A complete copy of the Request for Proposals, scope of services, submittal requirements, and other instructions may be obtained from the Town's website: http://www.townofcarrboro.org/967/Bid-Opportunities

Project Purpose

The goal of this project is to inspire extensive and active community involvement in a process that, while recognizing both harmony and discord, will result in a meaningful product that expresses and establishes a framework for achieving the community's vision, expectations and guidance for growth and development/redevelopment, and town services. Plan policies will address land use regulations and decisions, which serve as the foundation for economic development/fiscal stability, as well as the Town's ability to provide direct services and support other initiatives. A planning horizon of 20 years is anticipated, with regular reviews of progress and continued relevance/update every five years. This comprehensive planning process is intended as a framework for the incorporation of regular goal-setting, and project identification and evaluation into the process of work planning and budget prioritization.

Introduction

Located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, Carrboro has a rich history, with a wealth of natural flora and fauna developing from the weathered, ancient mountain range underlying the present-day rolling hills and forests. For at least 12,000 years before Europeans moved into the area, American Indians flourished in the rich virgin hardwood forests of the area now-called Orange County. By 1701 when John Lawson passed through, he was hosted in a stockade village called Occaneechi Town (within the now Town of Hillsborough) whose Siouan inhabitants had been displaced by Europeans spreading south and west from coastal Virginia settlements. Orange County was established in 1752, signaling that the colonial government found a sufficient number of European settlers present to do so.

A community at the center of what is now Carrboro was first settled in 1882 around a University of North Carolina railroad spur. It was originally known as West End, due to its geographic location directly west of Chapel Hill. In 1911, the town was incorporated under the name Venable, for chemistry professor and University of North Carolina president Francis Preston Venable. It wasn't until 1913 that the town made its final name change in honor of Julian Shakespeare Carr, owner of the local textile mill, after Carr expanded the mill and provided electricity to the community.

For the first fifty years after its incorporation, Carrboro remained a small mill town with a slow, steady pace of growth. In 1960, approximately 2,000 people resided in Town. In the late 1960s the town's population began to increase stemming from the growth occurring at UNC-Chapel Hill and area businesses.

Also during the late 1960s, Carrboro began to become more progressive in its thinking. The development of housing in the latter part of the decade coincided with expansion at UNC-Chapel Hill. Today the town has a reputation as one of the most progressive communities in the South. Growth has continued through the 1980s, 90s, and 2000s. This has resulted in the creation of a vibrant and diverse community. Carrboro Farmer's Market and numerous venues and events call Carrboro their homes, including two that host national music acts (the ArtsCenter and Cat's Cradle), and annual arts and cultural festivals such as the Carrboro Music Festival, WestEnd Poetry Festival and the Carrboro Film Festival. Carrboro was the first municipality in North Carolina to elect an openly gay Mayor in 1995, and was also the first in the state to grant domestic-partner benefits to same-sex couples. In 2003, the Board of County Commissioners named the new park and educational facility in Carrboro's Transition Area Twin Creeks/Moniese Nomp Park. "Moniese Nomp" is Tutelo-Saponi for Twin Creeks, to honor the Occaneechi Native Americans who lived in this area before European settlement. It is pronounced mo-nee-ay-say-nom-p.

A Truth Plaque Task Force was established in 2018 to gather input for the possible installation of a "truth plaque" that would detail the ugly truth of the racist history of Julian Carr, the Town's namesake. The Town joined the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) in November 2018 as a focus of its efforts to advance equity in the Town's governance structure. The first Truth Plaque was approved on February 5, 2019 and installed on April 16, 2019, reading as follows:

Carrboro's roots began in the late 19th century when a branch of the North Carolina Railroad extended south to the edge of Chapel Hill, and the first local textile mill opened nearby. Informally known as West End and Lloydville, the community incorporated as a town named Venable in 1911.
Two years later, the state legislature renamed the town Carrboro at the request of Julian S. Carr, a post-Civil War business leader. He was also an active and influential participant in Jim Crow era efforts to create a system of racial segregation. Although the town continues to bear his name, the values and actions of Carr do not represent Carrboro today.

In the 1970s a group of Carrboro residents joined together to change the town's power structure and advocate for a community that fully included all residents. Thanks to their commitment, today Carrboro honors its working-class roots while reaching toward the goals of social equity, environmental harmony, and fiscal responsibility.

Today, over 20,000 people are able to call Carrboro home. Recent years have seen development of a new hotel and downtown apartments, and planning for the Orange County Southern Branch Library.

More information about the Town is available at http://www.townofcarrboro.org/860/ABOUT-CARRBORO, a page on the Town website where results of the most recent citizen survey, links to US Census demographic data and other resources are available.

