Chapel
Hill Residents Express Concerns About Collector Streets
Chapel Hill residents
informed town council that they oppose a plan to build roads in Durham
County that would connect to Orange County streets to carry traffic
to arterial roads. The collector-streets plan calls for an organized
set of roads to connect existing and future development. Chapel Hill
residents are concerned that the plan doesn’t address what impact
the roads and traffic would have on Chapel Hill neighborhoods. For
full story, click
here.
Proposed
Condominium Development Projects Generate Neighborhood Aesthetic Concerns
Residents who live in the areas
surrounding the proposed Northampton and Grove Park condominium projects
are concerned with the proposed height of each development and their
potential to dwarf existing single-family homes. A proposal to float
balloons in order to demonstrate how high the proposed developments
would be, if built, was presented to Chapel Hill Town Council members,
who supported the idea. For full story, click
here and here.
Chapel
Hill Town Council Approves Permit for Castalia at Meadowmont
The Council approved a special
use permit application for Castalia at Meadowmont
for a three-story building including office floor area and residential
units. The 4.2 acre site is located on the south side of the intersection
of West Barbee Chapel Road and Old Barn Lane in Meadowmont. The applicant
agreed to provide a payment-in-lieu of affordable housing in the amount
of $150,000.
Development
Underway in Chatham County
Briar Chapel,
a mixed- use development south of Chapel Hill, is under construction
and will include nearly 2,400 homes, commercial space, and two schools.
From The Market Report
Greenbridge
Developments, LLC Update
Greenbridge Developments
is currently accepting applications and reports that 40% of their
units are already sold. For more information, please click
here.
Carrboro
Considers Development Moratorium
The Carrboro
Planning Board asked the Board of Aldermen on Tuesday, Oct. 3, to
consider suspending development in the Northern Study Area, 3,787
acres north of town where many developers are looking to build. The
temporary halt on development would mean no rezonings could occur,
no major subdivisions currently under review would be approved, and
no new development permit applications would be accepted for building
in that area, an effort to slow the town's growth. The board decided
Tuesday that it needs to refer the proposal to two citizen advisory
committees first, along with the Town of Chapel Hill, the Orange County
Board of Commissioners and UNC-Chapel Hill before taking action.
If the Board of Alderman
decides to move forward on the moratorium after other involved parties
are consulted, the Aldermen will have to draft a proposal for the
moratorium. The Aldermen must hold a public hearing on the moratorium
before deciding whether to adopt it. For full story, click
here.
Orange
County District Representation to be Put on November Ballot
In November Orange
County voters can decide whether they want to change the way County
Commissioners are elected. In an effort to provide more rural representation
on the board, commissioners have approved a proposal to divide Orange
County into two voting districts that would add 2 seats to the current
5-member board. Having the districts would ensure that at least 2
representatives come from northern, more rural part of the county.
For full story, click
here.
Chapel
Hill Increases Downtown Service District Tax
Under
the 2006/07 adopted budget, the tax rate for the Downtown Service
District increased from 5.3 to 9 cents per $100 assessed value. The
district was created in 1989 in response to requests from downtown
businesses and property owners for enhanced promotional activities
and supplemental services. Currently, district funds are allocated
entirely to the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership. Funds from the district
tax increase will fund a downtown groundskeeper for nine months and
may be used to address parking concerns, including possible free parking
meters on Saturdays.
From Town Staff Reports
Orange County
Taxes Increase 6 Cents, 7.1%
The Orange County Board of Commissioners voted to increase Orange
County Taxes by 6 cents to 90.3 cents per $100 of assessed value,
a 7.1% increase. The County Commissioners also voted to increase the
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District tax from 18.34 cents to
18.85 cents per $100 of assessed value, a 2.8% increase generating
$400,000 to help with the opening of Carrboro High School. For more
information, click
here.
Chapel
Hill Relaxes Some Sign Restrictions
In response
to a petition from business owners, the Council reviewed options regarding
changeable/moveable signage outside the Town Center. The Council agreed
to expand sandwich board use to commercial areas with sidewalks on
both sides of a road and speed limits no greater than 35 miles per
hour.
