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(01/23/07 5:00am)
Now that the University-formed Leadership Advisory Committee has finalized guiding principles for Carolina North's construction, University and town staff will collaborate again to create a zone, or a specific set of regulations, for the University's satellite campus.
The Chapel Hill Town Council examined a proposed process to develop the zone at Monday's business meeting. The Town Council would use the new zone to evaluate any Carolina North plan or proposal the University sends forward.
Chancellor James Moeser's Carolina North Leadership Advisory Committee, formed with town and University representatives, wrapped up its work last week.
Ken Broun, chairman of the committee, law professor and former Chapel Hill mayor, said he will prepare the final draft of principles that, with each committee member's stamp of approval, will be sent to Moeser. He said Moeser will have the final version of the principles by the end of next week.
The principles, including a commitment to public transit and a consideration for air quality, will be referenced in creating the new zone. Foy projected energy conservation measures might be embedded in the regulations.
"There will be a continued forum or vehicle for the University to get feedback from the committee as we now move into the phase where we actually begin to get into the land use planning," said Jack Evans, executive director of Carolina North.
Mayor Kevin Foy, Town Manager Roger Stancil, Moeser and key University staff, including Evans, met Friday to formulate a potential process for developing the zone at the request of the council. The group decided to begin the process soon.
The plan that came out of the meeting includes two groups - one to oversee policy, composed of council members and University trustees, and a separate, more technical group of University and town staff.
The policy-forming group would guide a consultant, who would work with the technical group to create a zone that is in harmony with policies and principles of value to the University and town leaders.
"The thought is that something is less likely to go off the rails at the end if you have the policy makers in the beginning," Foy said.
Council member Jim Ward said he wanted all of the council to be involved in creating the zone.
Evans said it is too premature to guess who will serve on the groups.
The Leadership Advisory Committee's guiding principles, a report from the town's Horace Williams Citizens Committee and the Land Use Management Ordinance all will be used to steer the consultant and the working group.
"The next step is the zoning and you have to build in the principles or the zone won't work," said Julie McClintock, chairwoman of the Horace Williams citizens committee, who also served on the LAC.
A similar process was used about six years ago when a zone was created for the University's main campus.
"It's been used before and seemed to work," Evans said.
The difference between now and six years ago is the addition of a consultant. The facilitating consultant, hired by the town, will help to get the process done in the time frame allotted. Foy said University officials were willing to offset some of the costs.
The council will discuss the proposed zone process more at a Feb. 12 business meeting and possibly will take action, but the time frame for the entire zone project still is up in the air. Mayor Pro Tem Bill Strom said it is more important to get it done right than quickly.
"We have to be careful to create a zone that will last the length of the project."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(01/19/07 5:00am)
Wetlands, a downtown Chapel Hill hot spot for music-loving college coeds, will host Planned Parenthood Action Fund's fourth annual benefit concert at 8 p.m. Saturday.
The concert will commemorate the 34th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, which ruled that a woman's right to end an unwanted pregnancy is protected by the Constitution.
Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina facilitates programs, such as the concert, that are easily accessed by University students because the age group uses the organization's resources and also has a strong spirit of activism.
More than 40 percent of the people who visit the Planned Parenthood health center in Chapel Hill, about 4,000 annually, are younger than 24 years old, said Jennifer Ferris, communications coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina.
Outside of college towns, events such as the concert might be held at a civic center, instead of a club, to reach teenagers, she said. "We celebrate in a lot of different ways."
A chapter of Planned Parenthood's outreach called Vox: Voice for Planned Parenthood, an action group on campus, launches educational campaigns. Natalie Fixmer, a doctoral student at the University, helped establish the group in 2003 and mentors its members.
"I feel fortunate to have the amazing opportunity to pass on that passion and those skills to other young people and other young leaders," Fixmer said.
As a graduate student at the University, Fixmer worked at Planned Parenthood and helped organize the 2004 March for Women's Lives in Washington, D.C. - the largest in U.S. history.
