Minutes 03-07-2024 - Business Meeting

Browse Search

16 Jim McNeely said he serves on the Board of Directors for the Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro. He said affordable housing has been an issue for a longtime, but the urgency has not been higher. He said that the Big Bold Ideas group produced a bold goal to dramatically increase affordable housing and identified 6 ways to do this. He said this area is the ideal place for affordable housing. He said the Town of Chapel Hill is committed to developing 12 acres with affordable housing units, but the area must have water and sewer. He asked the Board to vote yes to extend and to open the door for more affordable housing. Dianne Martin said she is speaking on behalf of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in support of WASMPBA. She said the church sees it as a social justice issue. She said Holy Trinity has the opportunity to collaborate with a local partner to develop 50 acres. She said the church urges the Board to approve the WASMPBA resolution. Nick Robinson said he is in support of extending the WASMPBA boundary. He said the biggest impediment to affordable housing is lot sizes. He said sewer is the great equalizer. He said it is clear that Chapel Hill sees this as consistent with its long-term plan and asked the Board to vote in favor. Morgan Womble said her family owns a farm in south Chapel Hill. She said they heard about this only 3 weeks ago and have concerns. She said her concern is downstream effects on landowners that have not been considered or respected. She urged the Board to consider reviewing the recommendations of her neighbors. She asked for a demographic, economic, and environmental impact analysis prior to the vote. She said every acre counts and decisions like tonight will change the face of the county as they know it. Marie Rossettie asked the Board to delay their vote. She urged the Board to have further studies. She said development along the 15-501 corridor may be inevitable, and maybe a good solution, but without the LUMO rewrite, transparency from the town, community engagement, a stormwater management plan, environmental impact studies of over 300 acres, clear guidelines how this will meet the Climate Action Plan, and traffic studies. She said she would also like to see what price point of developments will go in. She said the vote is premature and asked for a plan that isn't rushed. She said there are neighbors who still do not know this is even being considered. She said delaying the vote can have an impact on the overall trajectory of growth and change for those in the ETJ. Livy Ludington said she has lived in the ETJ for over 40 years. She read a petition from residents of the ETJ. She said she has never seen a decision so rushed by the Chapel Hill Town Council. She said the residents want the process to slow down and for more analysis to be done. She said a better plan can be put in place. She said the boundary line could also be moved to the southern edge of the property if Chapel Hill agrees. She said that there is also property for sale along the east. She said the redrawing of the watershed boundaries has not been finalized. She said the Chapel Hill staff reported that the smaller expansion area had been discussed but there were differing opinions. She said that there are no large tracts of land south of the property that can be built without jeopardizing current affordable housing that is already there. Munsie Davis said changing this agreement opens the door for a lot of money to be spent before planning has been completed. She said she is a resident of Heritage Hills and has been since 1991. She said she has seen a lot of changes over the years. She said that if the plan is rushed, they will be unsure if they will be able to achieve the goal of affordable housing. She said the underground water in the area has shifted and changed over the years and every time something big goes in, it is not a matter of stormwater, but things that are harder to see. Bruce Long said his property touches land that Chapel Hill owns. He said this process is moving so fast and that he wants the Board to take a step back and ask questions on behalf of the residents here. He said he has dealt with a lot of different entities and developers wanting to buy his property. He said it seems to be so fast that there is something behind all of it. He said their hands have been tied with regulations around the 5-acre buffer and now they will be changing it for someone. He said that Chapel Hill Carrboro City School has offered to purchase his property