Town Council
Back in June, you may recall that I wrote a blog post (and a commentary on WCHL) about that month's planned decision by Chapel Hill Town Council on the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for Triangle Transit's proposed light-rail line connecting Durham and Chapel Hill. To recap briefly, the two choices are (a) running the light-rail line through a transit corridor reserved when Town Council approved Meadowmont in 1995, with a station right in front of the Harris Teeter on Meadowmont Lane; or (b) running the light rail line down the south side of NC-54 with a stop in the proposed Hillmont development (formerly known as Woodmont) just east of Barbee Chapel. For various reasons, the decision was delayed, but it's coming up again.
On June 27, the Chapel Hill Town Council will be providing recommendations to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee regarding the alignment of the proposed light rail line which will connect Chapel Hill with Durham, UNC Hospitals with Duke Hospital and downtown Durham. As a Meadowmont resident, I'm particularly interested in the choices of routing which involve Meadowmont, and I'm interested in what others in the local progressive community think about the options.
When the approval of the Meadowmont community was up before Town Council in 1995, one of its selling points, and presumably one of the reasons Roger Perry and East-West Partners were allowed to build at such high densities, was the reservation of a 50-foot wide mass-transit corridor (see also here). The corridor is still there, still free of development, and passes by the commercial area and rental apartments before making a turn behind the residences in the Cedars retirement community.
By Michelle Cotton Laws, President of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP
(Also submitted to Mayor Kevin Foy.)
On behalf of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP, I am writing to express our concerns over what appears to be some post-election jockeying about who the Council should appoint to the vacant seat left by Bill Strom. Buttressing our concerns is the outcome of the recent elections which have resulted in what will be a racially homogeneous Council that does not reflect the broader Chapel Hill community. While some Council members (and their constituents) may feel comfortable with this outcome and argue that “the people” spoke through the casting of their votes, there are others—including the NAACP—who believe that the results of the election have left us in a similar place where the “Founding” American colonists were when they protested against the British Crown through the historical Boston Tea party -- “taxation without representation” for many Chapel Hill residents in particularly a relatively large and deeply rooted African American community.
Gene Nichol moderates this social justice
focused candidate forum on Wednesday, Oct 21 from 7-9 p.m. Hear
candidate ideas and positions on issues like affordable housing,
democracy reform and civil rights, welcoming Chapel Hill's immigrant
and refugee communities, and environmental justice.
Candidate
forum sponsors include: NC Common Cause, Democracy North Carolina,
League of Women Voters, NAACP (UNC Chapter), Justice and Peace
Commission of The Church of Reconciliation. Individual sponsors
include: Rev. Stephen Elkins-Williams (Chapel of the Cross), Rev. Bob
Dunham (University Presbyterian Church), Richard andJill Edens (United
Church of Chapel Hill), and Rev. Peter JB Carman (Binkley Baptist
Church).
Due to other church business that evening, THERE IS NO PARKING AT UUMC. Please plan to use street or other available parking.
Contact Josh Glasser, JGlasser@CommonCause.org or 919-260-1364 for more information
Date:
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Location:
University United Methodist Church, 150 E Franklin St.
Does anyone know anything about this new group reported in Orange Chat, Citizens for Responsible Government. They appear to be a political action committee of some sort that intends on influencing the upcoming election.
The website says that their mission is to, "support candidates and policies that promote the responsiveness, efficiency and fiscal health of our local governments."
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.
