Looks don’t really matter — unless you’re building a development in Chapel Hill, that is.
Plans to move forward on the Charterwood development were stalled again at Wednesday night’s Chapel Hill Town Council meeting after members expressed reservations about the appearance of the project.
Scott Radway, a planning and design consultant representing WCA Partners on the project, presented updated plans for Charterwood development to the council at the meeting.
Charterwood development, the nearly 14-acre mixed-use development proposed to be located on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., would include retail, office space and residential units.
The new plans would move buildings ten feet back from the street and improve parking in the interior courtyard.
“We think we can accomplish some things that we think will make the plan better for the street and better for the neighbors,” Radway said.
At a previous meeting, several council members asked Radway to provide drawings of Charterwood at street level to help visualize what the planned development will look like to passersby.
But some council members still had concerns about the updated drawings, saying the plans do not show a true street view.
“I think this is great progress, but I think as a town we’ve got to move toward understanding very clearly the impression it’s going to give when someone goes past it,” said council member Matt Czajkowski.
Radway will report back to the council with additional drawings on Jan. 23.
“We’d rather get it right than get it rushed,” he said.
Noted
Will Hendrick, a member of the town’s Justice in Action Committee, proposed changing the committee’s name to the Social Justice Committee.
He said the new name would reduce confusion in the community about the group’s purpose and better capture its commitment to promoting social justice.
Chris Moran, executive director of the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, presented an update on the Good Neighbor Plan.
The GNP committee recently complied with several suggestions from the council, including adding additional members to the committee, but voted against recording meetings.
Quoted
“At present our charge is to reflect adequately and effectively the town’s commitment to promoting social justice,” Hendrick said on his proposal to change the name of the Justice in Action committee.
“Council member-elect Storrow is in the audience, so get ready!” said Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt about the newly-elected Storrow.
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