Aldermen Approve Greene Tract Use

The 169-acre parcel located in the northern part of Chapel Hill originally was purchased for the purpose of expanding the adjacent Orange County Landfill, said Carrboro Town Manager Robert Morgan.

But the approved resolution relegates 18 acres to affordable housing and sets the rest aside as open space.

Because the Greene tract is under the joint jurisdiction of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Orange County, each governing body must approve the resolution for it to be adopted.

The Chapel Hill Town Council approved the resolution 8-1 on Nov. 11.

Discussion about the Greene tract resolution is not on the agenda for either of the two remaining Orange County Commissioners' meetings scheduled for 2002.

The low percentage of land to be used for affordable housing in Carrboro was the major source of contention at Tuesday's meeting.

The board originally requested that 25 acres be set aside for affordable housing, said Alderman Joal Broun, who voted against the resolution.

"I just cannot, in good conscience, approve this plan," she said. "I don't think 18 is enough. I didn't think 25 was enough."

Broun said she disapproved of the 18 acres' location, which Morgan said was determined by the availability of a gravity-controlled sewer system for the area.

Mayor Mike Nelson also voted against the resolution because, he said, it does not give equal attention to preserving open space and to building affordable housing.

"We've worked really hard to achieve two goals at once," he said. "I just believe in my soul that we've missed an opportunity to do something grander for our county."

Alderman Mark Dorosin cast the third vote against the resolution. "Affordable housing has just been a priority in name," he said. "I think it's time for it to become a real priority."

Aldermen Jacquelyn Gist and Alex Zaffron served on the committee that negotiated the demands expressed by Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Orange County for the use of the land to formulate the Greene tract resolution.

"I share the same concerns," Zaffron said, who admitted his reluctance to move to pass the resolution as is. "I felt that was the best deal we could reach."

But Zaffron later joined Gist and aldermen Diana McDuffee and John Herrera in voting to approve the resolution.

McDuffee said the resolution seemed to be the best solution available to regulate the use of the land. "I don't think we have a way we could cause affordable housing to be built there," she said.

Herrera said he voted to approve the resolution because he did not wish to prolong deliberations over the Greene tract. "This fight began before I joined this committee," he said. "There are many other battles I want to fight for affordable housing."

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