When Horace Williams Airport closes, it might open the door for a new student housing complex called Carolina Flats @ Estes.
The 16-acre development would have buildings too tall for the area’s airplane-friendly zoning, but developers are asking Chapel Hill Town Council to change restrictions and approve their concept plan.
The proposal is creating a stir among neighbors, who will have a chance to comment on it at tonight’s Town Council meeting.
If approved, the development, proposed for the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Estes Drive, would feature student housing and a four-story hotel.
The housing will feature student-geared amenities like wireless Internet, study rooms and one- to four-bedroom apartments. The hotel would cater to visitors looking for suite-style accommodations at a projected price of $100 to $140 per night.
“When my mom has visited, she’s had to stay far away from campus,” UNC student Juan Olano said. “So it would be a lot more convenient to have an affordable hotel nearby.”
When the development’s concept plan was first presented to the community design commission March 21, residents and commissioners expressed concerns about traffic.
Lee Wilson, a resident of nearby Woodshire Lane, said he is considering moving because of the potential lack of privacy that the development might bring.
“I object to the hotel more than the apartments,” he said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate.”