Overview of planning process

To date, comprehensive planning in Carrboro has been completed though primarily land use planning, capital improvement planning, and annual budgeting. Focused planning efforts have also been undertaken for Affordable Housing, Climate Action, Economic Sustainability, Recreation and Parks, Economic Development, Bicycle Transportation, Greenways, Stormwater Management, Safe Routes to Schools, Downtown Parking, Emergency Operations, and in conjunction with other entities, Hazard Mitigation. This planning process is envisioned as one that will include technical updates to existing conditions and projections of future conditions so as to inform policy choices. Existing planning documents adopted within five years of the comprehensive planning process can be incorporated directly into the comprehensive plan; ones completed earlier are to be updated and incorporated. Ongoing work related to the implementation of adopted plans (e.g. Economic Sustainability Plan and Community Climate Action Plan) is not to be suspended, but is expected to be incorporated and evaluated during this planning process, as is beneficial to the community. The Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) strategies for advancing racial equity and transforming government are considered foundational to this effort. The process will seek to utilize best practices identified by GARE communities and other leaders in these efforts. A policy linkage map that makes clear the interrelationships between town, county, regional, and state plans and policies is to be prepared. Consultant services are anticipated for technical planning assistance including primary responsibility for preparation of most of the comprehensive plan elements. Support is also anticipated in the identification of implementation and measurement components, public outreach and engagement, and interaction with community organizations, officials, a comprehensive plan stakeholder's board, and staff. A comprehensive plan task force structure, with the Planning Board chair and vice chairs serving as lead on the overall effort, is envisioned.

Expected project phases

• Phase I — Project preparation (4-6 months; August 2019 launch)
  • Plan proposal (scope, elements, background)
  • Steering/advisory structure
  • Staff resources/assignments
  • Consultant selection
• Phase II — Plan development (12 months; March 2020-March 2021)
  • Public outreach/engagement
  • Visioning, issues, values
  • Plan/policy review and development
  • Public review
  • Plan drafting and revisions
• Phase III- Plan recommendation/adoption (4-5 months; April — September 2021)
  • Comprehensive plan components and matrix integrating new and existing
  • Implementation/strategic plan and update schedule
  • Public review
  • Advisory board review
  • Board of Aldermen review

Major themes

• Climate Action/Extreme Weather Preparedness Mitigation Mitigation and Resilience/Climate Emergency
• Race and Equity
• Economic/Fiscal Sustainability (evaluating costs and benefits of policies/plans)
• Decline in Affordability for Commercial and Residential Uses
• Decreases income inequality and erosion of the middle class

Plan principles

1. Creativity — process and products are rooted in accessible vision and execution, rather than mechanical completion of identified steps.
2. Inclusivity - incorporates needs and opinions of the population, especially those that may have been underrepresented in past planning processes.
3. Community — rooted in the interests of people that live, learn, earn, and play in Carrboro.
4. Consensus — relies on an agreed-upon vision and associated values.
5. Clarity — the process and the plan and its impacts are open and clear.
6. Accountable- all parties recognize their roles and responsibilities and commit to doing their best in the preparation and implementation of the plan. A system for assessing progress and redirecting/reprioritizing plan strategies will be key.
7. Accessibility — written and presented in ways that make the plan a clear, useful, and interesting roadmap for Carrboro's future.
8. Strategic — action-oriented, the plan will focus on steps and measures to achieve its goals and values.
9. Systems-based — plans formulated with the explicit recognition of the complexities of climate and social conditions and the interconnectedness of governmental responsibilities and functions are necessary, appropriate, and effective in prioritizing and effectuating action.

Recent questions/key trends

• Infrastructure needs in relation to changing climate conditions
• Addressing the climate emergency
• Downtown development/redevelopment and revitalization
• Redevelopment opportunities, especially Jones Ferry Road and NC Hwy 54 development corridors/nodes
• Transit-oriented development opportunities
• Street connectivity and completeness (e.g. facilities for all modes and appropriate speeds)
• Public engagement and participation/demographic trends
• Historic Preservation — residential and commercial areas
• Temporary and accessory housing (e.g. short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units)
• Reducing vehicle miles travelled through land use decisions.

Community Engagement

The Town is committed to reaching new and traditionally underserved audiences and to engaging the community in creative and thought-provoking new ways. As was done with the recent public outreach for the 203 Project, the Town seeks to use data and analytics, as well as the observed experiences of community members, to structure community engagement to be responsive to the documented behavioral preferences of community groups and not just stated preferences.

While there are many in Carrboro who are actively engaged, there are some voices that are not regularly represented in public outreach. The selected consultant will be expected to develop an outreach and engagement proposal that, based upon expertise and prior work experience, as well as research and knowledge of Carrboro, will prioritize and achieve diversity and equity.

Representative staff from each Town Department (9 in total) will support this planning and policy initiative and are not included in the total number for members of the task force. Staff from neighboring local governments (varying departments, based on subject matter) and institutions (e.g. Orange County, Town of Chapel Hill, UNC-Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, CHCCS, OWASA) would also be invited to participate and serve as resources to this effort. Up to 28 others, representing residents, advisory boards, and businesses, will make up a Comprehensive Plan Task force.