Planned Parenthood will honor Fixmer at a breakfast Monday at the United Church of Chapel Hill.
Fixmer will receive the Sarah Weddington Young Leadership Award. Weddington was the attorney who argued Roe v. Wade.
Ferris said of Fixmer, "She's really mobilized the community - she has an active personality, and she's really drawn people in."
The organization aims to engage both students and the community.
"College students are often a group that likes to become politically active in the organization, but that's just one leg of it," Ferris said.
Musician Shannon O'Connor, who will perform at the concert, said she has relied on Planned Parenthood for health care, counseling and educational information. She will perform at the concert.
"Supporting this organization is a natural choice for me," she said.
Bands Ex-Members and Robo Sapien also will play Saturday. Last year's concert raised $3,000.
Planned Parenthood offers low-cost services to low-income women, said Mary Covington, assistant vice chancellor for campus health services.
She said the organization might have placed the concert near UNC so people who have money can help.
Ferris said the concert is designed to increase awareness.
"It's geared towards anyone who likes music and supports reproductive justice."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(10/27/06 4:00am)
University leaders want to implement a new method to improve relations with the town and test it on a construction project that so far hasn't ruffled many feathers.
Chancellor James Moeser sent a letter to Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy asking for help creating a formal committee of residents to provide input about a proposed expansion to the UNC School of Law.
The group will work with the University to develop plans and then make a formal recommendation to the University and the town on what should happen with the project.
University staff already hosts public forums to give neighbors an outlet to voice their concerns on projects.
One such forum was held Monday to discuss projects including the School of Law expansion, but Jonathan Howes, special assistant to the chancellor and former mayor of Chapel Hill, said only a handful of residents showed up.
"There wasn't much interest in the law school," he said. "It's a good one to start on because it doesn't appear to be at all controversial."
The new committee will formalize the existing process, but Howes said University leaders still need to decide exactly how formal it will be.
"It would lend a certain structure to the process," he said. "Our interest in this is to alert people as early as possible to anything the University is doing so the neighbors will know about it and if they have ideas they can put them forward."
Moeser's letter was spurred by an intercity visit to Madison, Wis., in early September. Almost 100 community leaders, including Foy and Howes, were on the trip.
In his letter Moeser said he is impressed with the way University of Wisconsin-Madison officials work with people who live near campus.
Madison has about four formal committees of neighbors appointed by the chancellor and the mayor.
"As the university has expansion issues, they have a mechanism they can use to address those issues," Howes said.
Madison's committees are permanent, and members come from official city-recognized neighborhood organizations. Chapel Hill has no such organizations.
Moeser's proposed committee will test to see if permanent committees like Madison's would be effective.
Foy presented the letter to the Chapel Hill Town Council at a business meeting Monday, and council members said they are willing to work with the University to make the process run more smoothly.
The council also holds public hearings about development projects so neighbors can say their piece.
"The town does have its own processes so they have to decide how they want to mesh this with their processes," Howes said.
"The town and the University would learn together how the neighbors feel. We would hope that it wouldn't be contentious."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(10/25/06 4:00am)
The Chapel Hill Town Council went into closed session after a business meeting Monday to discuss options for proceeding with a project that would completely alter downtown.
Since 2003 the town has been working on a multi-million dollar plan to revamp parking lots 2 and 5, but the first portion of the project is still in the negotiating stages.
Come Nov. 13, residents will get a chance to weigh in at a tentatively scheduled public forum.
"It's one of numerous meetings to keep public involved and informed every step of the way," said public information officer Catherine Lazorko.
The project on the table is a mixed-use facility planned for lot 5, located across from University Square, and the expansion of the Wallace Deck on Rosemary Street.
The project's concept plans call for residential and retail units and parking spaces, including some underground parking. The plans faced criticism from residents and business owners at a public hearing in March.
Phase two, which will bring the development of lot 2, behind Spanky's restaurant, is not yet underway.
