Kleinschmidt pumps town-gown relations

Mark Kleinschmidt is no stranger to the spotlight.

A Chapel Hill Town Council incumbent running for re-election, Kleinschmidt - one of five openly gay elected officials in state history - made headlines earlier this year thanks to his efforts to reach out to the area's gay and lesbian communities by asking the town to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act.

Kleinschmidt's stance on gay rights recently won him the endorsement of Equality N.C.

"Mark has been a stellar leader in the community," said Equality N.C. Executive Program Director Ian Palmquist. "We expect that he will continue to lead - and continue to be vocal."

But Kleinschmidt is about more than sexual orientation.

Students for a Progressive Chapel Hill and the N.C. Police Benevolent Association also have tipped their hats to Kleinschmidt, citing his progressive views on a variety of issues.

At 35, Kleinschmidt is staying busy - he splits time between council obligations and the Center for Death Penalty Litigation in Durham, where he works as a nonprofit attorney and sits on the board of directors for the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Kleinschmidt's main campaign points focus on two of the area's most-heated debates - affordable housing and town-gown relations.

The incumbent is in favor of simplifying the affordable housing process. Kleinschmidt said the council's approval of a reworded clause in the affordable housing section of the town's 2000 Comprehensive Plan is a step in the right direction.

"If we don't have our regulations in place, then our interests get lost," he said.

But keeping open discussions between affordable housing proponents and developers subject to the town's affordable housing regulations also is crucial to moving the initiative forward, Kleinschmidt said.

"You can't be successful with new regulations unless the developers are active in discussion," he said. "We need a good mix of interests. Otherwise, it's a recipe for failure."

Kleinschmidt said the current state of collaboration between town and University representatives on growth projects like Carolina North and downtown revitalization and development might be an open door to a closer relationship.

"We all have the best interest of the community," he said. "The relationship has improved a great deal over the past couple of years because everyone realized the players' roles."

That said, Kleinschmidt said there still is work to be done.

"(Several years ago) we clearly didn't have an understanding of each other's roles ... but hopefully many people are recognizing that a critically assessed plan isn't a statement of contempt," he said.

 

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.