[Durham INC] FW: Durham Planning Department Quarterly

[Pat Carstensen]

You may want to subscribe to this.  Also the article on home-based businesses might be a good addition to our collection of potential articles for neighborhood newsletters.
Regards, pat

Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2011 11:27:56 -0500
To: pats1717 at hotmail.com
From: RWadegriffin at gmail.com
Subject: Durham Planning Department Quarterly









Tuesday, January 4, 2011








To visit the department web site Click here.
 











 



















Planning Quarterly Newsletter
The Durham City-County Planning Departments is pleased to announce our new quarterly newsletter and invites you to subscribe. If you wish to continue to receive our newsletter, please click the "Confirm to all lists" link at the bottom of the page to confirm your subscription. Happy New Year to everyone and we hope you'll join our list and be a part of this exciting new step for the Department. 
 





Update on Riparian Buffers
 
The City and County of Durham recently adopted revised requirements for buffers along streams, ponds and other riparian areas to align with recent changes to State law.  The revisions can be found in the Unified Development Ordinance at Sec. 8.5, Riparian Buffer Protection Standards, and related sections.  They explain the buffers that are required, activities that can occur within those buffers, the types of approval required for those activities, and actions that need to be taken outside of the buffers to protect them.  The revisions also include a large increase in the possible penalties for violation of the buffer requirements. 
 
Items that are currently located in riparian buffers, like buildings, lawns, and utility lines, are protected under an existing use exemption.  Home and business owners with uses in the buffers should read Sec. 8.5.7, Existing Use Exemption, carefully to make sure they do what is necessary to maintain that exemption.
 
For more details on the revised riparian buffer requirements, click the "READ MORE" tab below.
 
 




Ninth Street Plan Zoning Change
 
The Ninth Street Plan, adopted by City Council on November 17, 2008, sets a community vision for future development along Ninth Street and in the surrounding area. The process of implementing the policies in the adopted Ninth Street Plan includes creating a new zoning district for the area. An open house was held in April 2010 to provide an opportunity for input on this new zoning district. A second open house was held in October 2010 to review the draft ordinance text for a design district for the Ninth Street area to receive input and feedback on the drafted regulations. Planning staff then incorporated feedback from the community and from development-related City departments into the draft. The revised draft ordinance text was posted on the Planning Department’s website for comment by the community from November 29 - December 20. Another round of revisions to the draft is underway based
on this feedback. A final public meeting on the proposed text before staff moves the proposal into the public hearing and adoption process is tentatively slated for late January or early February 2011.
  
The proposed regulations from the October meeting and an opportunity to provide comment on the proposal electronically is available through the "READ MORE" tab below.  If you have questions, please feel free to contact Lisa Miller (919-560-4137, ext. 28270 or lisa.miller at durhamnc.gov) or Aaron Cain (919-560-4137, ext. 28226 or aaron.cain at durhamnc.gov) in the Durham City-County Planning Department.
 
 




FEATURED ITEM




West Chapel Hill Street Area Commercial Infill District:
A Brief History of the Project
Representatives of the West Chapel Hill Street commercial area and the surrounding neighborhoods brought the challenges of redevelopment of this corridor to the attention of Planning Department staff in late 2009. Of particular concern were barriers in the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) such as suburban standards for parking, buffering, lot size, and setbacks, which make it difficult to utilize the existing structures and parcels.
 
Staff evaluated the area, as well as several comparable areas within the Urban Tier, and examined several strategies that would facilitate new businesses and/or buildings, but would preserve the mercantile look and feel of the area. In May 2010, the staff presented interested citizens a general proposal to address the identified concerns. The response was supportive, and since that time staff has been working on a draft text amendment.
 
In October and November 2010, the staff presented highlights of the draft text change to interested residents, soliciting input on possible boundaries for the initial implementation of this district. 
 
The Commercial Infill District is intended to serve as a small commercial node which could be adopted in a variety of urban neighborhoods within close proximity to Downtown Durham or the Compact Neighborhood Tiers. These areas tend to be compactly developed with an emphasis on the pedestrian experience and connectivity with the surrounding residential uses.

 Summary of Commercial Infill (CI) District Text Revisions

Goal:
The following issues have been identified by the area stakeholders and staff. These are addressed through this text amendment and zoning map change.


