Residents of the Northwood neighborhood worry the NCDOT’s plan to redesign the interchange of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Interstate 40 will have dramatic and negative effects on their community.
Under the current NCDOT plan, Eubanks Road, which runs behind the neighborhood, will be moved 600 feet farther from the interchange. A few homes will be removed, and others will become landlocked in the process. Several homes in Northwood will find themselves adjacent to the busier Eubanks Road, as it cuts through the neighborhood.
NCDOT planned to host a public meeting Nov. 5, but this meeting was postponed due to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority water emergency.Gene Tarascio, the NCDOT project manager, said they have not scheduled a new meeting date, but it's likely to be in January.
Gene Casale, one person whose home would be removed, is determined to attend the makeup meeting whenever it is rescheduled.
“We were shocked and saddened to learn that some of our Northwood neighbors would lose their homes,” Casale said. “We look forward to finding an alternative that is suitable to the diverse families of Northwood, the Town of Chapel Hill, the county and the state.”
Rev. Lee Carter of North Chapel Hill Baptist Church is concerned he will have to restructure the church’s cemetery and parking lots if Eubanks Road is moved. He is also anxious about his congregation’s ability to worship.
“What’s it going to do with traffic on Sunday morning?” Carter said. “Are we going to have noise problems?”
Carter said he had only found out about the cancelled public meeting the day before it was set to take place. He and his congregation will discuss the implications the project will have on their church and be prepared to represent themselves at the next meeting.
Tarascio said the current plan is preliminary. He said he looks forward to hearing feedback from the community at the makeup public meeting, and he understands why residents are concerned.
