Chapel Hill Town Council candidates speak out

Chapel Hill Town Council candidates discussed the future of downtown and shared their visions for its growth at a forum Thursday.

Questions dealing with economic development were chosen randomly from a stack of notecards prepared by the Friends of the Downtown. They ranged from student housing to homelessness.

Candidates are hoping to fill four empty seats this November.

Candidate George Cianciolo, Chapel Hill 2020 co-chair, said increasing the housing supply would entice students to stay when they graduate.

“We’re going to need more dense housing where dense housing can be tolerated,” he said. “We’re already seeing that rather than growing out, we’re growing up.”

Candidate Amy Ryan, a co-chair for the Central West Steering Committee, said residents should be consulted about development.

“We shouldn’t prioritize economic expansion over the needs of existing neighborhoods,” she said. “The land that we have in town now is very precious.”

Gary Kahn, a Southern Village resident who said he attends council meetings, said development in Chapel Hill is necessary but should be considered on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis.

“Each individual community needs to be set on its own limits,” he said.

“We have accepted that downtown is as good a place for density,” said Mayor Pro Temp Ed Harrison, who has served on the council for 12 years. “We probably need a continuing community-wide discussion on the focus area.”

Candidate Loren Hintz, a former chairman of the Transportation Board and a science teacher at Chapel Hill High School, said he doesn’t believe panhandlers and homeless people cause crime on Franklin Street.

“Frankly it’s an educational opportunity when you’re out there with your kids,” he said.

Paul Neebe, a classical musician and real estate broker, said the town needs more stringent panhandling laws, but should also try to help panhandlers get off the streets.

“I think you should have a carrot and you should have a stick,” he said.

The youngest candidate vying for a seat on the council is 25-year-old D.C. Swinton. He was asked how the town can change the perception that downtown is unsafe.

“There certainly needs to be more commitment amongst the community about sexual and domestic violence,” he said. “I’d also say that there is this perception that homeless people are bad people.”

Sally Greene, a 10-year council veteran, said she wants to make the process for transitioning out of public housing easier for residents instead of expanding government-sponsored housing options.

“It needs to be clearer what the steps are to get out of public housing,” she said.

Maria Palmer, who has served on the State Board of Education and writes a column for Chapel Hill News, addressed stormwater management.

“What we need is the best engineering that you can get,” she said. “In our town, we have the expertise to tackle any problem that comes our way.”

Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt is also up for re-election this year. He is running unopposed.

Kleinschmidt said it’s important for Chapel Hill to embrace change.

“I hope that you help me this year in continuing to place council members who will be thoughtful advocates for our community,” he said. “We can’t afford to have folks who are just constantly contrary.”

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