Flexible parking requirements. 

Compact plantings in buffer and landscape requirements. 
Site and building placement to reflect the existing landscape.

 Summary of Text Changes:
 

Establish Definition of Commercial Infill (CI) district. 
Establish allowable uses for CI district as a commercial district. 
Revised footnote format for tables in Article 6, District Intensity Standards to differentiate between ordinance requirements and supporting information. No change in the requirements for existing districts is intended. 
Establish standards for the new CI district. 
Revised Project Boundary Buffer Table in Section 9.4, Project Boundary Buffers, to provide a column and row for each commercial district. 
Revise the organization of the VUA landscaping requirements to minimize repetitiveness. No change in the requirements for existing districts is intended.

 
 
 




Planning Staff Retirements
  
Please join us in congratulating two of our staff members who retired at the end of December:
 
T.E. Austin, A.I.C.P., was with the Planning Department for over 24 years. He worked in Small Area Planning, Current Planning, supervised Strategic Planning, and most recently as the Planning Supervisor for the Research and Technology team. He also worked with Durham County Emergency Management where he managed the Joint Information Center. His work on our website was highlighted as one of four model online ordinances by the American Planning Association.
 
Alex Waddell was with the Planning Department for over 30 years. He worked in Small Area Planning, Current Planning, and most recently on the Research and Technology team doing GIS mapping.
 
Together they were part of the team, led by Austin, which won a Long Range Planning award (Large Community) from North Carolina chapter of the American Planning Association for the North Durham Plan.
 
We thank them for many years of service to the community and wish them both good fortunes in their future endeavors!
 
 




Planning Explanation of the Quarter:
 
How to Start a Home-Based Business (Home Occupation) in Durham
 
So, you want to start a home-based business in Durham. What are the regulations?  What do you do first? Briefly, here are some facts you will need and the steps to follow:
 
Step One is to decide what kind of business you want and how much of your home you will use for the business. There are limits to the portion of your home that you may devote to the business, the number of employees and vehicles you may have for the business, among other things. The rules are designed to keep the appearance of a private home, while allowing you to conduct business if you follow the rules.
 
Step Two: Durham requires that all home-based businesses obtain a Home Occupation Permit (HOP) from the Durham City-County Planning Department. The rules that apply are printed on the back of the HOP application for your convenience. You also must initial that you have read the rules when you fill out the form. The application can be found at the Planning Department, or online at www.durhamnc.gov/forms/planning_home_occupation.pdf. There is a $26.00 fee, which must be paid when you turn in the completed and signed application to the Planning Department, which is located in Suite G301 on the ground floor at 101 City Hall Plaza. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
Step Three in the process is to register your business name. Where this is done depends on the kind of ownership. To register for a Sole Proprietorship/Partnership, contact the Durham County Register of Deeds Office located on the ground floor of 200 East Main Street. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The current fee is $14.00. For any further questions, contact the Register of Deeds at (919) 560-0480. To register as a Corporation, you must contact the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office, which can be found at 2 Salisbury Street, Raleigh NC. For further questions regarding corporate ownership, contact the NC Secretary of State’s office at (919) 807-2000 or online at www.sosnc.com .
 
Step Four for many types of home-based businesses is to obtain a General Business Privilege License from the Durham City License Office. The License office can be found in Suite 1100 on the first floor of 101 City Hall Plaza. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The fees will vary based on the specific business activity proposed. Many professional businesses will instead need a privilege license from the N C Department of Revenue, per G.S. 105-41 (see www.dornc.com/practitioner/corporate/bulletins/2007-2008/VI-E.pdf). The annual fee for a state privilege license is $50. For further information, please contact the Business License Office at (919) 560-4700 or visit them online at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/finance/applications.cfm .
 
Step Five is to register with the NC Department of Revenue in order to obtain an account ID number for income tax withholding, sales and use tax, and machinery and equipment tax. To find out more and register on line go to: www.dor.state.nc.us/electronic/registration/index.html or contact the local Service Center for the NC Department of Revenue at 3518 Westgate Drive, Suite 110, Durham, or by phone at 1-877-252-3052. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
Lastly, you must also get a federal tax ID number. This can be done online at www.simplefilings.gov-tax.net/?rdir=1291754124&sc=0  and the phone number is 866-659-5246. Business hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central. There is also lots of helpful information at the IRS website at www.irs.gov .
 
