Eunice Brock of 319 Burlage Circle has been a resident of Chapel Hill since 1959 and remembers Apple Chill when it started in 1962.
"(Apple Chill) was by locals, composed of locals and for locals when it started," she said. "It had gotten to the point now where locals don't show."
Brock filed a petition to the Town Council last Monday requesting the body look into the possibility of changing or altering the nature of Apple Chill.
The council did not make any decisions on the issue but instead forwarded it on to the town manager for investigation. Several council members said Tuesday that Brock's concerns warrant further consideration.
Brock insists she is not against community spirit. Her concerns are more focused on who is enjoying the festivities and whether they're worth the cost as the town deals with a significant budget shortfall.
"These are very hard economic times for this area," she said. "Do we really need to be spending $33,000 when we've suspended nearly all of our capital projects?"
Every spring, downtown streets and numerous businesses shut down in anticipation of a crowd measuring in excess of 40,000. Brock said what used to be an enjoyable community event has now become a regional nuisance.
"The town is in gridlock, the noise is awful, and most of the people are from out of town," she said. "When I went last year, I saw a few politicians and a handful of others I knew. Outside of that, I didn't know anyone."
Brock said even if she had known anyone at the festival, she wouldn't have been able to talk to them with bands blasting music through speakers nearby.