Orange County NC Website
<br />Margaret Dardess, Interim Dean of the School of Public Health, stated that the current <br />building does not even begin to address the School's space needs. This is the "century of <br />public health," she said, noting increases in obesity, diabetes, and hio-terror-ism threats. <br />As the leading school of public health in the nation, Ms. Dardess said, LINC was <br />increasingly being called upon for service, practice, and research in public health, <br />preparedness, and prevention. She stated that the School had people scattered all over <br />Chapel Hill in 50,000-80,000 square feet of rental property. They could consolidate <br />those activities at Carolina North and have greater coordination, cooperation and <br />efficiency among activities, Ms. Dardess pointed out. She described activities of the <br />Public Health Institute and Public Health Leadership Program, and explained that those <br />would be located at Carolina North as welh This would afford those programs <br />opportunities for synergies with other programs, such as FPG, Ms. Dardess said.. <br />Council Member Kleinschmidt asked if such synergies currently existed or if distance <br />had prevented them from occurring. Ms, Dardess replied that there would he more <br />efficiencies and opportunities to collaborate if they were in the same vicinity. Council <br />Member Kleinschmidt verified that the School would not abandon its activities on the <br />main campus but would consolidate its programs that are currently scattered around. <br />Mayor Foy verified that Active Living By Design, a part of the School of Public Health, <br />was involved with planning for Carolina North.. Mr. Waldrop stated that Active Living <br />By Design had been involved early on and had agreed to continue working with UNC. <br />Mayor Foy inquired about their recommendations. Mr, Waldrop replied that they had <br />recommended showers in buildings so that people could exercise during the day and had <br />discussed the bike and pedestrian walkways. <br />Mayor Foy mentioned that the Town had been talking with Active Living By Design <br />regarding the difficulty that those using public transit were having crossing Airport Road. <br />He asked Mr. Waldrop if he had discussed this with Active Living By Design. Had they <br />discussed the impact that Carolina North might have on Airport Road, Mayor Foy asked. <br />Mr. Waldrop replied that they had not, but that they certainly intended to discuss that.. <br />Council Member Verlcerk noted that most of the Humanities students would remain at the <br />main campus where the I-Iumanities are taught. Mr. Waldrop agreed that classroom <br />teaching of undergraduates would not be moved to Carolina North, But, he added, <br />Carolina North might help meet some of the research project demand. Mr, Waldrop <br />pointed out that the Humanities could also be involved at Carolina North via a new <br />Institute for Renaissance Computing. LTNC hoped that Carolina North would provide <br />space for that in the long term, he said. <br />Mr. Waldrop stated that Carolina North would include staff and student housing. He <br />emphasized that UNC had not made commitments to anyone for space at Carolina North, <br />except to recommend setting aside property for an elementary school. Any partner who <br />would be located there would help the University's mission of research, teaching and <br />