Forum to Detail Benefits of Open Spaces

The forum, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Chapel Hill Town Hall, is co-sponsored by the Orange-Chatham Group of the Sierra Club and UNC's Student Environmental Action Coalition.

The panelists for the forum include Greg Gangi, director of education for the Sierra Club.

Although Town Council members do not have an official role in the forum, Gangi said they are invited to attend.

He also encouraged residents to come out and voice any concerns or questions they might have.

"We're going to have to lobby the council to do something about (this issue)," Gangi said.

SEAC member and forum coordinator Nicholas Grueff said special emphasis will be placed on the idea of turning parking lot No. 5 -- which is located on West Franklin Street near Michael Jordan's 23 -- into a courtyard featuring a town plaza.

The forum also will address the financial ramifications such a project might have for the town.

Finding a new use for the lot is part of the town's Downtown Small Area Plan, which was adopted in March 2000 to encourage residential and office development downtown.

Grueff said SEAC hopes to encourage business growth through its plan for a town plaza by including cafes and other local small businesses in the proposal.

"What we're envisioning is not just an open piece of land," he said. "I think it would actually benefit the business community."

Gangi said the club hopes to educate the community on alternative options for open space and to generate public support for the proposed courtyard.

He said the forum will allow residents and students to have input.

"We want to provide an alternative way to get ideas out there," he said.

Gangi said the forum also will explore the role of open space in promoting the arts and in building a sense of community among residents.

He said fostering a sense of community is a common goal of both SEAC and the Sierra Club.

"We hope to foster a bridge between the town and the University," he said.

But the two organizations must first build public support for their plan and convince the council that their plan is feasible.

At a council meeting Oct. 10, several student representatives from SEAC shared their ideas for the parking lot with town officials.

At that meeting, the council opted to wait on the measure and passed two resolutions -- one stating members' goals for the downtown area and the other approving the process of putting together the workshop.

To encourage student input, Grueff said SEAC will set up a mock town plaza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in Polk Place.

"We will have bands playing and maybe some free coffee," he said.

By doing so, Grueff said SEAC hopes to show the community how valuable a town plaza would be.

"(It would) provide a very nice setting for collective gathering."

The CIty Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.