A town negotiating team, including council members Sally Greene and Cam Hill and Mayor Pro Tem Bill Strom, has been working with Ram Development Co., the town's partner on the project, to formulate a financial proposal that fits the town's needs and budget.
"We still have a business deal that we're actively pursuing," Greene said.
Monday's closed session was to discuss earlier negotiating committee meetings.
Lazorko said Ram is revising its financial proposal to prepare something new to present to the committee.
Hill said the group will continue meeting with Ram to develop a final plan. When presented, the proposal will be strictly financial and not architectural.
Lazorko said financial issues could change the design of the developments.
"The financial could affect the conceptual," Lazorko said. "But this is just the numbers."
So far, the council only has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Ram Development - the first step toward a development agreement.
But until the financial proposal is ready to be brought into a public forum, council member Jim Ward said officials can't discuss negotiations.
"The thing to read into that is that we are getting close to a point where there will be an opportunity for the town council and the community to make a decision about what's going to happen here."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(10/23/06 4:00am)
The Carrboro Business Association met Thursday to go over recommendations from the Carrboro Board of Aldermen on a report evaluating the economics of the town.
The report was performed by Regional Technology Strategies, a nonprofit corporation that evaluates development and the creation of regional economic policies.
Chairman of the business association and lawyer Greg DeWitt said he was concerned the corporation didn't go directly to businesses to gather information for the report.
Town Manager Steve Stewart told attending business association members that the town's annual retreat in January will focus on the report and put the key recommendations in place.
"It's a very good report with a lot of stuff for us to chew on," he said.
One main goal that came out of the report will be to find some additional jobs for people in Carrboro. The report said 92 percent of residents leave town every day to work.
James Harris, Carrboro's director of community and economic development, relayed the Board of Aldermen's recommendations to meeting attendees.
"Some of the comments they made we're already working on, but we need to make official," Harris said.
Suggestions included establishing a timeline for projects, designating a town planner to follow each project and reworking the contract of the town's consulting engineer.
The Board of Aldermen suggested a one-year contract in a report from their meeting, but Jon Wilner, executive director of the ArtsCenter, said a longer contract would be required to maintain continuity.
Harris also said he would like to make a Web site into a walking map, or living brochure, and to enhance what he referred to as "creative Carrboro."
"We have a lot of designers and artistic people, not just artists per se, that we need to promote," he said. "We just need to figure out how much money it will cost."
Wilner said artists should support the business community as well. He suggested artists collaborate to print a brochure to distribute statewide to draw visitors to the community. This, in turn, would help business.
He suggested collaboration with Chapel Hill to achieve this because visitors often see the towns as a single community.
Harris agreed, saying, "If they have good things going on, we will benefit from it. ... We'll keep everyone in the pipeline."
At the meeting, Wilner gave a summary of the Carrboro Art Committee meeting, saying the group wants to have businesses sponsor local artists to create an unusual bike rack that would serve as permanent art.
The idea came from an inter-city visit to Madison, Wis., in September. Madison has cow statues around town designed by local artists.
Talk ensued about different methods to handle panhandlers, who often affect business.
The idea was raised to hire someone to train business owners on the subject. All business owners in attendance said they thought this would be helpful.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
After one month on the job, the major player in town government is still the new kid on the block.
Chapel Hill Town Manager Roger Stancil replaced 16-year Town Manager Cal Horton on Sept. 1, leaving the post as Fayetteville city manager that he held for 26 years.
The transition from seasoned townie to unfamiliar territory has been quite a shift, Stancil said.
"I knew lots of history and lots of people," he said. "In this community I find myself on the opposite end of the spectrum - I'm the one who knows the least."
But Stancil said he plans to change that. He's been spending his time meeting residents, talking with council members and getting oriented with various town departments.
"He has made it a point to meet as many employees as possible," said Flo Miller, deputy town manager. "I think he's done a lot in a short period of time."
And if he couldn't catch up with them in Chapel Hill, Stancil had the chance to meet about 100 government and community leaders during an inter-city trip to Madison, Wis., in late September.
