The recently passed ordinance limiting parking in the Northside and Pine Knolls neighborhoods likely won’t bring about real change and will leave both sides dissatisfied.
On the surface, long-time residents opposed to the gentrification of the neighborhoods should be pleased with the new resolutions, which restrict residents to no more than four parked vehicles on each lot.
But what may seem productive and honorable at first glance won’t necessarily bring about a clear victor in the town’s ongoing gentrification debate until the Town Council takes a side in the fight.
After complaints from residents about student renters spurred discussions and proposals in the Chapel Hill Town Council, the council passed the parking and building regulations for the two communities.
Many permanent residents want to preserve their neighborhood’s atmosphere by limiting the number of students who want to move in — and they may have a point. But considering many students depend on their cars, the ordinance could pose considerable inconvenience to student renters paying to live there.
On the surface, the regulations may seem like a done deal for residents. But a closer look at the new ordinance reveals a significant — perhaps even nullifying — loophole. Because each Chapel Hill residence is also allotted five resident passes for street parking, students will likely be able to work around the new four-car ordinance.
That means a grand total of nine cars will be allowed under the ordinance — more than enough for the average group of student residents. Northside and Pine Knolls lawns may be clear, but the streets may end up just as cluttered.
It seems unlikely that the parking regulations would do much to prevent students from living there. While the regulations may discourage some students from moving to the neighborhood, they won’t solve the problem. The neighborhoods are prime real estate for students, and these restrictions aren’t drastic enough to scare away all student renters.
Gentrification has been the buzzword of recent debate about Chapel Hill’s evolving neighborhoods and UNC’s expanding campus. Northside and Pine Knolls residents have a valid argument in wanting to preserve the communities’ historic and family-friendly roots.
