Have you noticed all the new apartment buildings on the northern side of town?
Recent developments built in Northern Chapel Hill has featured mostly high end rentals. Observe the evidence: the completion of Evolve and the construction underway at Carraway Village, both on Martin Luther King, Jr Blvd. This trend toward luxury rentals reduces available affordable housing units for teachers, police and fire personnel and destabilizes the local retail marketplace by raising commercial rents. Human scale design and the enforcement of environmental standards are missing. Land use changes in one area of town can affect another. For example, additional impervious surface in northwest Chapel Hill has contributed significantly to flooding downstream carrying sediment to Eastwood Lake and the flood-prone Ephesus-Fordham district.
Now, one of the last islands of affordable housing will disappear. A building proposal for the Lakeview Mobile Home Park will add 303 units (258 “luxury” apartments), and displace many working residents of Chapel Hill.
We’ve provided a list of coming projects.
Now, one of the last islands of affordable housing will disappear. A building proposal for the Lakeview Mobile Home Park will add 303 units (258 “luxury” apartments), and displace many working residents of Chapel Hill.
Additional developments that could bring over 1,000 new apartments to northern Chapel Hill are in the works. For your convenience, we’ve compiled a page which lists the potential new projects in this part of town.
A brief history of planning in northern Chapel Hill. Back in 2007, a small group of area residents faced with a surge in area developments were concerned about the lack of comprehensive planning successfully made the case for a moratorium so that a “small area plan” could be created for this section of town. The Northern Area Task Force ( http://www.townofchapelhill.org/home/showdocument?id=1050) completed a detailed plan for the 400 acre area. After full participation from area residents, area landowners, advisory board members and town staff, the Council approved the “small area plan” which was intended to guide future development.
Has the small area plan been followed? Del Snow (Chair of the Task Force) says “No, I am sad to say that our leaders did not follow the plan. Once adopted, it was put on the shelf and forgotten.” She went on to say, “when plans are not followed, residents pay the consequences of bad planning. Instead of new development being “integrated with existing neighborhoods,” the area has become a series of disconnected and incongruent buildings.
Instead of a “walkable destinations” and a dynamic area, there are offices that close early and self storage units proposed! Increased traffic congestion belies the task the Task Force took – recommendations for Transit Oriented Development. Widened intersections may help cars but make transit superfluous and ignore bikers and pedestrians. Finally, our plan aspired to make a “landmark” entranceway to the Town that communicated the Town’s values. That has been lost.”
What is CHALT looking for now? Success would be returning to honor our “small area plans”. Wouldn’t it be great if the new Town Council made the first part of the Task Force Vision Statement a reality?
“Chapel Hill’s Northern Gateway will be a local vibrant hub humming with activity, its distinctiveness unmistakable. The Northern Area will abound in public art, outdoor plazas, and green space, providing a warm welcome for both residents and visitors. It will encourage creative building design and land use plans that emphasize street-front aesthetics and the latest in green technology, and ample buffering of existing neighborhoods. It will value preserving areas of natural beauty, environmental sensitivity, and historic and architectural significance.”
Developments pending in northern Chapel Hill in the planning stagesClick on each link to see the details. *S.E.C.U. Bank Branch (MLK/Westminster) Bridgepoint (WDR Ext/Homestead – mixed use – new application coming) Carraway Village (MLK/Eubanks – in progress 400-700 residences, office/retail (see below for link) 1165 Office Park, 1165 Weaver Dairy Road *Hanover Apartments (WDR/MLK – 258 luxury apartments + 45 affordable Active Adult Housing (190 luxury apartments – 55+) *Coley Self-Storage (WDR/Kingston – self storage units) Homestead Town Homes (Homestead/WDR Ext – 44 townhomes)
Approved projects in northern Chapel Hill and/or under constructionMerin Rd Community (Homestead/Merin Rd – 71 residential units)
Link to Town Development Activity Report
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