Carrboro Planning Manager Trish McGuire presented a report to the Carrboro Town Council on the Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan at the council’s latest meeting. The plan, which was first adopted by Carrboro in June 2022, informs the town’s annual budget and considers race, equity, and climate action policy throughout.
McGuire updated the council on key projects that the town has prioritized based on Carrboro’s Comprehensive Plan. McGuire said the town has made significant progress on projects in seven categories: (1) affordable housing, (2) climate action and environment, (3) transportation and mobility, (4) GIS, water, and energy, (5) economic sustainability, (6) recreation, parks, and natural resources, and (7) land use.
“These projects were selected because they were identified as advancing interests of the plan,” McGuire said. “Advancing racial equity and climate action, cross-cutting themes – a great opportunity to have a positive impact on the community and to meet the town’s goals within the next five years.”
“Among that,” the planning manager continued, “was the notion of expanding access to places, resources and programming. The plan was written with the expectation that there would be annual updates for the town council and that there would be a plan for updating the plan every five years.”
McGuire also discussed the town’s plan to fund a land use ordinance (LUO) rewrite in next year’s budget. She said the town’s goal would be to align the LUO with goals and strategies identified in the Community Climate Action Plan and the 2009 Bike Plan.
While the council has amended the LUO many times since originally passing it in 1980, McGuire said the rewrite would allow the council to make the new LUO clearer, more readable, and more accessible than the current text.
The new LUO could set town policies for affordable housing, residential and commercial density, urban heat island mitigation, and transportation design. It would also address stormwater management, mixed-use development, and attempt to increase density along major transit corridors and nodes. If funding for the LUO rewrite is approved, the town would expect to pass the rewritten LUO in late 2026.
McGuire highlighted some of the town’s projects that will be funded in the town budget based on the prospective FY25 budget, including a library project (203 Project) and pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements.
To watch a full recording of the meeting from May 7, click here.
Photo via Town of Carrboro.
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