Residents wary of development plan

Residents living near a proposed subdivision expressed concern over the development's high density and environmental impact at Monday's Chapel Hill Town Council public hearing.

Sunrise Ridge, which will include 14 single-family homes, 24 triplex units and 12 duplex units near Interstate 40, has sparked controversy since it was first proposed more than two years ago.

John Tyrrell, president of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, presented the concept plan for the project at the meeting.

"We are trying to provide a desirable neighborhood with affordable homes for various income levels," Tyrrell said.

Many residents from neighborhoods surrounding the proposed site attended the hearing to share comments.

For a lot of them, the proposal's high-density layout was cause for serious concern.

Sandra Cummings, a member of the Sunrise Coalition, a group that formed last year in opposition to the project, said she doesn't oppose Habitat or deny the need for affordable housing.

"Habitat of Orange County does good work, but we oppose this concept plan because compared to other Habitat communities, there are just too many houses," she said.

Coalition representative Mike Brough agreed. "The members of the coalition are not opposed to the development. They are opposed to the density and the inappropriateness of it to the site," he said.

In addition to these concerns, Doug Schworer, president of the coalition, and Kerry Henry, who lives on a lot directly adjacent to the proposed development, said they are worried that the area will not retain storm water if trees are removed to make way for houses.

"There is already storm water in this area," Henry said.

"There hasn't been one tree cut yet, and this is already a problem. I don't want to think about this problem when the proposed neighborhood is built."

Aaron Nelson, executive director of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber encouraged the council to consider Habitat's plan.

"Affordable housing is critical," Nelson said. "If we increase workforce housing, we increase the number of people who can live here while decreasing the number of people who have to drive here."

Orange Community Housing and Land Trust is considering joining Habitat in the project.

Robert Dowling, executive director of the trust, said that when the organization is comfortable with the financial status of the project, it will lend its full support.

Though the group has some concerns, Downling added, it is not opposed to the project's density.

"Developments are far more dense now than in the past," he said.

Engineer Warren Mitchell also discussed the development site's features and layout. The site includes a stream, wetland area, buffer zones and numerous areas of tree cover.

Ha Ngo, one of the architects for Sunrise Ridge, discussed the designs for the development. All the units will look similar and be located in the eastern portion of the site.

The units will be located 20 to 25 feet from the road and property line, and there will be no garages on the street. There will be street parking and some parking lots in between units that are shielded from the road by trees.

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