Depending upon the type of business you decide to start, there may be other permits to obtain as well. You are welcome to call any of the offices listed in this article for assistance or visit them online. Once you get established, one of our Zoning Enforcement Officers may visit you to verify that your business complies with the permit you filled out and the rules. Good luck with your business!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 








IN THIS ISSUE




 




Update on Riparian Buffers.
 
Ninth Street Plan Zoning Change
 
West Chapel Hill Street Area Commercial Infill District
 
Planning Staff Retirements
 
Planning Explanation of the Quarter
 
Hot Items
 
Stay in Touch
 
Useful Links
 
Planning Terms
 
Staff Profile
 
New and Different
 




HOT ITEMS





 
Congratulations to Cline Design, Ellen Cassily, Center Studio Architecture, MHAworks and all the other designers and owners whose projects won at this years Golden Leaf Awards. 
 

 




STAY IN TOUCH




Contact Us
 
Neighborhood Notice Form
 
Take our Survey




USEFUL LINKS




 
Comprehensive Plan
 
Land Development Office
 
Staff Directory
 
Unified Development Ordinance
 
 Zoning Atlas 
 
 




PLANNING TERMS




Here we take a moment to define what are common terms for planners but may make no sense to the rest of the world.
"Land Use"
When planners use the term "land use," they are referring to the many different activities that occur on any given parcel.  Universities and logging companies can use forested land for studies and for business. However, planners would view it as agricultural use just as with farms that use land for row crops, pastures, and orchards.  Most residents use land as a place of residence, sometimes in single-family houses and sometimes in duplexes or apartments.  Business people use land as a tool for making profit, seeking return for investment in shopping centers, industrial facilities, office buildings, and apartments. This brings us to an interesting point. Planners would view the land use of apartments as residential because, even though money is being made, the everyday use of that land is to provide a place for people to live.  The community as a whole
uses land for institutional purposes, like parks, schools, hospitals, government facilities.  Our transportation system consumes a great deal of land for streets, alleys, highways, and parking lots.  Though most people don’t think about land in this way, it is passively used for natural systems of all kinds. Streams and rivers carry stormwater runoff, wetlands and lakes store and clean water, forests filter air pollutants, and all offer habitat for wildlife and aesthetic enjoyment for people.  Land is an investment, a commodity, and a community resource.  The way it is used, or sometimes abused, is a community-wide concern. 
 
 




STAFF PROFILE




  

Please join us in welcoming a new member of the Planning Department staff. Hannah Berg was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  She attended St. Olaf College as an undergraduate, where she majored in history and American Studies and was an Academic All-American in swimming.  Upon graduation, she worked for the Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development Department, primarily in historic preservation, before coming to North Carolina to pursue a masters degree in City and Regional Planning at UNC-Chapel Hill.  While in North Carolina, she focused her studies on land use and urban design, and worked for the Triangle Land Conservancy on farmland conservation and with the Town of Hillsborough to prepare citizens for their upcoming Unified Development Ordinance.  After completing her graduate degree, Hannah returned to
Minnesota and worked for the Urban Land Institute on transit-oriented development policy for a proposed light rail corridor.  As a member of the Durham City-County Planning Department, Hannah will be in charge of case management for Comprehensive Plan Amendments, as well as supplying policy analysis on a number of long range projects. 




NEW AND DIFFERENT




Staff is not the only thing changing in the Planning Department. Our first point of contact has changed to Suite G301 on the ground floor. To find us, turn left off the elevator and follow the hallway past the Durham One Call Center. Or take the large stairway down from the lobby, turn right and follow the signs.
 
If you have visited our Customer Service Center recently, please take our survey here. We value your opinion and we are always looking for ways to serve you better.
 
Also please be aware that there will be changes in the submittal procedure and schedule for development projects after the first of the year. For updates, check the   Development Review Portal Home Page.










Published by Durham City/County Planning Department - 101 City Hall Plaza - Durham, NC 27701 - 919-560-4137




 
 






        
                          
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