The Daily Tar HeelMonday, April 17, 19893
City
i airings to focus on deve
By BLAKE DICKINSON
Staff Writer
The Chapel Hill Town Council will
hold public hearings Monday at 7:30
p.m. at the municipal building to
allow residents to present their
opinions on several issues under
consideration.
The topics of the hearings include
a request for modifying a special use
permit for a proposed Franklin Street
store, a subdivision application and
a proposed amendment to the town's
development ordinance that would
allow car washes to be independent
of service stations.
An application proposing building
additions and site renovations at 304
W. Franklin St. would allow for a
store selling outdoor equipment and
apparel at the location of the former
Burnette Service Station between
Fowler's Food Store and Ham's
Restaurant.
Major points of the application
involve Chapel Hill requirements for
narking in the town center and a
history of flooding problems for the
area.
The town requires that one parking
space be alloted per 400 square feet
of floor area and that parking be
located in a lot with at least 20 spaces.
The store has provided plans for an
18-space parking lot.
The developer of the site has
proposed to replace undersized storm
sewer pipes, which the town's plan
ning staff believes will effectively
double the capacity of the storm
water drainage pipes. The property,
adjacent properties and West Frank
lin Street flood during heavy rain.
The planning board, transporta
tion board, appearance commission
and town manager have all approved
modifying the special use permit.
The council will also hold a hearing
on the proposed subdivision of 23.49
acres of land into 58 residential lots
just east of the intersection of Cul
breth and Smith Level roads.
According to a planning staff
report, Cazwell Development Inc. is
unwilling to include recommenda
tions for paved sidewalks on two
streets in the Southridge subdivision.
The developer is also requested to
provide street access to property
owned by George Tate Jr. and Estelle
Atwater.
The planning board and the trans
portation board recommended that
the town council approve the subdi
vision application with the condition
of providing sidewalks, but not
require street access to the Tate
Atwater property.
Town Manager David Taylor
recommended the council require
Cazwell Development Inc. provide
the two sidewalks and street access
to the Tate Atwater property.
The town council will also hear a
proposal to amend Chapel Hill's
opmmeimt
u
development ordinance to allow a car
wash as a special use in community
commercial and neighborhood com
mercial zoning districts.
This hearing stems from a Jan. 25
letter to the town manager from
attorney Grainger Barrett, represent
ing BOC Packaging Corp. on Airport
Road, owned by James Glover and
Ann Petersen.
The planning board and town
manager have presented differing
recommendations involving the zon
ing districts appropriate for a car
wash, certification on the water
supply from Orange Water and Sewer
Authority, staffing hours, driveway
specifications and screening
requirements.
In other business, the council has
scheduled a public hearing Wednes
day for residents' comments on the
town's comprehensive plan. The
planning board began revising the
plan in 1987.
Town Meetings
Monday, April 17
Chapel Hill Town Council
7:30 p.m. Municipal Building 306 N. Columbia St.
Included on the agenda: Public hearing on a special use permit for a Franklin
Street retail store
Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board
7:30 p.m. Lincoln Center 734 Merritt Mill Road
Included on the agenda: Revisions to the transfer policy
Tuesday, April 18
Carrboro Board of Aldermen
7:30 p.m. Town Hall 301 W. Main St.
Included on the agenda: Resolution requesting a Farmers' Market grant
Chapel Hill Planning Board
7:30 p.m. Municipal Building 306 N. Columbia St
Wednesday, April 19
Chapel Hill Town Council
7:30 p.m. Municipal Building 306 N. Columbia St.
Included on the agenda: Public hearing on Comprehensive Plan
DTH Graphic
Residents see meed for affordable hoy sin
: By JESSICA LANNING
'. Assistant City Editor
Many Chapel Hill residents voiced
: their concerns on the town's position
on low-income housing during a
public hearing last week on the 1989
Comprehensive Plan.
Local resident Paul Morris said the
town needs to play a larger role in
developing affordable housing in the
town.
"A major concern in today's econ
omy is to help find housing for low
income people."
The Tandler Homeownership Pro
gram, a government-sponsored affor
dable housing project, calls for the
town's use of vacant land and federal
government funds to improve
housing.
The town negotiates the mortgage
: on a home and offers a second
mortgage with a payback to the town
on a long-term plan based on the
salaries of the residents.
Plans like this one make the down
' payment and financing on a house
more affordable and make living in
Chapel Hill a better possibility for
low- to middle-income families,
Morris said. The cost of living here
'.h so high, even $30,000 income
'.families have a difficult time quali-
r r .
