Mason Farm reaches next step in rezoning

One historic Chapel Hill neighborhood is getting closer to getting town protection that its residents say is necessary to preserve the quality and character of the area.

The Chapel Hill Town Council set a public hearing for March 20 to hear feedback from the community on the possible rezoning of the Mason Farm neighborhood, which petitioned the council Oct. 24 seeking status as a neighborhood conservation district.

A NCD grants additional zoning ordinances to specific areas to protect the quality and history perceived by residents of the neighborhood.

Mason Farm residents also have requested immediate protection from the town, which essentially would put the area in a holding pattern until the NCD is created to protects lots from being subdivided.

According to town documents, 10 of 40 properties in the neighborhood potentially could be subdivided under current zoning standards.

Lee McIlwain, president of the Mason Farm Neighborhood Association, said residents want the NCD designation to protect the neighborhood from a number of threats, including University plans to buy some of the lots and developers who want to subdivide their lots.

The neighborhood currently is in the midst of negotiating a lawsuit about a subdivided lot.

"(The NCD) would pretty much stabilize our neighborhood from further encroachment.

But not all of the 46 lots that residents want protected received approval from the council Monday.

Original recommendations from town staff only included 40 lots. Two lots facing Purefoy Road and four lots on the other side of Mason Farm were excluded.

After hearing comment from McIlwain and another Mason Farm homeowner, Diana Steele, the council agreed to include the four lots across Mason Farm for the purposes of the public hearing.

Of the four lots, two are a part of the University's Master Land Use Plan, and two are owned by private individuals, according to town documents.

The other two lots, including the property that houses the Chapel Hill Kehillah, were not added to considered areas for the public hearing in the council's decision.

Steele said that while she was disappointed to see the two plots left out, she was pleased to be getting the council's support.

"The erosion of the neighborhood over time has really been kind of depressing," she said.

Though four other neighborhoods also are seeking NCDs, Steele said its proximity to the University made Mason Farm more complex.

"It makes our situation more desperate," she said. "We've been more visibly damaged by all of this construction."

McIlwain also noted that while the others might have similar reasons for becoming NCDs, the University added another layer to the situation in Mason Farm.

"Our neighborhood has been impacted by the Master Plan more than any other neighborhood."

 

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.