TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Planning Commission
Will Deaton, AICP - Planning & Zoning Division Manager
FROM: Demetrios Moutos - Planner I
DATE: April 16, 2024
RE:
Title
TA24-10. Proposed amendments to the Hospital Area Overlay and Plan
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Strategic Operating Plan FY 2022
Goals 2027
Goal 2: Responsible City Government Supporting a Diverse and Viable Economy
• Objective 2.4 - Sustain a favorable development climate to encourage business growth.
Goal 3: City Investment in Today and Tomorrow
Objective 3.2 - Manage the City’s Future Growth and Strategic Land Use
Executive Summary:
This report analyzes potential amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Hospital Area Overlay (HAO) District. The analysis considers the potential effects of streamlining the development process, fostering expansion of the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and associated uses, and implementing an adaptable approach that prioritizes resilience.
Background:
The City of Fayetteville is committed to responsible urban development and zoning to protect residents' welfare and maintain neighborhood integrity. This report evaluates proposed amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) for the Hospital Area Overlay (HAO) District. These amendments aim to streamline the development process and introduce a more adaptable and resilience-oriented strategy for the ongoing growth of the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and its related land uses. Specifically, the amendments seek to enhance the area’s ability to respond to evolving healthcare demands and the need for compatible land use planning that supports both the medical center’s expansion and the surrounding community’s well-being.
The goal of the HAO District is to safeguard the health, safety, and well-being of individuals living near Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. This aim is achieved by reducing friction between residential and commercial land uses and fostering development that is both compatible and of high quality. The overlay’s requirements are specifically designed to:
1. Shield neighboring communities from the negative effects of unsuitable or low-quality development;
2. Support dense development while ensuring there is sufficient space for parking, greenery, and buffers;
3. Foster the creation of more aesthetically pleasing, pedestrian-oriented spaces that are not overly centered on vehicle use; and
Reduce the impact on traffic by imposing restrictions on certain types of land uses and implementing measures such as access control, traffic calming, road enhancements, and improvements to intersections, among other strategies.
Issues/Analysis:
The initial stage in presenting a proposed amendment to the City Council involves having it reviewed, modified, and recommended by the City’s Planning Commission in accordance with City policies and State Statutes, as outlined below. The Commission plays a pivotal role in every text amendment process.
According to Section 160D-301 of the North Carolina General Statutes:
(a) Composition. - A local government may by ordinance provide for the appointment and compensation of a planning board or may designate one or more boards or commissions to perform the duties of a planning board. A planning board established pursuant to this section may include, but shall not be limited to, one or more of the following:
(b) Duties. - A planning board may be assigned the following powers and duties:
(3) To develop and recommend policies, ordinances, development regulations, administrative procedures, and other means for carrying out plans in a coordinated and efficient manner.
Recommended text amendments:
a) Revise 30-3.H.2.a (Purpose)
i. Current: The purpose of this district is to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of residents in the vicinity of the Cape Fear Valley Hospital by lessening conflicts between residential and non-residential land uses and by promoting compatible quality development. Specifically, the requirements of the overlay are intended to:
1. Protect surrounding neighborhoods from being adversely affected by inappropriate or poor quality development;
2. Allow for compact development, while providing adequate room for parking, landscaping, and buffering;
3. Create more attractive, pedestrian-friendly developments, less dominated by the automobile; and
4. Minimize traffic impacts through limitations on certain land uses, access management, traffic calming, street improvements, intersection improvements, and other means.
Revised: The purpose of this district is to uphold the public health, safety, and welfare of the community in the vicinity of the Cape Fear Valley Hospital. It aims to foster harmony between residential and non-residential land uses, advocating for development that is not only compatible and of high quality, but also specifically designed to support the expansion of the Cape Fear Valley Hospital and associated land uses. This approach is strategically geared to enhance the prosperity and well-being of the surrounding community. Specifically, the requirements of the overlay are intended to:
1. Protect surrounding neighborhoods from being adversely affected by inappropriate or poor quality development;
2. Allow for compact development, while providing adequate room for parking, landscaping, and buffering;
3. Create more attractive, pedestrian-friendly developments, less dominated by the automobile; and
4. Minimize traffic impacts through limitation on certain land uses, access management, traffic calming, street improvements, intersection improvements, and other means.
b) Revise 30-3.H.2.d.1.c (Certain Streets Reserved for Offices and Single-Family Dwellings Only)
i. Current: Village Drive, from Conover Drive west to Roxie Avenue
Revised: The south side of Village Drive, from Conover Drive westward to Roxie Avenue.
Land Use Map and Plan Consistency
The Consistency Statement for the proposed UDO Text Amendments (TA24-010) provides a detailed analysis of how these amendments align with the City of Fayetteville’s Comprehensive Plan, particularly focusing on goals and land use policies and strategies. This statement is instrumental in understanding the rationale behind the proposed changes and how they support the broader objectives of responsible urban planning and development.
Goals Alignment
The amendment directly supports several key goals outlined in the Comprehensive Plan:
• Goal #1: Increase investment around important areas like infrastructure nodes.
• Goal #2: Support economic and commercial growth in specific, identified places.
• Goal #4: Make neighborhoods safer, more stable, and better-looking.
• Goal #6: Leverage the strategic value of military bases, schools, and hospitals to benefit the area.
Land Use Policies and Strategies Consistency
The Consistency Statement meticulously maps the amendments to specific land use policies and strategies, demonstrating a comprehensive alignment:
• LUP 1: Focus on developing areas that already have good roads, utilities, and services.
o Encourage denser and mixed-use development in central areas like downtown and community hubs.
o Make sure that new developments have the necessary infrastructure.
• LUP 2: Drive economic growth in certain areas, including downtown and industrial zones.
• LUP 3: Transform underused commercial areas and improve struggling neighborhoods.
o Make changes to rules to help redevelopment and offer incentives for updating commercial properties and neighborhoods.
• LUP 4: Aim for commercial and mixed-use areas that are easy to walk around in and look good.
o All new developments should follow basic design rules, including providing sidewalks, using quality materials, and adding green spaces.
o Design these areas to be pedestrian-friendly, with buildings near streets and easy connections between places.
• LUP 6: Set development standards that lead to well-designed neighborhoods.
o Ensure new neighborhoods have connected streets, sidewalks on both sides, and accessible green spaces.
o Require trees and landscaping in residential and commercial areas to enhance the environment.
• LUP 13: Work together with local governments, schools, and hospitals on development projects that help the economy.
o Support development that complements educational institutions.
o Plan together with these institutions to meet their future development needs outside their main campuses.
Future Land Use Map Alignment
The Consistency Statement illustrates that the proposed UDO Text Amendments are not only aligned with the City of Fayetteville’s strategic vision for growth, development, and community well-being, but also actively support the realization of this vision through practical changes to the UDO. The close alignment with the goals and land use polices of the Comprehensive Plan contributes to creating a balanced, sustainable, and economically thriving urban landscape.
Budget Impact:
None
Options:
1) Move to recommend approval of all of the proposed text amendments. (Recommended);
2) Move to recommend approval of some of the proposed text amendments;
3) Remand some or all of the proposed text amendments back to Staff for further consideration and specific changes.
4) Move to recommend denial of any or all proposed text amendments;
Recommended Action:
The Professional Planning Staff recommends Option (1) approval of all of the proposed text amendments.
Attachments:
1. 30-3.H.2. Hospital Area Overlay (HAO) District
2. Hospital Area Plan and Overlay Ordinance
3. TA24-10 Consistency Statement