BOT to Vote on Master Plan Despite Council Concerns

The fate of the Master Plan is in the hands of the UNC Board of Trustees today as the group votes on whether to approve the blueprint for campus development.

Developed by the Baltimore-based architectural firm Ayers Saint Gross, the Master Plan is a campuswide improvement and expansion project that, if approved, will be implemented during the next 30 to 50 years.

But some town residents and the Chapel Hill Town Council have expressed concern that final approval is being decided prematurely.

The council has asked the BOT to postpone its vote until after the results of the Major Investment Study on transportation are released in May.

The research study is being conducted by the N.C. Department of Transportation, Duke University, UNC, the Triangle Transit Authority and Durham and Orange counties.

But Chancellor James Moeser said he does not believe the requested delay of the approval vote is necessary. "This Master Plan has been in preparation for three years," Moeser said. "We're pretty confident about all the data, and I have no reservations."

Moeser said that if the results of the study do not support the Master Plan, then proper changes can be made to the proposal. But Moeser said he believes changes will not be necessary. "I'm really confident that (the findings) will support the Master Plan," he said.

Jonathan Howes, director of the Master Plan, said he also supports the BOT's decision to move forward with the Master Plan.

"There will always be a reason not to act on it," Howes said. "I think the BOT feels as though they're ready to act on it."

Howes also stressed the importance of the plan's flexibility. He said the plan is a living document that can be altered if necessary. "If the circumstances in the future, such as transit, warrant a change, then the BOT can make changes in the plan."

Student Body President Brad Matthews echoed Howes and Moeser's sentiments, saying the Master Plan is not set in stone.

"This is not a process that was done in a vacuum -- there's all sorts of external pressures that apply," Matthews said. "But this is just an outline. We've got to have a starting point. This is a plan, and plans change."

Matthews, the only student representative on the BOT, will be among those discussing the approval of the Master Plan.

Moeser said he anticipates that the BOT will pass the plan and generate a positive response from the campus community.

He acknowledged some valid concerns of the town residents and council members, such as traffic impact, the aesthetic quality of campus near construction sites and noise control. But he said there has been continuous conversation with town officials to negotiate these issues. "We've adjusted the plans several times to try to accommodate the concerns of the neighbors to the south of the campus," Moeser said.

If the plan is adopted, Howes said the next step would be for the University and the town to work out issues such as the town's 14.2 million square foot limit on University development.

But Moeser said he is confident that University officials would be able to successfully work with the town to make implementation of the Master Plan possible. "(The Master Plan) means a rational, sound planning horizon for us."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.