CHALT Hosts First Chapel Hill Candidate Forum

CHALT, the special-interest political action committee formed earlier this year, hosted the first Chapel Hill candidate forum last night at the Seymour Center.

Questions asked at the forum centered on development issues. Questions were often long and leading, including questions with factual errors and missing context. It seemed that questions were designed to promote a specific viewpoint rather than to give candidates a chance to share their views and vision for our town. Candidate pushback about the biased questions even led to the moderator, Theresa Raphael Grimm, to comment that she was only the messenger and had not written the questions – a CHALT committee had, she told the audience.

A Storify of the tweets from the forum is below, in case you missed it.

Issues: 

Comments

Travis

Could you give us an example of a factual error among the questions or missing context? Saying it happened without prividing an example doesn't draw much water.

For example, Jim Ward says he's a friend of trees, but when you look at his votes, for example to approve Obey Creek and what that project will do to the trees he has befriended on the project site as well as in the resource conservation district, you might think his statement was somewhat misleading, self-serving and a tad glib.

Happily, Don:

  • Michael Parker received a question asking how he feels, as a downtown resident, that he has to get in his car and drive to access basic needs and amenities. Parker responded that the question's premise was simply wrong – he walks to places like the Carrboro Farmers' Market and other downtown establishments to do much of his shopping.
    • Relatedly, this question also implied that downtown should have a supermarket. As Parker pointed out (and has been discussed many times by town staff and others), downtown does not have the density to support a full-scale supermarket. UNC tried greatly to recruit a grocer to Carolina Square, but the density numbers simply do not support a traditional supermarket. Further, many urban areas are served by pharmacies for basic groceries, and we have both a CVS and Walgreens and the small Mediterranean Market that provide basic groceries in downtown.
  • Jim Ward received a question about the Edge that alleged the development would be 75% residential and that the town did not receive adequate concessions in the negotiated agreement. Ward correctly responded that the 75% is not what the town nor the developer wants, but that the flexibility for the developer was important to make that parcel successful. He also cited the addition of infrastructure being paid for by the developer to improve Eubanks Rd and its intersection with MLK near I-40.
  • Questions on Obey Creek, Central West, and Ephesus Fordham alleged that public input was not received or incorporated into final agreements or plans. Parker, Ward, Lee Storrow, and (I think) Donna Bell all responded with concrete examples of how public input was received and incorporated, not even mentioning that the many, many, many hours that went into those processes went to great lengths to engage the public.
  • A question was asked about adding density without planning for Chapel Hill Transit. Yet, it is clear that the Town is working to address this based on their continued discussion and development of a long-term fiscal strategy, plus an annual payment to CHT required in the Obey Creek development agreement, which was an innovative provision included in that plan.

Michael didn't seem to have any problem answering the question. At every one of these kinds of forums that I've attended over the years, the candidates have repeatedly restructured the questions. What Michael didn't say is that the walk between downtown Chapel Hill and Carrboro where the groceries are located is right around 1 mile with lots of broken sidewalks and road crossings. When I lived in downtown Norfolk VA, at the time they were just beginning to redevelop, the first amenity the town brought in was a bodega, similar to the Med Deli grocery.

Regarding the transit contribution by the Obey Creek developer, here is what the development agreement says. I'll leave it to each reader to decide if it is sufficient given the projected traffic impact:

1)            The Developer Owner or Representative shall make an annual contribution of $0.02 per square foot of completed heated building area to help fund transit service to the Property and Southern Village area.  This contribution shall be made for the term of this Agreement and shall be adjusted each year on July 1st for any new buildings completed in the past twelve (12) months.  The payment shall be made no later than September 1st of each year.

i.              The first payment shall be made upon issuance of the first Certificate of Occupancy;

ii.             The $0.02 contribution shall be adjusted annually with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) category “all urban consumers”;

iii.            All payments made from three years after the Effective Date of this Agreement, provided a Certificate of Occupancy for the Developed Property has been issued, shall be no less than $10,000.

"What Michael didn't say is that the walk between downtown Chapel Hill and Carrboro where the groceries are located is right around 1 mile with lots of broken sidewalks and road crossings"

There are also three bus routes that travel between Weaver St Market and the corner or Franklin/Columbia, including one (J Route) that has 15-minute frequency in both directions most of the day.

For whatever it's worth, back in 2008 when I finished undergrad and started work in the marketing department of Weaver Street Market (then located in Carr Mill Mall behind the main store), I lived on Graham Street (coincidentally, Greenbridge was in the beginning stages of construction at the time). It was the easiest pedestrian commute I ever had in my entire life.

It didn't last long before both me and my office had moved, and I really miss having such a great walk to work. It was amazing that my previous commute to UNC campus (which I actually documented at the time, below) could be made even easier.

Looking back, it's great to see how some of the problems I documented back then have been fixed by the town councils since. There's a lot more to do, but I'm very glad to see us moving in the right direction.

Michael's answer didn't involve the bus--he only addressed walking to the grocery. I personally don't find riding the bus with more than a small bag of groceries to be comfortable.

Travis

Thanks for the answers. I believe you and the incumbents and Michael Parker are mis-remembering some of the details, however.

Saying the downtown does not have the density to support a downtown supermarket is just plain bizaare -- the plans for The Edge include a supermarket, and that project is going at a site that is within half a mile of two other supermarkets. With all the condos and apartments that are going up or planned for downtown, an urban supermarket certainly would fit into town plans. However, no one on the council is stepping up to make this happen, and Parker seems content with walking to Carrboro to do his grocery shopping.

