Britany Waddell appointed as new Chapel Hill planning director, to focus on community

On Feb. 2, Chapel Hill Interim Town Manager Chris Blue appointed Britany Waddell as the Town’s new planning director.

Waddell, formerly the assistant planning director with the City of Raleigh, said she is excited about connecting with other Town staff members and the local community in Chapel Hill.

"It’s important that I understand the needs and challenges unique to Chapel Hill and its residents as it informs our goals as a department," she said in an email. 

Waddell has planning experience in North Carolina, Maryland and Washington, D.C. She is a UNC alumna and has a background in community engagement and participatory planning. According to a press release from the Town of Chapel Hill, she is interested in University and Town relationships.

As planning director, Waddell said she will “manage the long-range planning, transportation planning, historic preservation and current development functions for the Town.” 

Waddell grew up in southeast North Carolina and previously worked for George Washington University, where she focused on campus development and student impact on communities near the university's campus.

Following her tenure at George Washington University, Waddell worked in Raleigh as the assistant planning director for three years, where she supervised zoning administration and land development. 

Waddell said she thinks building a bond between herself and the Chapel Hill community is key. 

“There are no ‘typical days’ in planning," she said. "We engage in a wide variety of issues as planning touches so many other aspects of how a municipality functions and grows. This is why relationship-building is so vital to our profession." 

Patrick Young, the city planning and development director for Raleigh and one of Waddell's former co-workers, called Waddell a "complete superstar."  

“She’s smart, thoughtful and is able to work collaboratively to solve complex problems,” Young said.

In Raleigh, Young said he and Waddell worked together on efforts to improve housing accessibility and affordability. He said these skills will come in handy for Waddell in Chapel Hill. 

“I know Chapel Hill is having that conversation now and I think she’ll be really well-positioned to help lead on that, given her experience,” Young said. 

Andrew Whittemore, associate professor in the UNC Department of City and Regional Planning, said Waddell will be “leading the staff of the planning office through a difficult time.” 

He elaborated on the political and regulation of land zoning and development challenges Waddell will be facing. 

“The new director is kind of leading this effort to look at the zoning code and the way that land development is regulated in Chapel Hill, and that's a difficult process because a lot of people understandably don't want to see change in the way development is managed, and other people really do want to see change,” Whittemore said. 

He also said he is interested to see how Waddell will handle challenges regarding housing, specifically increasing the amount of housing and affordable housing and diversifying Chapel Hill's types of housing. 

Young said he is excited that Waddell is staying in North Carolina. His close relationships with the planning departments in the Triangle have been helpful in the past, he said. 

“She’s someone I really relied on,"  Young said. "I hate to see her go, but I am really happy for her and Chapel Hill. This is a great growth opportunity for her and a great opportunity for the city of Chapel Hill."

Waddell will begin her new position as planning director in Chapel Hill on Feb. 13. 

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