Neighbors Question Location Of Planned UNC Facilities

Residents met at 218 Barclay Road, a private residence, to discuss the proposal, which neighbors say poses several problems to quality of life.

The construction area proposed by the University includes a 24-hour fueling station, a print shop and grounds maintenance facilities.

Residents near the development site first noticed the University's plans at the Community Design Commission's Concept Plan Review in May and immediately voiced strong reservations about the impact of these facilities.

When residents expressed their concern once again at a Chapel Hill Town Council meeting in June, the council contacted the University, which in turn moved the locations of the buildings within its site plans.

However, UNC's revisions included the increase of the planned size of the buildings from 61,000 to 74,000 square feet and the increase of the number of planned parking spaces from 160 to 200.

"It seems that local citizens' wishes are being ignored," said Kathleen Kearns of 223 Barclay Road. "The measures that the University took did not represent serious efforts to compromise."

Residents aired worries over proposed employee parking spaces, which they said could increase traffic and worsen the present traffic congestion on Estes Drive Extension and Airport Road.

Kearns said potential leaks or spills are another possible danger to the neighborhood.

"The site is part of a major watershed," Kearns said. "We live downhill from the construction area, and to store toxic materials on a site with such potential runoff problems is a recipe for disaster."

Although there are 100-foot buffers between the facilities and the neighborhoods, residents say they worry the parameters will expand in the future.

Residents said other University sites also pose general threats in the town.

"There is already a hazardous materials facility near this neighborhood, and we believe that the construction of another similar site will be unbearable," said Mike Collins of 723 Williams Circle.

Alternatives for the construction site were mentioned, including building the facilities on another area of the Horace Williams tract or sharing the fuel facilities of the town.

But residents said University officials said the other areas of Horace Williams are unsuitable and the town's own facilities do not have the space to make colocation feasible. "The University refuses to consider their options, even though there seems to be more efficient solutions," said Mark Simonsen of 216 Barclay Road.

The UNC Department of Facilities Planning intends to present its plans for the Elkin Hills site to the Buildings and Grounds Committee of the UNC Board of Trustees at today's committee meeting.

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.