Chapel
Hill Board of Realtors Receives New Name
The
Chapel Hill Board of Realtors has a new name. The BOR received official
notification from the National Association of REALTORS and the new
name is the Greater Chapel Hill Association of REALTORS. A design
firm has been hired to create a new logo for the Association or REALTORS
with hopes of unveiling it at the annual member meeting in October.
Schools
Chapel
Hill-Carrboro School Board Begins Solicitation for Construction Bids
for New Elementary School
Commissioners unanimously approved final
plans for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ 10th elementary
school and authorized the district’s Board of Education to solicit
construction bids. The board’s decision keeps the school on
a timeline to open for the 2008-2009 school year. The 10th school
is to be built at Twin Creeks Park on Old N.C. 86 near Eubanks Road.
Carrboro has planning jurisdiction and has agreed to an expedited
review.
From Herald-Sun
Juniors
Will Relocate To Carrboro High Next Year
A divided school board voted to open
Carrboro High next year with an incoming class of juniors. The Chapel
Hill-Carrboro school board was torn between requiring juniors in Carrboro
High's assignment zone to enroll and allowing them greater freedom
to stay at one of Chapel Hill's established high schools. Originally,
administrators recommended allowing transfers out of Carrboro High
only to students who could prove that leaving an athletic, arts or
academic program would harm their college or career ambitions. The
board has agreed on a less hard-line approach by allowing students
to state their appeal cases in writing by March 1. Each appeal will
be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. For full story, click
here.
County
Orange
County Begins Comprehensive Plan Overhaul
On Oct. 3, 2006,
the Orange County Board of County Commissioners met to review a draft
of the plan for the process to create the new Orange County Comprehensive
Plan. The current plan was adopted in 1981. The County Commissioners
think that the current process will take too long to revise (2 years)
and want to accelerate the timeline. The new plan will focus on updating
the entire Comprehensive Plan, not just the land use portion. The
Chamber is exploring a partnership with the Village Project to ensure
that citizen participation is taken into consideration before the
new plan is created. The Chamber has formed the OC Comprehensive Plan
subcommittee which will work to establish the Chamber’s basic
principles/objectives regarding the revised plan. To join the subcommittee,
please contact Kendra Maultsby Mudd, Director of Government Affairs,
at kmudd@carolinachamber.org.
Economic
Plan Progressing in Orange
One year into
a five-year plan to add jobs and commercial property, Orange County
is making progress. The county -- along with Carrboro, Chapel Hill,
Hillsborough and both of the county's chambers of commerce -- adopted
a plan last year to add 5,000 new private sector jobs and $125 million
in new commercial property by June 2010. Two approved hotels and other
projects in Chapel Hill already have created $45,000,000 in new commercial
property. The jobs are expected to come closer to the end of the five-year
period. For full story, click
here.
Commissioners
Appoint Laura Blackmon as County Manager
The Orange County
Board of Commissioners has agreed to hire Laura Blackmon as the next
Orange County Manager. Ms. Blackmon comes to Orange County from Osceola
County, Florida, where she has served as assistant, deputy, or acting
county manager since 2001. Ms. Blackmon is an Alabama native and has
a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Political Science/Public Administration
from the University of Florida at Gainesville. She began her professional
career as a high school Social Studies teacher before entering government
administration. The Commissioners hired The Mercer Group Inc. as the
consultant for the manager’s search process and conducted a
national search that drew 90 applicants from across the country. The
vote to appoint Ms. Blackmon was unanimous.
The
Triangle
Raleigh
Ranked Sixth in the Nation in Growth
Raleigh ranked sixth in the nation in
numerical growth from July 2004 to July 2005. The city added nearly
14,000 new residents, more than any city on the East Coast, according
to U.S. Census estimates. As of July 1, 2005, the city’s population
was 341,530. Most of the growth is in the subdivisions on the outskirts
of the city. As new developments are being planned and built, population
growth is expected to continue. For full story, click
here.
TTA
Hires Interim General Manager
David D. King, a former deputy state
transportation secretary who retired this spring after a 33-year career,
was named TTA's interim general manager. TTA gave King a 12-month
contract and he will begin serving in his new role on October 9, 2006.
