Officials hash over wireless on Franklin

At about 4 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon, Steve Dorozenski, owner of Jack Sprat Cafe, counted six people using computers at his Franklin Street coffee shop.

He credits that to the addition of the wireless Internet in his shop — an initiative that some town leaders are hoping to spread throughout the downtown area.

The Chapel Hill Town Council received two petitions Monday night addressing the subject.

Both petitions — one from the Chapel Hill Downtown Economic Development Corporation and the other from members of the town’s technology committee — asked the council to consider pairing the groups together to pursue the goal.

“The technology committee has it in their strategic plan, and it’s also of interest to us, so we thought it would be beneficial instead of working separately to collaborate,” Andrea Rohrbacher, chairwoman of the development corporation, said Tuesday.

The groups could collaborate on tasks such as determining the coverage area, selecting hardware and promoting the idea with citizens and local businesses, according to the corporation’s petition.

Rohrbacher said the implementation of wireless services will allow people to leave their homes and offices to do work.

Dorozenski said providing Internet service in his store has definitely helped his business.

“Seeing that ours is free, people love it,” he said, adding that extending wireless throughout the downtown corridor would be beneficial because it would add to the town’s progressive atmosphere.

And possible wireless services could reach beyond the downtown to adjacent neighborhoods.

Providing wireless in Northside and Pine Knolls neighborhoods has also been discussed.

Rohrbacher said the proposal would help to provide Internet access to residents who otherwise might not have the resources.

Although the plans are in the early stages, Rohrbacher was hopeful the plans will move forward.

During Monday’s meeting Mayor Pro Tem Edith Wiggins proposed that the petitions be referred to town staff to prepare a report on establishment of wireless downtown.

“I was really delighted to see both of these petitions,” she said during the meeting.

Mayor Kevin Foy also said he thought the two petitions should be considered together.

But town leaders are not the only ones with wireless on their agenda.

Student Body President Seth Dearmin, who advocated downtown wireless Internet on his campaign platform, said he plans to pursue a similar initiative within the next week or two.

He said he hopes to open a dialogue with community members to look at how the University and town can come together on the issue.

Though a deadline has yet to be set, he said he would like to have the initiative finished by the end of his term but would wait to see the town’s plans.

“It’s definitely going to be more contingent on the town.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.