This time, Elkin Hills-area dwellers cried foul to a proposed campus services complex just west of Airport Road on Estes Drive Extension. The University's plan, presented to residents Thursday at the Chapel Hill Public Library, would place a fueling station and vehicle maintenance garage, as well as printing and grounds buildings, less than 200 feet from some homes.
But neighborhood residents, concerned with noise, pollution, stormwater runoff and traffic that could accompany the proposed 75,000-foot complex and its employees, vehicles and parking lots, didn't welcome the University's plan.
"To put (the complex) in our back yard is unforgivable, and it doesn't belong there," said Leslie Zeldin, a University employee who lives at 804 Powell St.
Should the Chapel Hill Town Council grant the University a special-use permit to build the complex, construction could start soon. Bruce Runberg, UNC associate vice chancellor for planning and construction, said some facilities need to move within 15 months to make room for a new sciences building on campus. "When we looked at the property that was available, this was the only option," he said.
But residents disagreed. Many named the mammoth Horace Williams tract along Airport Road as a possible site.
On Monday, council members Jim Ward and Bill Strom, both of whom attended Wednesday's meeting, will ask the council if the town can meet with the University to discuss alternatives, including locating the facilities on the Horace Williams tract.
The University had planned to present the special-use permit application to the town in early September. After the meeting, Runberg said the University will re-evaluate, but not necessarily change, the plan.
The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.
