FAC
1.00 - Master Planning for Campus Physical Development
| Responsible Offices: | Vice Chancellor for
Business Affairs Associate VCBA-Facilities |
Effective: June
28, 2002 New |
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the teaching, research and public service mission of the university is supported by a physical campus that is efficient, organized, secure and aesthetically pleasing in design and is developed with environmental concerns taken into consideration.
The Board of Trustees is responsible to the Board of Governors for preparing, maintaining and approving a master plan for the physical development of the institution.
Master Plan Purpose and Contents
Master planning is essential to the fulfillment of the University's mission. This is particularly important during periods of unusual growth in the number of facilities to be managed and/or expansion of the physical space. From the master plan, more detailed plans can be created.
The master plan is based on the university values and the campus strategic plan. The overarching goal of master planning is to maintain a vital balance among the competing needs for effective campus physical development and the efficient use and management of available land and other related University resources.
The specific contents of the master plan are determined by the institutional needs of UNC Wilmington. In general, core components follow industry best practices and may address:
- New Construction
- Identification and reservation of sites for buildings
- Designation of land areas for future development
- Building Renovation/Renewal
- Building and Site Reconstruction
- Parking and Transportation
- Landscapes and Open Spaces
- Revisions and Extensions:
- Circulation Systems - All types
- Infrastructure Systems - All types
- Joint Campus/Community Development Projects (example: bike paths
- Environmental Sustainability Projects
During development, the master planning process identifies the planning goals and assumptions (e.g., atmosphere conducive to community building, desired density, intimate outdoor spaces, etc.) and time period for the plan. The planning goals and assumptions are intended to reflect the historical context of the institution, and at the same time, keep current with changing needs and new programs as specified in the university's strategic plan.
The master plan articulates outdoor spaces as well as buildings (usually in graphic form), and may include, but is not limited to, conceptual plans for drainage, building footprints, features that connect buildings, and conceptual layout of external circulation (roads, parking accommodations, service access, handicapped access, pedestrian entrances, etc.). Infrastructure studies (utilities and network backbone), traffic studies, and environmental studies are examples of inputs to the master planning process.
Master Plan Preparation and Review
The Chancellor has assigned responsibility for developing and maintaining the campus master plan to the Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs. This individual shall develop and implement a process for this master planning that has been reviewed by the Provost and Vice Chancellors and approved by the Chancellor. This process must provide opportunities for participation by many constituencies during the development of master planning guidelines and draft and reviews of final master planning documents. Among these constituencies are the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, Provost and Vice Chancellors, faculty, staff, students, the University Planning and Quality Council, the Faculty Senate Building and Grounds Committee, the University Facilities Committee, and concerned external groups.
Outside consultants/architects may be contracted to conduct studies, to gather information from the various constituencies, and to prepare plan proposals. The Associate Vice Chancellor-Facilities will be the principal contact for the outside consultant/architect team.
The Chancellor shall charge an advisory committee to guide the process followed by the Associate Vice Chancellor-Facilities and the hired consultant/architect team. The master planning committee will have a representative from each major constituency, including but not limited to, university divisions, University Planning, Faculty Senate Buildings and Grounds Committee, and students. The master planning committee will be involved on a regular basis, reviewing progress to date and providing direction for input and verification.
At the conclusion of a comprehensive planning process and subsequent review and comment period, the Chancellor will recommend approval of the master plan to the Board of Trustees via the Business Affairs Committee of the Board.
Consistent with the authority above, the Board of Trustees has also been granted the authority from the Board of Governors to approve building sites for any campus capital construction project.
There are many considerations for a building site including, but not limited to, programmatic considerations, definition and creation of open space between adjacent structures (existing or planned), campus circulation, environmental impact, storm water management, topographic and soil constraints, campus safety and security, and adequacy of supporting infrastructure.
Approval of Reserved Building Sites
Individual buildings may be planned using sites reserved in the master plan. The Associate Vice Chancellor-Facilities works with the future building occupants and the architectural design team to adapt a site reserved in the master plan for an individual building.
The Associate Vice Chancellor-Facilities reviews the site with the Administrative Cabinet, prior to the Chancellor making a recommendation for approval to the Board of Trustees via the Business Affairs Committee of the Board.
Approval of Building Sites in Areas Designated for Future Development
Individual buildings may also be planned in areas designated for future development. The Associate Vice Chancellor-Facilities develops the site recommendation with input from future building occupants, the university support functions (such as information technology and transportation planning), any other affected constituents and organizations, and the architectural design team.
The Associate Vice Chancellor-Facilities reviews the site with the Administrative Cabinet and the Faculty Senate Buildings and Grounds Committee, ensuring adequate time for comment before the Chancellor makes a recommendation. When all input is received and considered, the Chancellor recommends the site for approval to the Board of Trustees via the Business Affairs Committee of the Board.
Approval of Non-Master Plan Building Sites
When a site being considered is not reserved in the master plan and is not in one of the areas designated for future development, the process is the same as the process for Approval of Building Sites in Areas Designated for Future Development (above). However, a lengthier period for approval should be anticipated given the lack of study for the planned site.
