Ordinance Amendment: Schools Adequate Public Facilities (APF) Ordinance

1. Ordinance Amendment: Schools Adequate Public Facilities (APF) Ordinance ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

2. Schools APF Ordinance • Adopted July 1999 • Intent  Link Provision Of School Capital Improvements With Future Development To Ensure Adequate Public Facilities In Conjunction With New Development • Applies Only At Site Plan/Subdivision Plan Stage • General Schools Impact Also Identified During Rezonings ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

3. Schools APF Ordinance • Based On MOU With Wake County Board Of Education • Requires Wake County School System To Issue A Certificate Of Adequate Educational Facilities (CAEF) • Ordinance Officially Amended In 2003 • Allow Advance Donation Of Schools Or Sites, Or Payment Of Funds, For Large Projects To Meet Future APF Requirements • Case-by-case consideration • Incorporated Into Zoning Conditions Or Developer Agreement ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

4. Schools APF Ordinance • Some Developments Exempt: • Low-density Subdivisions • Affordable Housing Projects That Use Public Subsidies Or Other Arrangements To Ensure Affordability • Amendments To Approved Plans That Do Not Increase The Number Of Units By More Than 5% ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

5. Schools APF Ordinance • LOS Standards (“Overcrowding Level”) Established: • First 3 Years: • 148% For Elementary Schools • 132% For Middle Schools • 141% For High Schools • Since July 2002, No INDIVIDUAL School Can Exceed 130% Of Its Permanent Seat Capacity ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

6. Schools APF Ordinance • >25 Subdivision Plans + >12 Apartment/Townhome Projects “Tested” Over The Past Few Years • >1100 Lots And 900 MF Units Since 1999 • All Have Received CAEF • School System Continues To Reduce Overcrowding Through Capital Program… ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

7. Schools Overcrowding - Area CBy Level, 1997 vs. 2003 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

8. Schools Overcrowding - Area CBy Individual School, 2003 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

9. Schools APF Ordinance • Limited Applicability Due To Numerous Other Town Initiatives  Difficult To Assess Outcomes • Limits Due To Water Supply • Roads APF Ordinance • Increased Development Fees Enacted • Residential Annexations Limited • General Economic Slowdown And Decrease In Residential Development ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

10. Schools APF Ordinance • Conclusions: • Reduction In Growth Rate Cannot Be Directly Attributed To Ordinance • Still Questionable Whether Town Can Regulate Local Development Vis-à-vis School Capacity  Not Capital Provider • School System Has A Responsibility To Serve Students • Ability To Shift Students Makes Schools Adequacy A “Moving Target” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

11. Schools APF Ordinance • Conclusions: • Complexity of school system also makes adequacy assessment a “moving target” • Public given false impression that ordinance actually makes a difference • Administration of ordinance an added burden for no benefit • Overcrowding being addressed “naturally” as WCPSS continues to implement capital programs ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

12. Schools APF Ordinance • Staff Recommendation: • Eliminate Schools APF from the Land Development Ordinance • Section 3.18 & related provisions • Add repeal language to explicitly state that fee imposed by prior PDD condition or separate developer’s agreement still applicable unless amended in future • Continue to provide development data to school system ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

13. Schools APF Ordinance • Staff Recommendation: • Maintain & strengthen planning coordination for schools • Continue to assist with provision of school facilities via Town expenditures for land and/or roads & utilities in keeping with Council policy ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY

14. Ordinance Amendment: Schools Adequate Public Facilities (APF) Ordinance ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TOWN Of CARY