Duplex Ban Waits On Land-Use Policy

The ban approved Monday prohibits the construction of duplexes until June 30. Debate arose primarily from conflict between permanent Northside residents and students living in the neighborhood.

"Once we get the land-use ordinance passed, we can go in and define Northside," said council member Mark Kleinschmidt. Once Northside borders are defined and neighborhood conservation districts are formed, specific rules can be applied to individual areas.

The council is scheduled to discuss the ordinance in public meetings Thursday, Saturday and Monday.

After the ban is lifted, said council member Dorothy Verkerk, neighborhoods will have more control. "Neighborhoods would decide what kinds of buildings are appropriate," she said.

Mayor Kevin Foy said he wants to clarify that the ban is not meant to decrease affordable housing. "I think people need to be assured we're not using this to get rid of diverse stock housing," Foy said.

Graduate and Professional Student Federation President Branson Page said the measure was not needed to buy time to form new rules. But Kleinschmidt said that the duplex issue came upon the council "out of the blue" and that the council knew it must act quickly.

The council will continue to work to approve the land-use ordinance in time to implement new rules before the ban is lifted. After the removal of the ban, council members will have the ordinance to act as their guideline when passing more specific regulations.

Verkerk said the council does not want the ban to last long. "I don't think it is the council's intention to do the duplex ban forever in Chapel Hill."

Some Northside residents have been the most vehement supporters of the duplex ban, claiming the construction of duplexes is contributing to the deterioration of neighborhood characteristics.

"Northside is being developed with disregard for its current residents," said Daniel Brisson of Northside.

Kleinschmidt said that many of the homes converted to duplexes are monstrosities and that the only way to avoid further unsightly construction was to put a temporary ban in place.

Council member Edith Wiggins also voted in favor of the ban, though she said she doesn't support such a broad measure. "This ordinance, I think, is too severe and does not allow us to add diverse housing stock," Wiggins said.

Though Wiggins voted to approve the measure, she said she hopes sometime in the near future the ban will be amended.

Town Manager Roger Waldon said he supports the ban but knows duplexes are important in Chapel Hill.

He said, "They have served a good and valuable purpose as one more different kind of housing in Chapel Hill."

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