Despite complaints, construction continues on Rosemary Street

Ongoing construction on Rosemary Street is causing traffic delays, loud noises at night and slowed business traffic along affected areas.

The Rosemary Street Improvement Project is part of a $1.6 million project to widen sidewalks, install new sidewalk ramps, replace curbs and gutters, install new pedestrian-level street lamps and repave the road.

Overnight milling and drilling of Rosemary Street was completed the morning of Oct. 27. 

Olivia Salamon, the leasing specialist at The Warehouse and a junior biology and psychology major who lives in The Warehouse, said the noise was unbearable.

“They started using a jackhammer under my window at 11 at night and they didn’t stop until five in the morning,” Salamon said. “And the same thing on Tuesday night, same thing Wednesday night. I immediately emailed the director of the project and said it was absolutely ridiculous.”

Salamon said the office at Warehouse was not informed of the hours that drilling was to occur, despite assurance from the project manager that all residents were informed of the construction plans.

“No one else lives on this street besides students, and they didn’t talk to us at all, didn’t care that we need sleep,” Salamon said. “If they are going to be making decisions about my health because you are keeping me up for three days with no sleep – and now I’ve had a migraine for three days – then you need to consult me first.”

Maria Palmer, a Chapel Hill Town Council member, said many other residents complained about loud noises. 

“As always, people are not happy with the construction work, which is to be expected,” Palmer said. “No matter how beautiful the buildings or improvements that are coming to your neighborhood are, you still don’t want the dust and the noise and the congestion of construction.”

Businesses on Rosemary Street have also felt the impact of construction. 

Sandra Council, the manager of Mama Dip's restaurant, said there was a significant drop in customers during the early portion of the project.  

“When they first started, they had our driveway blocked off and it looked like the restaurant was closed, nobody could get in,” Council said. “It was like that for about a week, but now that traffic is flowing, it’s getting better.”

Despite delays and congestion, Palmer said the plan is the best possible way to get the work done.

“No one wants to get it done without bothering the neighbors more than the people actually doing the work,” Palmer said. “Everybody in the community has to live with their neighbors, and we all want this to be done as quickly and painlessly as possible. If there is a lesson learned, it’s the noise at night, but it really is picking the lesser of two evils, as traffic congestion also affects the people living there.”

The additions to Rosemary Street will ultimately be beneficial to the community, Palmer said.

“For residents who have been advocating for these improvements for years, they were so happy to see them coming and are so excited for the finished product,” Palmer said. “They’ve invested a lot of time in our bike plan, our productivity plan, and for some of us, it’s the realization of a lot of hard work.”

Council said she is also excited to see the completed the new additions.

“I think it’s going to bring some beauty to the front of our restaurant and the street, I think it’s looking better already,” Council said. “I just think it’s going to be a new Rosemary Street." 

@molly_horak

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