Jim Ward's memory of the Eubanks Road infrastructure being paid for by the developer is faulty. Yes, the builder will pay for some of that infrastructure -- $1 million -- but the town left the agreement open-ended and thereby put itself on the hook for costs above that figure -- the infrastructure that Ward touts could cost the town a few million dollars that the council should have pressed the developer to pay.

I believe you and the incumbents are mis-remembering those "concrete" examples of public input on Obey Creek. At the forum, the incumbents didn't provide a single example of concrete input -- just vague references. And remember that the council would not allow further discussion of plans that would have cost the town less in services and reduced the traffic impact. The only example the council provided during that process was how not to negotiate a special use permit.

And that transit contribution for Obey Creek? Only applies for the first three years of the project.

I was disappointed that the incumbents at the forum were quick to pat themselves on the back for accomplishments they couldn't detail. Made for a lot of happy talk but very little reality -- Lee Storrow especially was good at projecting a positive attitude but providing no details. Maybe OP can inject more reality into its forum and make sure the incumbents provide details of their supposed accomplishments. That would be a real public service.

 

 

 

A read of the pertinent Obey Creek Development Agreement section (§ 5.4(e)(1) ) shows that the developers have agreed to contribute to Chapel Hill Transit for the entire length of the development agreement. This is twenty years, not only three. The term of the agreement is defined in § 4.2(a), which plainly states that it is a 20-year agreement from the effective date of July 1, 2015:

The term of this Agreement shall commence upon the Effective Date and it shall expire twenty (20) years thereafter unless sooner terminated by the mutual consent of the Parties, or is otherwise terminated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, it being understood that the termination of this Agreement shall not require the consent of any Parcel Owners. This twenty (20) year term has been established by the Parties as a reasonable estimate of the time required to carry out the Development of the Property subject to this Agreement and to obtain the public benefits of the Development. The Town finds that a term of twenty (20) years is reasonably necessary to assure the Town of the realization of the public benefits from the Development of the Property. All of the Development which the Developer Owners or Parcel Owners, if any, elect to commence pursuant to this Agreement which is authorized by this Agreement will be initiated by obtaining a Development Agreement Compliance Permit within the term of the Agreement, but expiration of the  twenty (20) year term shall not terminate (a) mutually agreed to obligations and commitments included within this Agreement that are expressly specified to extend beyond the term of the Agreement as stated in this Agreement or (b) rights and obligations that are related to Development for which a Development Agreement Compliance Permit has been issued within the twenty (20) year term but the Development of which has not been completed by the expiration of the twenty (20) year term.  The term of this Agreement may be extended or renewed by the mutual consent of the Parties in accordance with state and federal law, it being understood that the consent of Parcel Owners will not be required.

b) Certain provisions of this Agreement shall continue beyond the expiration of this Agreement, and in perpetuity or as long as allowed by law, including those specified in Sections 5.8, 5.10, 5.11, and 5.12. 

What you might be getting confused about is that in § 5.4(e)(1)(iii) it states that IF a Certificate of Occupancy has been issued by the third year of the development agreement, then regardless of the $0.02 formula, the contribution yearly MUST be at least $10,000.

1) The Developer Owner or Representative shall make an annual contribution of $0.02 per square foot of completed heated building area to help fund transit service to the Property and Southern Village area.  This contribution shall be made for the term of this Agreement and shall be adjusted each year on July 1st for any new buildings completed in the past twelve (12) months.  The payment shall be made no later than September 1st of each year.

i. The first payment shall be made upon issuance of the first Certificate of Occupancy; 

ii. The $0.02 contribution shall be adjusted annually with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) category “all urban consumers”;

iii. All payments made from three years after the Effective Date of this Agreement, provided a Certificate of Occupancy for the Developed Property has been issued, shall be no less than $10,000.

Based on the most current info I can find (2006), a new bus costs roughly $350,000 (purchase price only).  At $10,000 a year for 20 years, Obey Creek will not have even paid for the cost of 1 bus, let alone the operating expenses. If the developer was paying $.02 on 1M sq ft for 20 years, they would cover the cost of 1 bus and possibly the cost of a driver (but not fuel, maintenance or insurance.

I just don't see how anyone can think this was a good deal.

 

at full build out at $300 million in assessed valuation, at the current transit tax of 5.1 cents per $100 valuation (under the ten cents authorized by the 1973 referendum) Obey Creek Wil generate $153,000 annually in property tax, PLUS the additional developer contribution of $10,000. Additionally there will be motor vehicle taxes generated that by law are dedicated to transit, PLUS 1/2% for transit generated by residents of the area and new retail. If it were indeed just $10,000 that certainly would be a bad deal for transit 

Full build out is potentially 20 years away, if ever. Since the developer has said the residential portion of the project will be built first, the demands on the transit system will not be covered by the revenue generated. In the meantime..... And then there's the possibility that the developer may exit from the project at any time and the new developer will want to renegotiate the deal.

The questions have been posted here. Folks can judge for themselves.

 

Yeah, those are some leading questions. I imagine a forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce would be just as partisan.

But what concerns you more -- the leading questions or the misleading answers? Jim Ward's on The Edge and Donna Bell's on Obey Creek were real doozies!

 

I'm a little suprised to see that you agree with Travis that the CHALT questions were leading. 

What is the purpose of a forum if not to question the incumbents on their record and ask challengers how they would have done things differently?

pLease  see gpknc lattest blog, Gary Kahn

 

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