuss that process and offer suggestions for improving involvement.
Also scheduled at the retreat is a review of the council’s goals set last year, a discussion of economic-development strategies and preliminary discussion on the 2011-12 budget.
The retreat will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, at 523 E. Franklin St. Materials for the retreat are available at the town’s website at townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=958
Although it’s not on the retreat agenda, what to do about the library – and its impact on the town budget – will no doubt be in the air.
At press time for The Citizen on Wednesday evening, the town was conducting a public-information session on the potential for moving the library to University Mall.
Kleinschmidt said the meeting is another chance to get the mall proposal before the public. He objected to some of the criticism the council has received, especially the claim that it’s a backroom deal and that it represents a reversal of the council’s commitment to the library.
Kleinschmidt said the town has been very out in the open on the potential deal.
“When we got the offer, we put it out there and said, ‘Tell us what you think,’” Kleinschmidt said.
The council, he said, has shown its commitment to the library with the approval of a $16 million expansion at the Pritchard Park site. The town has an obligation to study the mall proposal, he said, because of the potential for significant savings.
“We’re just trying to determine if it’s a better deal,” he said.
Kleinschmidt said he expects that the council will have enough information by its meeting on Feb. 14 to make a decision on whether to move forward with negotiations with University Mall owner Madison-Marquette or reject the offer and move ahead with the already-
approved expansion project.

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