Downtown Chapel Hill plan to be revised

With the formation of a downtown development plan drawing to a close, town officials will meet Wednesday to review public comment and adjust it accordingly before the project’s next draft is released.

After creating a Downtown Small Area Plan in 2000, the Chapel Hill Town Council decided to make a new Downtown Master Plan last year and hired KlingStubbins, a design firm with offices in Raleigh, to outline the plan’s framework.

Economic Development Officer Dwight Bassett said a plan like this, which includes creating new streets, a transit center, new crossways and walkways, is necessary because Chapel Hill will eventually become a city.

“When we look at Chapel Hill’s population model, we never spent time thinking about ourselves differently, so we haven’t defined edges of neighborhoods in a lot of places,” Bassett said. “This time we did that so that we can do a better job.”

In addition, the plan will construct new streets to better define the northern and southern boundaries of downtown.

“Look at the existing zoning map on Rosemary, the boundary of downtown is kind of zig-zag and mid-block,” Bassett said. “I think a very strong component of the plan is defining it so that developers and the people who want to invest in our community know that this is downtown.”

But Bassett said some are worried new streets could compromise the historic boundaries between neighborhoods and downtown.

To lessen the impact the new plan will have on neighborhoods like the Cameron Street and McCauley Street areas, project officials have met with neighbors, community groups, property owners and art community members.

“We are trying to reach everyone we can,” KlingStubbins Project Director Dan Douglas said. “And so far the comments have been good.”

Henry Jefferson has been a resident of Chapel Hill since 1969 and said he supports the general idea of downtown development, although he has some big concerns like safety, transportation and parking.

“The focus right now should be getting input from the citizens of the town,” Jefferson said.

The plan’s proposed transit center is an area of concern for some, since so many residents rely on Chapel Hill Transit.

The center would move most buses off Columbia Street in an effort to improve downtown traffic, Bassett said.

“As long as we can still make these turns without affecting the time amount it takes to stop and pick up passengers, a single access point for transit service in downtown is a key component,” Bassett said.

But UNC senior Sophie McMillian said she is not a big fan of the proposed transit center.

“I don’t know if I like the idea of that much construction for the next 10 years because traffic is bad anyways through Chapel Hill, especially on game days,” McMillan said.

Douglas said the first finalized draft of the plan will be presented to the public around Thanksgiving.

Then the town will wrap up the plan by the end of the year and schedule a final presentation to the town council by next February.

The town will not extend its contract with KlingStubbins, which expires in the winter.

Residents can view the current draft of the plan at bit.ly/townplan and send comment to Bassett.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.