Chapel Hill 2020 encourages citizen participation in drafting plan

Since its kickoff in September, town officials have been seeking input for Chapel Hill 2020, the new comprehensive plan.

But the transition from public comments on the drawing board to a concrete document will take careful planning, said George Cianciolo, co-chairman of Chapel Hill 2020.

He said the project’s staff has been recording residents’ comments in discussion groups to learn more about the community’s needs.

The town will hire professional planners to help turn these suggestions into practical goals when drafting begins in February or March of next year, he said.

“It’s not just a feel-good document,” he said. “It needs specific metrics and guidelines to help Town Council make it happen.”

Cianciolo said the drafts will be available for residents to review and comment on. By tracking Chapel Hill 2020’s progress, residents can continue to guide the planning.

“This is going to be a citizen process until the very end,” he said.

But Cianciolo is hoping to encourage more participation.

“The more we have up front, the easier it is to see where we’re going and what the planners need to make it work,” he said.

Cianciolo said total attendance among all groups has been about 150. He hopes to boost that by working around people’s schedules by setting more convenient meeting times.

For those who can’t make the meetings, Chapel Hill 2020’s blog will help residents track the progress and give feedback, he said.

“The blog is supposed to be a conversation,” he said. “It’s supposed to supplement what’s going on at the meetings.”

David Godschalk, who helps facilitate a discussion group focused on issues like downtown access and parking, said participants were excited to share their opinions.

“They spoke right out,” Godschalk said. “We didn’t have to coax anybody.”

The community outreach committee of Chapel Hill 2020 has been contacting community members to encourage them to participate.

“The underrepresented communities will certainly have issues that maybe we haven’t heard before,” Cianciolo said.

Faith Thompson, the outreach committee’s coordinator, said they have been reaching out to organizations, like churches and neighborhood groups, to set up meetings and get further feedback through ballots and surveys.

To get the word out, the committee has been posting signs, distributing fliers and relying on word of mouth.

“It’s just like voting,” Thompson said. “If you don’t vote, you’re not going to have a voice in the process.”

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