Businesses Must Stay Neighborly

"Watching a movie sure puts me in the mood to buy organic zucchini."

One usually wouldn't think that statement, mentioned by my friend Jeff Richek, a senior business major, has much to do with commercial development in Chapel Hill, but it has a great deal to do with how a certain business hot spot is shaping up.

On Monday night, Jeff and I watched the televised Chapel Hill Town Council meeting as the council met to discuss the possible expansion of Plaza Triple Theatres in the Village Plaza off East Franklin Street.

A special-use permit application by Eastern Federal Properties, if approved by the council, would move forward plans to renovate the Plaza Theatres into at least a 10-screen megaplex that could rival the theaters of SouthPoint.

The developers argue that Chapel Hill commerce needs this theater to stay competitive in the movie market.

However, at the meeting, many of the surrounding businesses, including Red, Hot and Blue Restaurant, Wellspring Whole Foods Market, the PTA Thrift Shop and Plaza Dry Cleaning, among others, protested Plaza Theatre's intentions as failing to meet certain parking and traffic standards set forth in the newly formed town ordinances.

They argue that for their businesses to stay profitable, a new theater must bring customers, not repel them. Going to a movie should lead to increased patrons at Red, Hot and Blue or customers to shop the organic foods and vegetables section of Wellspring, but the increased traffic flow of the new theater could have a detrimental effect on nearby businesses.

They argue that the theater does not provide enough parking spaces, which would result in many negative consequences.

First, moviegoers would take up other businesses' parking. The movie crowd would fill spots reserved for patrons close to the store.

Second, an increase in overall traffic would discourage shoppers not attending the theater from shopping in Village Plaza.

Third, with increased traffic and not enough parking spots, moviegoers and other shoppers could be forced to park across Elliott Road. Without much in the way of crosswalks, it poses a serious security risk.

The theaters claim that they have an overall need to expand to stay financially viable. Other businesses claim that no business should have the right to impact their business in the name of self-interest.

The issue the council must decide is which perspective has greater weight. The situation of an expanding entity bumping into another over the issue of parking is not new around Chapel Hill. The University has had more than its share of parking and transportation issues with the town government.

Is it ethical for the theater to build a larger venue while putting other business at risk? Business is a competitive market, and if you don't put yourself in a position to succeed, no one else will.

But while watching the meeting it struck me that the theater organization is missing to some degree community spirit.

Coexistence is a crucial basis for exchange in our society. Businesses should work together to create a beneficial partnership. How unattractive would a movie theater be surrounded by vacant store windows?

It was a civics lesson for me and my friend Jeff. I wonder if we learned anything.

Colin Sutker can be reached at cosu@email.unc.edu.