Planning & Transportation

The Town of Chapel Hill invites the community to participate in information sessions about zoning opportunities for the Ephesus Church Road-Fordham Boulevard area.

To reach as many residents as possible, meetings with identical presentations will be held on Thursday, Sept. 20, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chamber of Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Family, 200 Hayes Road.

Current community discussions about the Ephesus Church Road-Fordham Boulevard area are being initiated by the Town of Chapel Hill as part of its work to implement the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive plan. In a collaborative community process, residents and Town staff will identify appropriate form and zoning regulations in and near Ephesus Church Road and Fordham Boulevard. Technical assistance with the focus area initiative will be provided through a $20,000 grant to the Town from the Mayors Innovation Project.

At the Sept. 20 meeting, the Mayors Innovation Project consultant team, comprising Scott Bernstein of the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Hazel Boyrs of PlaceMakers, will present information about zoning opportunities for the area. All community members are invited to participate in the process and share their ideas. It is anticipated that the consultant team will return to Chapel Hill to present their initial recommendations for community consideration.

The 123-acre area surrounding the intersection of Ephesus Church Road and Fordham Boulevard was the subject of an earlier study adopted by the Town Council on Feb. 28, 2011. The Ephesus Church Road-Fordham Boulevard Small Area Plan, led by the Town's Economic Development Division, defines land future land uses and offers solutions to the transportation network to encourage reinvestment.

The focus area is located near the intersection of Ephesus Church Road and Fordham Boulevard and extends from South Elliott Road to north of Ram's Plaza. It was one of six areas included in Future Focus community discussions that took place in spring 2012 during the development of the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive plan. The plan focused on areas most likely to change in the future due to vacant land, underdeveloped sites, and their location along transportation and transit corridors.

Questions and ideas are welcome. For those unable to attend the information session, there will be opportunities for future involvement. To be added to the email distribution list for the Ephesus Church Road-Fordham Boulevard Focus Area, contact compplan@townofchapelhill.org or 919-968-2728. To find more information, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=1656

A public information meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10, to receive comments and feedback on the UNC-Chapel Hill Carolina North Annual Report to the Town of Chapel Hill. The meeting will be held in the Council Chamber of Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Carolina North is envisioned as a mixed-use academic campus on university-owned property along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, two miles north of the main campus. University and Town representatives signed a development agreement in 2009 that covers the first 20 years of development on the site. The agreement contains guidelines and standards for the development of the first 3 million square feet of a mixed-use research and academic campus on 133 acres.

The annual report lets the Town and public know what development activities have occurred on the Carolina North site in the past year and the ways in which the University is complying with the terms of the development agreement. The report is part of the structure established by the agreement for providing continued town-gown communication. The report will be posted online at http://www.townofchapelhill.org/carolinanorth 

Town Manager Roger Stancil will review the report and the public input before reporting on Sept. 24 to the Town Council on his review of the development agreement and its requirements.

Public input is welcome. Send comments about the annual report or other issues related to Carolina North at any time to carolinanorth@townofchapelhill.org or write Town of Chapel Hill Planning Department, Carolina North, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill, NC 27514.

Detailed information is available online at http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=900 and http://carolinanorth.unc.edu/. To be added to a mailing list to receive regular updates about the Carolina North development agreement, please contact info@townofchapelhill.org.

Town of Chapel Hill contact: Catherine Lazorko, 919-969-5055 or clazorko@townofchapelhill.org or UNC-Chapel Hill contact: Susan Hudson, 919-962-8415, susan_hudson@unc.edu

What is this program?

The DCHC MPO programs state and federal transportation projects in our region.  The MPO is reviewing different alternatives for meeting future transportation needs and inviting citizens to participate.  The public comment period will be from Friday, August 17, 2012 through Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

 

How can I participate?

There are several options for participating, including:

 

www.dchcmpo.org -- Web site provides:

§  A description and presentation (tables and maps) of the alternatives – See “Alternatives Analysis” or use this link:

                       http://www.dchcmpo.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=92&Itemid=35

§  An email link for making comments; and,

§  List of opportunities to provide your comments at the local government level (see list in Introduction document).

 

Public Hearing – Citizens can provide feedback to local elected officials (Transportation Advisory Committee); Wednesday, September 12, 2012, at 9:00AM in the Committee Room (2^nd Floor of Durham City Hall, 101 City Hall Plaza).  Persons with disabilities will be accommodated -- provisions must be requested at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.

 

Public Workshops –

·       Hillsborough -- 9/13, “The Town Barn,” 4-7 PM;

·       Durham -- 9/18, Durham Station Transportation Center, 4-7PM; and,

·       Chapel Hill -- 9/20, Chapel Hill Town Hall, 4-7PM.

 

Who can I contact?

Comments and questions should be directed to:

               Andy Henry, City of Durham, Transportation Department

               101 City Hall Plaza

               Durham, NC  27701

               E-mail:  andrew.henry@durhamnc.gov    Phone:  (919) 560-4366, ext. 36419