The Carrboro Board of Aldermen met Nov. 1 to discuss policing and issues concerning the area around the proposed Lloyd Farm development.
Carrboro Police Chief Walter Horton presented a follow-up report on the activity on the corner of Davie Road and Jones Ferry Road. The area has seen a large number of disturbance complaints concerning people who often gather on the corner. The corner is popular location for day labor pick-up and has become a hot spot for illicit activity.
“I think, out of all of the traffic at the corner, that 98 percent of the people there are there to work,” he said. “They’re there to get work, to get dropped off. Yeah, they may socialize for 10 or 15 minutes then they go home. It’s just that other two percent that is causing the problem.”
The Board of Aldermen members discussed various methods to combat the problems on the corner. Methods proposed included signs, landscaping and additional police patrols. However, they didn’t want the community to get the wrong idea about the increased measures being taken at the corner.
“You are talking about a very specific group of people, who are standing on the corner who share identities,” said Michelle Johnson, a Board of Aldermen member. “And we just need to be aware, because we don’t — I don’t want to — get into the space where the perception is that we, as a board, are targeting a group of people because they don’t have resources or because they are using drugs or abusing substances.”
The board approved a motion to take action on the the corner of Davie Road and Jones Ferry Road. They passed a separate motion to create a public awareness campaign in conjunction with the Town of Chapel Hill and UNC to raise awareness about verbal harassment of women.
The Board of Aldermen was also presented with plans for the Llyod Farms development. The development includes plans for a Harris Teeter and senior living apartment units.
The major issues concerning the property were water drainage and traffic concerns in the area. Several residents who live near the proposed development shared worries about the excess runoff the property would produce. According to residents, the area is already prone to flooding from heavy rains.
Several other members of the community also expressed concern with the traffic issues that would be caused by the new development. A major issue voiced was that the streets were already too narrow and that they would be overwhelmed by the new traffic.