He will take a lead role in developing transit plans for the region
in the wake of TTA's failure to win federal funding for an $810 million
commuter train service. King spent most of his career at the state
Department of Transportation overseeing and expanding state efforts
in rail, aviation, ferries and public transportation. For
full story, click
here.
RTP
Ranks #1 Research Hub in the Country
The
top place for technology companies is the Research Triangle Park region.
According to a new report by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group,
a consortium of businesses in the storied tech corridor, for the second
year in a row, the group named Raleigh-Durham tops among other U.S.
research hubs. The Triangle got high marks for a strong job market,
affordable housing and manageable traffic. The region has had a strong
run during the summer, attracting an expansion of Fidelity Investments
that will create 2,000 jobs and Novartis.
From News & Observer
State
Eminent
Domain Legislation Approved by Senate Committee
Two proposals discussed by House and
Senate Committees would modify eminent domain laws in NC in favor
of property owners. House Bill 1965 would restrict purposes for which
eminent domain may be used by repealing local acts that broaden the
power beyond what is set out by statute, and by limiting the use of
eminent domain for certain revenue bond projects. This bill has become
law and was signed by Governor Easley on August 10, 2006. House Bill
2213 would amend the NC Constitution to prohibit takings of private
property for economic development, and to provide the prompt payment
of compensation with the right of trial by jury. The bill has been
re-referred to the House Committee On Rules, Calendar, and Operations.
From NCCBI Press Release
Federal
Federal
Trade Commission May Settle With More Multiple Listing Services
The
National Association of Realtors (NAR) has learned that the Federal
Trade Commission may be seeking to wrap up its antitrust investigations
of 14 multiple listing services. Each of these investigations focused
on the treatment of exclusive agency listings by the MLS, and in particular,
whether exclusive agency listings were included in IDX feeds and included
in advertising on third party Web sites such as REALTOR.com. NAR has
been informed that at least one MLS has signed a consent order and
other MLSs are under pressure to do same. However, it is the understanding
of the NAR that the FTC is pushing for consent orders from certain
MLSs, and complaints may be filed if the MLSs do not sign.
From National Association of Realtors
Other
Vote
November 7 for Orange County Commissioners
Elections for Orange County Commissioners
will take place on Tuesday, November 7, 2006 between the hours of
6:30am-7:30pm. The candidates listed on the ballot for County Commissioner
are Alice Gordon (D), Barry Jacobs (D), Mike Nelson (D), and Jamie
Daniel (R). For more information, visit the Chamber’s web sitehttp://www.carolinachamber.org/elections
which details comprehensive candidate responses from the 2006 Orange
County Elections Brochure.
Chapel
Hill Increases Downtown Patrols
More officers are hitting the streets
of Chapel Hill in the fight against underage drinking. The Chapel
Hill Police Department is putting extra foot patrol officers downtown
as students returned to UNC’s campus in August. Officers are
also running checks at bars and grocery stores to make sure ID’s
are being checked but say they are mostly responding to noise complaints.
For full story, click
here.
Chapel
Hill Police Forms Special Unit to Target Gangs
The Chapel Hill Police Department, with
help from the state, is establishing a gang unit of sorts. More and
more, patrol officers have encountered people who claim gang membership.
The Chapel Hill police will focus on developing gang expertise among
certain officers. The department wants at least one officer on each
shift trained to analyze gang-related activity and two have been trained
so far. A $50,000 grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission
will help pay for training, extra hours, and community outreach sessions.
For
full story, click
here.
Carrboro’s
Club Nova Wins Housing Award
On October 11, 2006, Carrboro’s
Club Nova Apartment complex received an Housing North Carolina Award.
The award was bestowed based on Club Nova’s features of community,
support and affordability. The three-story apartment complex opened
two years ago behind the Club Nova clubhouse at 103 W. Main St. The
nonprofit organization helps people with mental illness become part
of the larger community and get training to find work. The units are
designed to be energy-efficient and feature a solar energy system.
For
full story, click
here.
