Design Review: A Viable Option for Town Planning
Creators: name: Anderson, Stephanie
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2006

description: The Town of Hillsborough is located in the central piedmont region of North Carolina about 20 miles west of the Research Triangle Park, RTP. Hillsborough has a total population of about 6,000 residents. It is the historic capitol of the state and the current county seat for Orange County. The total land area of the town was 4.6 square miles in 2000, though additional land has been annexed as the result of recent development. (US Census 2000) Interstates 85 and 40 run south of town and represent major transportation corridors in the state. The economy of Hillsborough is largely based on tourism and retail. The adjacent towns of Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh, as well as the RTP, are major places of employment for Hillsborough residents. The Town of Hillsborough, in anticipation of rapid growth and development, appointed a Vision 2010 Plan Committee in 1990 and, in 1991, adopted the Vision 2010 plan prepared by the committee. The Vision 2010 Comprehensive Plan was updated in March 2000. Managing growth so that it enhances and complements Hillsborough is the first goal stated in the Vision 2010 Plan. In order to fulfill this goal the plan called for the establishment of a Design Review Board and the development of design guidelines addressing neighborhood compatibility. Yet, this objective was never met. Fifteen years have passed since the Vision 2010 Plan was initially adopted and commercial and residential development has gained momentum. Now the Town is faced with multiple large-scale development proposals with limited design review procedures in place to monitor and manage the growth. The pace and scale of growth threatens the ability of the Town to successfully integrate new development with the historic fabric of the town. Design review is a planning tool aimed at promoting community character by ensuring the compatibility of new construction with existing development. The Town of Hillsborough has an appointed Historic District Commission that is responsible for design review within the designated historic district but which has no jurisdiction beyond the district boundaries. Yet, currently the majority of growth and large-scale development is happening along the town's main transportation corridors, not within the historic district. The establishment of a design review process is essential in order to fulfill the goals laid out in the Hillsborough Vision 2010 Plan. Yet, there is no one model for design review. Instead, design review takes many forms and local design review boards have a wide range of missions, powers, strategies, and procedures. Communities that have instituted design review have discovered various obstacles and legality issues related to the process and serve as resources while the institution of a design review process is considered. Among the main obstacles are the regulatory rights of the Town over private development, consistency in the review process, and community opposition. The most effective steps to ensuring that the design review process is legally sound and that it functions as a benefit to the community is developing clear and consistent guidelines and gaining public support.