"It was very busy and informative and flew by very fast," he said.
The town manager acts as a liaison between the council and town staff. He is charged with preparing reports for the council and assuring the resolutions the council passes are executed.
Stancil has had to do some research in order to carry out those duties.
"I think everybody has been very helpful and taken time to give me background on issues," he said.
"It's important to develop relationships with the elected officials to ensure what we are doing is consistent with the council's goals."
Stancil has had to familiarize himself with the town's requirements for development, in particular for Carolina North, the University's proposed satellite campus. He said trying to make the campus meet the town and the University's goals could be a challenge.
"We need to grow the University in a way that doesn't have a negative affect on the community, which is part of what attracts people to the University in the first place," he said.
Stancil took note of the way the joint project is handled.
"I'm particularly impressed with the ability of the multiple governments in the community - the town, the county, Carrboro, Hillsborough and the University - to sit down and talk about issues," he said.
Chapel Hill is not just Stancil's new place of employment but also his new home.
Besides day-to-day Town Hall operations, Stancil also has had to cultivate his role as a resident - something he said comes from getting out of the office.
"In my view it's not reading stuff, and it's not formal presentations. It's talking to people and getting a feel for the community."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(09/28/06 4:00am)
Police Chief Gregg Jarvies presented the preliminary operational plan Wednesday for Halloween festivities and addressed concerns at a meeting of the Chapel Hill Town Council.
The event Tuesday, Oct. 31 will last from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and will span Franklin Street from Raleigh Street to Roberson Street - two blocks longer than last year.
To account for this expansion, the department plans to cover more surrounding neighborhoods with the help of officers from a dozen other municipalities.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Strom expressed concern for neighborhoods near Roosevelt Drive.
"Every year we expand the neighborhoods we protect," Jarvies said in response to Strom. "We'll continue to add parking monitors."
Jarvies said he anticipates no issues with Roosevelt Drive, but said Meadowbrook and Estes drives could present problems.
Crowd panic is the biggest concern, Jarvies said.
"We have protocols in place to deal with those things people don't like to think about but that are inherent in crowd situations," he said.
The department will amp up coverage, but not to the extent it did for Halloween in 2001, when officials stopped cars as far away from downtown as Estes Drive because of Sept. 11-related concerns.
"It didn't turn out to be a very popular plan," Jarvies said.
Council member Cam Hill said he wants to ensure that residents who live downtown can get home. One year an officer would not let him through a checkpoint to his house, he said.
"I told him I only lived a hundred yards away and he said, 'Take it to the town council,'" Hill said. "I just want to know if there's anything we can do for people in this part of town to get home quicker."
Jarvies said officers are instructed to let people through barriers if they claim to live nearby.
Other digressions from last year's plan include 40 additional officers, motorcycle and mounted officers and portable lights.
Jarvies said four sets of portable lights were used to illuminate downtown during Apple Chill. A dozen will be present at Halloween.
The police department predicts 50,000 attendees by about 11 p.m. - 10 percent of which are students at the University.
Chapel Hill Transit will provide buses from four park-and-ride lots. Buses will run until 1:30 a.m. Round-trip bus fare from the park-and-ride lots will be $5.
"Certainly if there are stragglers the buses will work with us and make a few more runs," Jarvies said.
The town-funded event is expected to cost $220,000. The University contributes to events, including half of the NCAA Final Four celebration, but not Halloween.
"That's a lot of money, so I really hope people enjoy themselves," council member Laurin Easthom said.
Jarvies said it would be just as expensive to cancel Halloween.
"There's been discussion about trying to stop the event or change it," he said. "It's an expensive venture to make sure people are safe, but it would be just as expensive and labor intensive to try and stop it, and probably more dangerous."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(09/27/06 4:00am)
Durham Academy junior Lise Williams wants to go to American University. Chapel Hill High School junior Matt Patterson wants to play lacrosse. Cedar Ridge junior Emily Fulks wants to join the army.
