Greenwood discusses neighborhood conservation

Some Chapel Hill residents are hearing the cans and cannots of neighborhood zoning regulations.

Inhabitants of the Greenwood neighborhood met with former town planning director Roger Waldon last night for a question and answer session on neighborhood conservation districts.

Greenwood is one of four area neighborhoods that petitioned the Chapel Hill Town Council to become a conservation district - an initiative being led by Waldon and his firm Clarion Associates, LLC.

But what exactly is a neighborhood conservation district?

"Basically, it's writing a zoning district for that neighborhood," Waldon said.

Waldon explained to the neighbors that older neighborhoods close to the University, such as Greenwood, are prime targets for developers due to rising property values.

A conservation district would help to prevent developers from subdividing their lots or building what Waldon dubbed "monster homes" on their properties by setting specific zoning standards to maintain the community's character.

And the residents seemed eager to uphold that character.

Emphasis on natures and landscaping, setback homes, walkability and the diversity and variety of homes were high on the list of qualities.

"The houses, whatever their style, sort of fade into the environment and the natural setting," resident Frank Loda said. "I think everything that's been said falls into that rubric and that's sort of what you want to maintain."

Concerns in Greenwood surfaced last year when local developer Tom Tucker wanted to subdivide his lot. The council unanimously voted then to approve rezoning of the area to low-density standards.

Though this move halted the subdivision, Waldon said there likely would be others.

The average lot size in the neighborhood is three-quarters of an acre - compared to the average two-fifths of an acre in similar residential areas.

But some residents said regulating square footage and building height is not the way to go.

"It's not the height of the house," resident and Town Council member Bill Strom said. "It's how it fits into the scale of the neighborhood."

Another issue for residents was a tract of University land that sits on the edge of the neighborhood. Most residents agreed that the tract should be included in the district.

Waldon gave residents the feedback on possible solutions.

One idea that was tossed around was becoming part of a historic district.

"The rules are very strict," Waldon said. "That's probably the highest level of restriction and control that there is in town."

The homes in the neighborhood date back to the 1950s and 1960s and the neighborhood was established by Paul Green, a UNC professor.

Waldon also told residents that they could try to codify restrictive neighborhood covenants that date back to 1947.

The next meeting with Waldon will be for the residents of the Kings Mill/Morgan Creek area Sept. 29 at the N.C. Botanical Gardens Totten Center.

 

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