Chapel Hill Town Council discusses library, zoning proposals

Visitors and employees will see more changes at the Chapel Hill Public Library.

The Chapel Hill Town Council approved additions and a larger book drop at its Monday night meeting.

The changes are part of the expansion of the library that was approved in June and continued in February.

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward said the increased book-drop capacity and changes are important for the expansion.

“We’re going to be short-staffed, so this needs to be as user-friendly as possible,” Ward said.

Town Manager Roger Stancil said at a March 28 meeting that expansion of the site is scheduled to finish in December 2012.

The schedule is based on relocating temporary library services into University Mall in August 2011, around the same time construction would begin on the library’s current site at 100 Library Drive.

Charterwood

A second public hearing focused on the Charterwood development plan and its special use permit and application for rezoning.

The development, at 1614 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. near Weaver Dairy Road, would include 25,000 square feet of retail space, 30,000 square feet of office space and a 100-room hotel.

The site requires re-zoning 6.5 acres to a mixed-use village district, while would allow higher population density and greater development.

Bill Christian, managing partner of the Charterwood partnership, said the project would reduce living and transportation costs.

“This is the kind of project that younger and older people like to live in, with access to all services in one location,” Christian said.

But nearby residents petitioned against the 14.3 acre development, citing inadequate buffer zones and ecological damage as detractors to Charterwood.

Howard Carter, local resident and UNC worker, said the development would worsen traffic congestion in the area.

“I’ve noticed that the main roads have become more and more crowded over the past 10 years,” he said. “There is an aesthetic and ecological impact, but I think the traffic congestion will be a big issue.”

Commercial signs

A discussion on commercial sign regulations continued at the meeting, with Town Development Manager Gene Poveromo recommending the council change the size limits of ground signs to allow local small businesses to attract more customers.

If approved, the amendment to the Land Use Management Ordinance would allow the installation of larger ground signs and could potentially affect 12 commercial locations in town.

Representatives from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce were also on hand at the meeting. Though many said they would neither advocate or oppose the amendment, the Twitter account of the chamber urged its members to come to the council member in support of changing the ordinance.

Highland Woods

Council members also approved a new zoning plan for the Highland Woods neighborhood at the meeting.

Loryn Clark, town neighborhood and community services manager, presented the proposed zoning plan for the neighborhood, which would zone the area as a neighborhood conservation district.

The district aims to preserve and protect unique and distinctive older residential neighborhoods or commercial locations that contribute to the overall character and identity of Chapel Hill.

Highland Woods is located off Fordham Boulevard near UNC’s Finley Golf Course.

Successful petitions for phases one and two of the project have been submitted, and the neighborhood commission has generally agreed that the proposed regulations are ideal to the conservation goals of the neighborhood.

Contact the City Editor at city@dailytarheel.com.