High school students from Orange County brought their unique dreams to the College Fair at the Smith Center on Tuesday.
At the fair
At least 135 representatives from colleges across the nation made their way to the fair to answer questions and hand out information pamphlets.
(09/26/06 4:00am)
Something has been missing since Sunday from the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
Ninety-four town, University and community leaders have hopped a plane to Madison, Wis., to pick up a few tips. Spanning from Sunday to Tuesday, the inter-city visit was designed by the Community Leadership Council for leaders to learn by observing during planned sessions.
Topics on the table for discussion include downtown development, workforce housing, a satellite campus called University Research Park and town-gown relations.
(09/20/06 4:00am)
Tar Heel basketball fans hoping to sport one of the "Psycho T" shirts with starter Tyler Hansbrough's picture on it are out of luck.
The shirts on sale at Schoolkids Records were pulled from the shelves after local T-shirt company The Merch received a cease-and-desist letter from University staff.
"Carolina thought they were related to Carolina basketball enough for it to matter," said Chip Hoppin, a Merch partner.
The letter, which asked the company to stop selling the shirts, was from Larry Gallo, senior associate athletic director. It said Hansbrough had not authorized the use of his image.
Merch partners said they had no problem stopping sales.
"We called them and said, 'Hey, we'll stop printing them,'" partner Patrick Cudahy said. "We want to be legitimate about what we do."
Steve Kirschner, associate athletic director for communications, said Hansbrough was dubbed "Psycho T" because of his intense weight room work outs last year.
Employees in the art department at The Merch came up with the design after hearing the nickname.
Hoppin said the company printed them to support the team.
"We definitely did not mean to be in any disrespectful way for him," he said. "We were trying to give him as many props as possible."
NCAA rules state that a commercial business can't sell the likeness or image of an athlete.
"Nobody is allowed to," Kirschner said. "This isn't a new rule."
Gallo said the University can't sell individual players' images either.
"I want to emphasize, this company did nothing wrong," Gallo said. "We appreciate it, but we have to ask them to stop printing it because it jeopardizes the student's ability to play."
Hoppin said he understood Gallo's reasons.
"I think what the University does is they try to protect their players as much as they can," he said.
This is not the first time the company has printed shirts with an image of a UNC basketball player.
The Merch started printing "Jackie Manuel has a posse" shirts in 2004. The company still sells them since he is no longer a student.
Hoppin said nobody asked them to stop printing the Manuel shirts.
The former player even signed one of the shirts for The Merch and bought several for himself.
"That shirt got radio play," he said. "All of a sudden about a thousand students had them - all of a sudden Manuel had a posse."
Merch also has applied for permits from the Collegiate Licensing Co. that would allow the company to print the University's logos. The CLC license does not grant permission to use players' images.
"In the meantime, we just decided we're going to try to root on our team and support them in anyway we can," Hoppin said. "We don't want to ruffle any feathers, especially of UNC or Tyler."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(09/15/06 4:00am)
"This is an extraordinary evening for me and my family and to see all my friends out here - I intend to have a ball."
That's just what Cal Horton did, shaking hands with friends, family and co-workers Thursday at a banquet in his honor at the Carolina Inn.
Horton retired Sept. 1 after a 16-year run as Chapel Hill town manager.
Chapel Hill police Chief Gregg Jarvies said Horton was the epitome of a good town manager.
"When people ask what a town manager does, we can point to Cal," he said. "When he asks how you're doing, he really cares."
Jarvies said Horton raised his children to be good citizens who chose careers in public service.
Horton's son, Alex, said his father thought nobody would show up at the dinner but about 300 people did.
"You affect the lives of more than the people you see in the workplace, good leaders understand this," Alex Horton said.
Alex, a principal, said he hopes his leadership compares to his father's.
"If I can be half the manager my father is," he said, before tearing up.
A succession of speakers shared memories of Horton, and a tribute video included a shot of Horton in a Carolina blue jersey, celebrating the national championship win.
