Growth & Development
Soon we'll be entering a new phase of what some might call the
never-ending saga of Carolina North. The last I had heard the
University will be presenting its concept plan for the Innovation
Center, the first building proposed to be built on Carolina North, at
the September 19th meeting of the town of Chapel Hill's Community
Design Commission (CDC).
I was out of town for 9 days so I had trouble following this.
Final agreement on the last set of conditions on the proposed Alberta project was delayed Tuesday night after a lengthy discussion by the Carrboro Board of Aldermen.
After closing a public hearing at Town Hall on the four-story 46,340-square-foot project, board members focused on how it and other mixed-use developments would affect downtown.
Two major areas of negotiation have been how many affordable housing units to require at The Alberta and where to draw the line between public and private property.
Located at the corner of Roberson Street and Sweet Bay Place on the site of the old Farmers' Market, The Alberta would include 6,772 square feet of retail space on the ground floor along Roberson Street along with 23 residential units and 69 parking spaces. The condominiums include three one-bedroom units, 17 two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units.
- The Carrboro Citizen - Board delays final vote on Alberta, 9/6/07
*Yet Another Carolina North Meeting. Actually two!
The next in UNC's series of informational sessions about their Carolina North plans is tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile community group NRG will hold a forum on the same topic on Wednesday. Details below:
The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. in Room 2603 of the School of Government's Knapp-Sanders Building. Parking is available in the N.C. 54 visitor's lot and the Rams Head deck. Chapel Hill Transit service is available via the RU, G, S and V routes. See http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.asp?NID=399 for timetables of these routes.
Jack Evans, executive director of Carolina North, and other university representatives will present an overview of potential infrastructure scenarios on the UNC-owned property. They will also seek community feedback on topics such as water, sewer and energy options for the site.
[...]
Finances are not my specialty, but I think a transfer tax is an OK way to raise money from the thing that costs us: growth. I think it would also make sense to have a higher rate or additional impact fees for new development, though.
The Orange County commissioners decided Tuesday that more discussion is needed before voting on whether to put a transfer tax question on the ballot in the upcoming election.
"I think we're all trying to get up to speed on what the legislature did," Chairman Moses Carey Jr. said.
In the last legislative session, the General Assembly voted to allow counties the option of adding a quarter-cent sales tax increase or a 0.4 percent tax on land transfers. Either way, local voters would have to approve the additional tax in a referendum.
I would like everyone to know that there will be a community open house on Tuesday, August 28th, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Library. We will present a draft of the Northern Area Task Force report for your feedback and comment.
This was an amazing accomplishment, considering the small amount of time that we had to work. Those of you who were on the Horace Williams Citizens Committee will appreciate what I am talking about because we HWCC members worked hard for 2 years in order to produce our report. Because of the time limit imposed by the moratorium, the Northern Area Task Force and Town staff only had time to meet 7 times over 3 months and participate in 2 workshops with planning consultants.
Our charge was to prepare recommendations for the Council for the implementation of transit oriented development. We have recommendations and guidelines for over 350 acres of land along Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Northwest Chapel Hill. Not only are we the gateway entrance from the north, we will be the northern neighbor to Carolina North.
Please come and weigh in on plans for our future.
Pages
About Us
OrangePolitics is a not-for-profit website for discussing progressive perspectives on politics, planning, and public policy in Orange County, NC. Opinions are those of their authors. Learn more.
Community Guidelines
By using this site, you agree to our community guidelines. Inappropriate or disruptive behavior will result in moderation or eviction.
Zircon - This is a contributing Drupal Theme
Design by
WeebPal.