Council works to set Carolina North goals

Carolina North UNC's proposed research campus will bring new residents and traffic.

Ahead of a goal of June for approval of a final agreement on a plan for the development of 630 acres of the campus the Chapel Hill Town Council met Saturday to discuss the town's goals for Carolina North.

Transportation

Buses every 10 minutes larger shelters at stops and priority bus lanes could all come to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard if all goes according to initial plans.

The public transit changes on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard would come at an estimated $110 million from local and federal sources said David Bonk long range and transportation coordinator for Chapel Hill.

Daily transit ridership is predicted to reach 101694 by 2035 up from the current 30"000. Carolina North traffic is expected to increase traffic along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

The estimates count on the building of a Triangle-area light rail that would have stops in Chapel Hill. It isn't expected to be complete until 2023.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard changes are just some that the town is considering in an effort to accommodate increasing ridership.

Council member Bill Strom expressed concern that the first drafts for the Carolina North agreements did not sufficiently use public transportation.

""It looks to me like it's a suburban plan with transit overlaid"" he said.

Any changes to the transit system would require public and council input.

Housing

Council members agreed that increasing undergraduate student housing needs must be addressed, but differed on whether those students should be housed on the eventual Carolina North campus.

University officials have said that they would prefer to limit the initial 200,000 square feet of housing to graduate students and employees.

But Council Member Matt Czajkowski said that as more expensive rental apartments replace affordable off-campus student housing, undergraduates will need more places to stay.

As we reduce available student housing in Chapel Hill"" where do students go?"" Czajkowski said.

""The alternative is that students will be commuting from Pittsboro.""

The Horace Williams citizens committee" which presented a report to the council in 2004 recommended that the planning for Carolina North address student housing shortages but did not specifically address undergraduates.

Council members cited a greater need for housing for the poor in Chapel Hill.

The council is scheduled to meet Wednesday with the Board of Trustees in a session on Carolina North that includes time for public comment.



Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.