Town Council holds off on development's plans

Developers of the proposed Wilson Assemblage will have to wait at least two more weeks before getting the go-ahead for its project.

Chapel Hill Town Council members discussed several issues surrounding the construction of Wilson Assemblage on Monday before agreeing to delay discussion of the project’s special-use permit until its Feb. 28 meeting.

“We need to look at this some more and get some firm discussion,” said council member Bill Strom.

The proposed mixed-use development would be constructed just northeast of the intersection of U.S. 15-501 and Erwin Road and would include 149 dwelling units, with 48,000 square feet of office/retail space and 402 parking spaces.

One of the biggest discussion points Monday centered on the future of a 1930s-style farm house that sits near the proposed development north of Dobbins Drive.

As part of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s proposed Superstreet project to widen U.S. 15-501, Dobbins Drive would have to be shifted 25 to 30 feet northward, bringing it within 23 feet of the historic house.

Several council members worried about what would happen to the house after the road shift, suggesting that preservation efforts be examined.

“I think it would really serve as a reminder for what we used to be,” said council member Dorothy Verkerk. “I would like to see this landmark stay where it is.”

Council member Jim Ward also said he thinks that efforts should be made to preserve the house. “We’ve got to work hard … and exhaust all options to save that house before it’s too late,” Ward said.

But Jack Smyre, principal of The Design Response Inc., the firm hired to obtain the special-use permit for Wilson, said preserving the house could be difficult.

“The shift in the road takes out literally everything in front of the house,” he said. “Something would have to give.”

Residents also spoke out about the development, expressing concern about the project’s impact on local traffic patterns.

Harvey Krasny, a resident of the nearby Summerfield Crossing, said the project will cause already congested local traffic to worsen.

“I think everyone on council is a rational and reasonable person,” he said. “I don’t think rational and reasonable people would allow a neighborhood already plagued by traffic problems to endure more.”

Rich Harris, a resident of Erwin Village, said he is worried that a proposed cut-through to McGregor Drive would cause more traffic in surrounding neighborhoods.

“Take a look at that neighborhood,” he said. “With that kind of increased traffic, I can’t imagine there wouldn’t be a safety issue.”

Mayor Kevin Foy said he sympathized with the neighbor’s concerns, saying it is important to make sure the council doesn’t pass a resolution for one subject only to create another problem in doing so.

“We see the difficulty in opening the corridor,” he said. “We’re not interested in creating a situation that we then have to rectify.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.