The Lloyd-Broad neighborhood in Carrboro is one of the most historic and diverse neighborhoods in Orange County, but residents say newer, larger developments are causing a shift in the community.
In the last few years, there has been an increase in student renters in Lloyd-Broad which has had adverse effects for the neighborhood and its long-term residents.
The neighborhood is not against student residents and has had many wonderful student residents in the past, said Hudson Vaughan, Lloyd-Broad resident and senior director of the Jackson center.
“People have always welcomed students in the neighborhood, and there’s still a pretty good balance of students and historic residents,” Vaughan said. “However, part of the concern is that, that balance is beginning to tip a little bit.”
Vaughan and several other residents of Lloyd-Broad presented their concerns to the Carrboro Board of Aldermen on Tuesday, at the Aldermen's weekly meeting.
Leading the group was Leo Gaev, a resident of the neighborhood. He said the community has really come together over the issue of development.
“We’re a small neighborhood, but we’ve got a lot of big issues,” Gaev said. “Most importantly is the one concerning student development.”
The main reason Lloyd-Broad is having student development problems, otherwise known as “studentification,” is that the housing code set in Chapel Hill prevents large groups of students from living together in one home. This code makes nearby Carrboro a prime spot for student development.
“What we’ve seen is that as Chapel Hill creates ordinances and gains some momentum around these issues, the developers pay attention,” Gaev said. “They’re starting to move westward into our neighborhood.”
