Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council grants UNC Nash Health sidewalk waiver; developer to dedicate 10-foot easement
Summary
UNC Nash Health asked the council to waive the town sidewalk requirement along Red Oak Road for a proposed medical facility; the council approved a waiver and the developer agreed to dedicate a 10-foot sidewalk easement for future construction.
UNC Nash Health representatives asked the Town Council for a waiver of the town's sidewalk requirement for a proposed medical facility on Red Oak Road; the council approved the waiver and accepted a 10-foot easement dedication for future sidewalk construction.
Laura Holloman, project planner representing UNC Health, told the council the site fronts Red Oak Road where prior pedestrian plans conflict: a 2015 walkable corridor map includes Red Oak Road but a more recent bicycle and pedestrian plan does not. Holloman and consultant Sam Marshall said sidewalks on the site frontage would dump pedestrians into an area of highway on- and off-ramps with limited visibility and significant grade changes, making a safe connection difficult and costly. Holloman said UNC Nash will dedicate a 10-foot sidewalk easement across the property so the town will not have to acquire right-of-way if a future connection becomes feasible.
Council members asked whether the easement includes funds for future construction; Holloman replied no. Staff noted comments from the North Carolina Department of Transportation district engineer that the connection would be difficult and that there is a significant grade issue requiring guardrail and elevated pedestrian facilities in parts of the corridor. The town also discussed a potential future trail along a sewer outfall line and whether that trail could ultimately link to the UNC site; staff said that trail would sit roughly 1,000 feet from the UNC property and that DOT funding for pedestrian connections is not expected to be available for the foreseeable five to seven years.
After discussion about precedent for waivers and future development along Red Oak Road, a councilor moved to grant the sidewalk waiver. The motion passed after the mayor cast a tie-breaking vote in favor; councilors noted UNC's easement dedication but that the town would bear the cost of installing a sidewalk if the town later chose to build it.
Holloman said UNC Nash is on schedule to open the facility by August of next year and thanked the council and staff for their work on rezoning and site-plan review.
