Chapel Hill annexation plans remain on schedule

Though annexation has been a source of recent controversy in Carrboro, Chapel Hill's plans to annex two neighborhoods are going according to schedule.

Town Manager Cal Horton is planning to issue a resolution of intent to annex Vineyard Square and Larkspur, two subdivisions located off Weaver Dairy Road Extension, at the Jan. 10 meeting of the Chapel Hill Town Council.

It is likely that the town will recommend that the annexation take effect before midnight July 1, according to the town's annual report on annexation areas.

Both subdivisions meet the standards for a town-initiated annexation, which include contiguity, population density and intensity of development, according to the report.

"If any of those (standards) are met, then the area is eligible for annexation," said Roger Waldon, the town's planning director.

Gordon Sutherland, the town's principal planner, said the main factor the town looks at in considering areas for annexation is population density.

He added that both subdivisions are still under construction.

According to the report, 106 out of 191 units are occupied in Vineyard Square, and 31 out of 86 units are occupied in Larkspur.

Three more Larkspur units will be occupied by January, and 13 more are under construction.

The two neighborhoods are located outside the town's corporate boundaries but within its urban services boundary.

"The urban services boundary is the future city limits," Sutherland said, adding that the town assesses how fast developments outside the town boundaries are growing. When services reach these divisions, the town considers annexing them.

Waldon said that the urban services boundary has been in place for 20 years and that as soon as the town reaches that boundary, it will stop expanding.

"Chapel Hill and Carrboro said, 'Here's where we're going to go to and no further,'" he said. "It's all very well planned out ahead of time."

This ultimate boundary was put into place for several reasons, Waldon said, including potential environmental impacts and the area's ability to support a large town.

But even with a well-established boundary, expanding the town does not come without costs.

"When something is brought into city limits, we need to provide fire and police protection," Waldon said. "They will be provided once annexed."

Other services that will be provided for the neighborhoods after annexation include waste management, street maintenance, parks and recreation, libraries and public transportation, Sutherland said.

Currently, the town does not provide services to either of the subdivisions.

Sutherland added that creating a financial report on the costs and revenues generated by the annexation will be Chapel Hill's next step in the process.

Hundreds of concerned citizens filled the Carrboro Century Center earlier this month to voice opposition to Carrboro's plans for annexing two areas along Rogers Road.

Differences in services and tax rates among the county, Carrboro and Chapel Hill have been the source of much of the opposition.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.