; lying ior a mortgage.
Morris said he is concerned the
community is unbalanced with
wealthy people living in big houses
on big lots. "I don't want to live in
community that is stratified," he said.
"We should have a good mix."
About 75 percent of hospital
employees and two-thirds of Chapel
Hill employees don't live in this area,
Morris said. Many people may not
want to live in Chapel Hill, but others
simply can't because of the expense.
"It's healthy to have people living
where they work," he said.
It would also help these people
avoid long commutes from out of
town. "So many people coming in
and out of town places a terrific strain
on highway congestion," he said. "We
have a good bus system, and if people
lived in town, they could use that
system.
"If the people of this community
have some concern for letting people
who teach our children, protect us
and care for us to live and work with
us, then we need to have more
housing," he said.
Most of the people who are against
government aid for affordable hous
ing base their argument on two
things, Morris said. The first is the
belief that housing is a private
responsibility and not a public
responsibility.
They believe that since they did not
have government help when they
were looking for a house, we should
not help others in their efforts, he
said. "But the economics of housing
have changed entirely."
The second concern the opposition
has is that the program will increase
their real estate tax, Morris said. They
do not believe this money used on
these programs is recoverable.
Government financial assistance
programs are not giveaways, Morris
said. The money involved would be
returned to the town, but the payback
would occur over longer periods of
time.
Margaret Taylor, "president of the
Alliance of Neighborhoods, said she
feels the affordable housing plans are
premature.
Adequate information has not
been made available to the public
about what the town plans to do,
what the University's plans are or
what the public thinks, Taylor said.
The town has not clarified issues such
as the price of their program, the
terms for eligibility of its participants
or how they will guarantee that
affordable housing will remain
affordable.
Taylor said she was not against
affordable housing, but she believes
more information on the issue should
be analyzed and opened up to com
munity consensus.
Chapel Hill attracts people with
high incomes because it is advertised
as a desirable place to live, and
anyone who comes here goes out and
spreads the word, she said.
"People pay a premium price to
live here. Certainly that's not fair to
moderate-income people."
Free Found ads in the DTH
fBREAKFAST
i AT n M W,
i MoMh only dL
BREAKFAST 7-10:30 Mon
2 eggs, bacon, grits or
homefries & toast or biscuit
LINDA'S BAR & GRILL OPEN DAILY
(below $adlack's) 7 am-2 am Mon.-Fri.
9296663 4:30 pm-2 am Sat. & Su
.Fri. I
n.
D
D
Get Your
Thesis Done
In A Day.
High quality copies
Choice of bindings
Guaranteed deadlines
Open 24 hours
7 days a week
It's on time. Or it's on us.
105 N. Columbia St.
933-2679
Planned Parenthood
Kroger Plaza. 93 Elliott Rad, Chapel Hill
Affordable Health Care Health Education 'By Caring People
Physical Exams for Women
Birth control Information & Supplies
Free Pregnancy Testing 61 Counseling
Treatment for Vaginal Infections
Treatment for Sexually Transmitted Diseases
All Services Conridential' Special Rates for Students
CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT 942-7762
?tt;
FN.
u
Take Advantage of this Special NOW!
Affordable Rent Levels that make more financial
sense than many dormitory rates.
A 9 Month Lease that corresponds to the aca
demic calendar, rather than a calendar year.
Locations that, in addition to being within biking
or walking distance from class, are also on the bus
line.
(Value Decreases Dailyl)
Triangle Communities offers:
Complimentary Storage for those who prefer not
to move personal items back and forth each year.
Organized Social and Athletic Activities for
student residents to make friends with other stu
dents. Facilities that include a fitness center, pool, tennis
4 4 444 ' 414
and volleyball courts, a swim-spa, sauna and bas
, ketball courts.
Enjoy a one or two bedroom apartment, car
peted, modern appliances, air-conditioned,
convenient laundry & ample parking
Clean, professionally-maintained apartF c.nts,
large enough to encourage all academic pursuits.
Furniture Options for those who wish a coordi
nated atmosphere.
Management that is attuned to students!
ESB (SgMttSIMI
Your Own Apartment. Now You Can Afford It
967-2234
SAW I
THE
APARTMENT
PEOPLE
968-3983
$1612-two bedroom savings, $1396-one bedroom savings,
' . subject to availablity and normal leasing policies.
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
I
I
I