A true Tar Heel, Horton teaches a class at the University's School of Government and has decided to take an art history course this semester.
"I use Chapel Hill to explain how government should be conducted," Horton said.
Chancellor James Moeser recognized the importance of Horton's work to the University.
"Cal's been a great public servant - the leadership of the University and council have a great relationship because of leadership like Cal."
The University contributes to the Cal Horton Municipal Service Award. The award was created by friends and co-workers and will be presented annually to a town employee who provides extraordinary service to the community.
UNC Board of Trustees member Roger Perry presented Horton with a $100,000 check for the award.
"I've raised a lot of money in this town for a lot of causes," Perry said. "This was one of the easiest fundraisers I've ever done."
Fire Chief Dan Jones, the first department head Horton hired, said he often saw Horton step outside his role as manager to assist during emergencies.
"He was his best in a moment of crisis," Jones said. "He would take on a different persona."
The department issued Horton a helmet and coat because he kept getting too close to fires.
"He would walk across the street to citizens on the corner and talk to them about what was happening," Jones said.
When Horton tried to return the helmet after he retired, Jones wouldn't take it back.
"When you're in a real mess, you always knew you could turn to Cal and he would support you," he said.
Residents and town staff commended Horton for maintaining personal relationships.
Coucil member Mark Kleinschmidt said Horton knows the name of all 650 town employees.
"That kind of personal relationship from top to bottom," he said. "It's inconceivable."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(09/11/06 4:00am)
After a brief hiatus from town duties, members of the Chapel Hill Town Council will pick up tonight where they left off.
The first meeting since June will be held at 7 p.m. in Town Hall and will include already visited items.
The council also will tackle issues new to the agenda, including the possibility of a friendship between Chapel Hill and the Guro District in Seoul, a city in South Korea.
Mayor Kevin Foy will present a petition tonight for approval of the sister-city relationship.
Leaders from the Guro District, known as a high-tech community, have been in conversations with Dr. Robert Blouin, dean of the School of Pharmacy, who is visiting South Korea now.
In late August, the Guro District's Vice Mayor Chan-Gon Kim visited Chapel Hill and met with Aaron Nelson, executive director of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce.
Nelson said the trip included visits to IBM and the secretary of state's office, dinner at a Korean restaurant, a bluegrass concert and a meeting with Foy to discuss the relationship between the two municipalities.
"Basically he asked, 'Can we be friends?'" Foy said. "They have a lot of ideas about what being their friend means."
These ideas include an exchange program for high school students and potential business exchanges.
"Their technology is leaps ahead of ours, and they want to learn about our free bus system," Nelson said.
Foy also said the relationship would benefit Chapel Hill.
"It's important to understand other people's goals and how they affect us," he said.
The mayor of the Guro district plans to visit Chapel Hill early in October, and a decision needs to be made before his arrival.
The council also will review a letter from Barry Jacobs, chairman of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, that asks for assistance in moving the Orange County Animal Shelter in a timely manner.
The shelter now sits on what will eventually be Carolina North, the University's satellite campus, and must be moved to a property on Eubanks Road by 2009.
But Jacobs isn't sure that's enough time.
"Chapel Hill's development process is so long, we may run out of time," Jacobs said. "We want to go fast without rushing."
Recyclery and Students United for a Responsible Global Environment also are seeking the council's assistance with a new bike loan program.
The program will allow residents of Chapel Hill and Carrboro to check out a bicycle for 24 hours.
Dennis Markatos-Soriano, operations manager of SURGE, requested $15,000 for bike maintenance, promotion and administrative items at a public hearing in June.
The council will consider the request tonight.
"As the town funds parking lots and the bus system, we're asking for bike funds," said Chris Richmond, executive director for the Recyclery.
SURGE leaders also will request funding from the University and the Carrboro Board of Aldermen.
Council member Ed Harrison promotes the program and took one of the bikes out for a test spin.
