University Committees: Physical Environment Committee

Meeting - October 3, 2013

Agenda

  • Welcome
  • Old Business
  • Approval of September 5, 2013 minutes
  • Sign up for individual subcommittees
  • Subcommittee Reports
  • Campus Planning & Design and Campus Resource Conservation Subcommittee
    • Physical Master Plan Update: Tom Skolnicki
  • Parking & Transportation Subcommittee
  • New Business
  • Next Meeting: November 7, 2013 Location: Winslow Hall Conference Room

Minutes

Winslow Hall Conference Room

Erin Champion, chair, called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. The following voting members attended the meeting: Aram Attarian, Ronald Baynes, Erin Champion, Allen Emory, Barbara Fair, Rob Farrell, Matt Gunnet, Tom Karches, Susan Lisk, Jason Spivey, and Alan Tonelli.

EX-OFFICO: Tom Kendig, Tom Skolnicki

WELCOME: Erin Champion welcomed the committee members.

OLD BUSINESS:
Erin Champion called for a motion to approve the minutes for the September 5, 2013 meeting. The motion was made and seconded and minutes were unanimously approved.

Erin Champion asked the committee members to sign up for either or both subcommittees if they did not sign up at the last meeting. She circulated the sign-up sheet. Two more members signed up.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
CAMPUS PLANNING AND DESIGN AND RESOURCE AND CONSERVATION SUBCOMMITTEE:
Erin Champion asked Tom Skolnicki to present the major recommendations contained in the five year update to the Physical Master Plan. Tom reminded the committee that the master plan vision is of a campus of neighborhoods and path based on 12 guiding principles. The wording of principle 9 will change from Effective Movement for a Pedestrian-Oriented Campus to Pedestrian-Oriented Campus.

Task Force highlights are:

  • One Campus concept
  • Strategic Plan Vision
  • Focus on NC State brand
  • Document reorganization and proposed name change
  • Strengthen All Campus Paths
  • Emphasis on Landmarks for way finding and identity
  • People Mover alternative
  • Plan study areas

Focus areas for the one-campus unifying concept are:

  • Pullen Road extension and improvements
  • People Mover – first phase
  • Hillsborough St. streetscape
  • Ligon Street and Blue Ridge Road
  • Trinity Road streetscape

To highlight “One Campus” idea, all new campus gateway signs planned for North and Central, and Centennial Campus precincts are proposed to have NC State University in larger text than the precinct name, which is the opposite of how the signs read now. Gateway signs already in place will be changed out. The committee expressed its support of this proposal.

Tom asked Tom Kendig to discuss initial people mover ideas. Kendig said a civil engineering class looked into people mover systems across Western Boulevard at Avent Ferry to include gondolas, above grade pathway, and tunnel. They found more support for a pedestrian tunnel from the City of Raleigh and the Metro Planning Organization and little support for any type of vehicular tunnel. Next semester they will look into cost and development of alternatives.

Further east on Western, the city, the Catholic Diocese and the university are studying the extension of Pullen Road to Centennial Campus precinct.

Ronald Baynes asked about connectivity between Centennial Biomedical Campus and Main Campus. Tom Skolnicki recognized the need, but said the task forces did not have an immediate solution. A good first step would be a safe path on Hillsborough Street between Blue Ridge Road and Gorman Street.

Tom described the master planning impact for each campus precinct.

        • North Campus precinct:
  • Phase II of Hillsborough Street Improvement
  • New gateways
  • Replacement of Harrelson Hall
  • Broughton Hall and new Pedestrian Bridge
  • Central Campus Precinct
  • New Gateways
  • West Village Student Housing
  • Cates Avenue Master Plan
  • Carmichael Gym Additions & Renovations
  • Western Boulevard Pedestrian Tunnel
  • South Campus Precinct
  • Greek Village – Inviting Neighborhood
  • McKimmon Center Courtyard
  • Varsity Drive Recreation Fields
  • Centennial Campus
  • Engineering Building Oval and Poole College of Management Building
  • Golf Course Village Area
  • Golf Course Village Streetscape Study
  • Centennial Entrance at Trailwood Drive
  • Spring Hill North Area
  • Town Center
  • West Campus Precinct
  • I-440 Widening
  • Hillsborough/Blue Ridge Intersection
  • Flex Lab Building – Developer Project
  • Indoor Practice Facility

Tom concluded by saying that Task Force work will continue through fall. The draft plan will go to the Board of Trustees in February for approval. Publication is scheduled for May 2014.

CAMPUS PARKING & TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE:
Erin Champion asked Tom Kendig to provide the subcommittee report. Tom announced that Chris Webster agreed to chair the Campus Parking and Transportation Subcommittee.

Transportation has gotten off to a successful start of the school year with 7200 student parking passes and 5500 employee parking passes sold. Wolfline ridership is at 18,000 passengers per day. Saturday daytime service has been added between DH Hill and Hunt libraries. Another tripper bus has been added to the engineering route. Peripheral routes have bike storage capability. Participation in Wolf Trails has increased by 10 percent. Employee carpooling has increased by 5 percent and student carpooling by 52 percent. Transportation is working with NC Department of Agriculture on a park and ride at the Farmers Market. Construction will get under way next year.

NEW BUSINESS:
There was no new business. The committee adjourned at 4:52 p.m.

The next meeting of the full PEC is scheduled for November 7 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in Winslow Hall Conference Room.