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The board voted 6-0 in favor of the annexation despite opposition voiced by many residents at last Tuesday's board meeting. Alderman John Herrera abstained from the vote.

Mayor Mike Nelson said he supports the annexation of the 365 acres of UNC-owned land because it acts in the best interests of the residents he was elected to represent. "While my heart is with them, my head leads me to a different conclusion," he said.

Nelson read a June memo from Orange County attorney Geoffrey Gledhill about annexation. Gledhill wrote, "Chapel Hill and Carrboro have the power to annex into the transition area without the approval of Orange County."

Nelson asked his fellow board members to think of what is best for the community and not what is popular.

"I ask you to choose between what's easy and what's hard," Nelson said. "I ask you to do a difficult thing -- put the needs of our citizens above popularity."

Nelson stressed the importance of annexation to combat development by the University and Winmore planners, which he said will occur whether or not Carrboro annexes the land.

"The University's bigger than we are, they're stronger than we are, and they have more powerful friends than we do," he said. "We have to make sure our citizens are in a strong position."

Nelson said Carrboro will have to assert its power in deciding what occurs in the area, especially the preservation of Bolin Creek Trail.

Alderman Jacquelyn Gist, formerly an opponent of annexation, said she voted in favor of it because she trusts the work the community has done for the last 15 years.

"I think that we can prolong the process of what's going to happen to this land or we can get to it," she said. "So I will shock my colleagues and vote for annexation."

Carrboro resident Donald McDonald said he is opposed to the annexation because it will harm the quality of life in Carrboro. "An affirmative vote tonight sets in motion the destruction of everything I love about this environment," he said.

McDuffee said residents should not fear development in the land in question after annexation because Carrboro will be involved in whatever progress is made. "We have a reputation for being hard on developers."

Alderman Joal Broun said a vote against annexation would have repudiated the hard work of the last 10 years leading up to the potential development of the area. "In 20 years, people will look at Carrboro as the beacon, and they will follow us."

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

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