Chapel Hill, Carrboro eye Wal-Mart warily

The possibility of a big-box retailer popping up south of Orange County has raised questions about large-scale development in the more rural areas surrounding Chapel Hill.

A 63-acre tract of land off U.S. 15-501 in northern Chatham County has been discussed as the potential site of a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

The site is just south of the Orange-Chatham border and connects to the Smith Level Corridor on the outskirts of Carrboro.

In June, the Chapel Hill Town Council and the Carrboro Board of Aldermen each requested a courtesy review of any development proposals Chatham officials receive. Such a review allows a neighboring government to make known their position on issues that will affect both areas.

But the Chatham County Planning Board has not yet received a proposal to rezone the land, which is owned by Lee-Moore Oil Co. of Sanford.

While Lee-Moore has applied for a driveway permit for a large-scale retail space, the company has not sought approval to rezone part of the land for business.

Some concerned citizens assume that the Wal-Mart will be built eventually and are working to minimize the impact it could have on both the environment and traffic patterns.

Chatham First, a group linked to national lobbying group Wal-Mart Watch, is watching the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, said organizer Mark Barroso.

“We think a Wal-Mart in the location that has been proposed will make nightmare traffic congestion almost unbearable,” he said.

A Wal-Mart near the Orange-Chatham border would be roughly a four- to five-mile drive from the University campus. The only Wal-Mart in Orange County is located in Hillsborough, at 113 Mayo St. — more than 10 miles from campus — though the Wal-Mart in Durham, located in the New Hope Commons shopping center, is about as close to campus as the Chatham site.

U.S. 15-501 is being widened in Chatham, which would make it easier to approach the Wal-Mart from within the county. But the Carrboro aldermen voted in April not to significantly expand Smith Level Road, making the drive more difficult for Orange County residents.

In addition, construction of Briar Chapel, a mixed-use facility with more than 2,000 homes near the county border, also will funnel traffic onto the road.

Chatham First is raising funds for an independent traffic study of the impact a large retail center would have on the area. They will also look at the effects it would have on the Jordan Lake watershed.

The group also is planning an awareness week in November, and Barroso encourages students to participate.

“Wal-Mart epitomizes almost everything an irresponsible corporation can be,” he said. “We also think that it will harm the small-business community we have here.”

Orange County, which is still 40 percent forestry and agriculture by land area, is facing new developments of its own: two mixed-use projects near Hillsborough are requesting annexation and master plan approval from the Hillsborough Town Board of Commissions.

Together, the proposed Ashton Hall project and Owl’s Wood would yield more than 350 homes.

Town Commissioner Mike Gering said that while Hillsborough must provide more housing to encourage growth, he would like more public input on the developments.

“We need to see if we have the resources we can devote to them — water, infrastructure — and whether we want to devote those resources.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.BY