"It needs joint funding from everywhere it has effect - including Carrboro and the University," he said. "I've supported this since I've heard about it."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(08/31/06 4:00am)
The Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness met Wednesday to combine the work of subcommittees and discuss its next steps toward putting homeless people in houses and providing support to keep them there.
Committees that focused on employment, housing, prevention and discharge planning, services and basic needs, and transportation met twice during the summer.
The work group then combined the basic ideas of each group into a presentation made by Stan Holt, homeless specialist for Triangle United Way.
The possible need for a position to oversee the ongoing implementation of the partnership's plans was a hot topic at the end of Wednesday's meeting.
Nothing for such a position was finalized, but it was heavily discussed.
The partnership is supposed to present its final report to local officials Oct. 16, but the group discussed pushing that date back to allow for a more complete recommendation.
The housing committee proposed a plan to eventually build 40 housing units, five in the first three years.
"It's a target; let's shoot for it," Holt said.
The partnership's main focus has been on the chronically homeless.
"If someone has an eviction notice we could write them a check for the rent, but is that enough?" Holt asked.
"That's an indicator they're unstably housed. We need to make sure we wrap services around that person."
Chris Moran, executive director of the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, said that studies need to be conducted to find out what makes people successful when they leave shelters and that partnerships need to be formed between governmental and nongovernmental agencies.
"If you don't have the services you need you'll fail," Holt said.
Job training and encouraging employers to hire the homeless might be two of those services.
With the IFC planning to build a new men's shelter, it's an opportunity for the organization to re-vamp and incorporate itself into the plans of the partnership, said Sally Greene, member of the Chapel Hill Town Council.
Most forum attendees agreed that setting up the adequate support programs will be the biggest challenge but that getting 40 units on the ground in a decade is achievable.
"It will be easier to fund the bricks," Moran said.
The subcommittee estimated building costs for the units at $80,000 to $100,000, plus up to $475 each month for operating costs.
The total cost for the 10-year project could be $2 million to $3 million.
To make the partnership's plans more transparent the group came to the conclusion that a specific plan identifying the time frame and costs of each step needs to be created.
"We need to educate the public about how much we need and by when," said Orange County commissioner Moses Carey, co-chairman of the group.
The proposal calls for the construction of two housing units in the first year, but Carrboro Alderman Jacquelyn Gist said the group should aim for more.
"It would take a lot of effort to build two units a year, and nothing will visibly be solved," she said.
"It would be great to shoot for more so there's a visible decrease."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(08/30/06 4:00am)
With each pass by 301 W. Franklin St., the sight of the empty building leaves people wondering, "Will Chipotle ever come?"
The Chipotle chain asked Chapel Hill town staff to approve plans to set up shop in the former VisArt Video location in early 2006.
Now, more than six months later, nothing at the site appears to have changed.
Chris Arnold, a Chipotle spokesman, said the corporation still plans to bring its burritos to Chapel Hill.
The vacant space soon will be abuzz with the sounds of construction, which is scheduled to begin in mid-to-late September.
The tentative opening date is sometime early next year.
The Colorado-based chain, owned by the McDonald's corporation, will join the many other Mexican eateries on Franklin Street.
According to the company's Web site, the food is made from fresh ingredients while customers watch.
To avoid lines, the Web site, www.chipotle.com, gives customers the option of ordering food online for in-store pickup.
The menu includes vegetarian, chicken, steak and pork burritos, tacos and other Mexican fare. The average price for a lunch is $7.
Unlike Qdoba Mexican Grill, which is open late, most Chipotle locations stay open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Soon Chapel Hill residents will get to taste it themselves.
"As of now, construction's due to be complete in January with a turnover to operation folks in late January or February," Arnold said.
At that point, the store will start hiring employees.
Arnold said the delay is a result of the 80 to 90 other restaurants the corporation will open this year.
The design plans for this location include transforming the building to mirror other Chipotle restaurants, with polished steel tables and adobe-colored floors.
Construction plans also call for the addition of a porch.
"We have to deal with permits and design and everything for each location," he said.
"We have to go through a process."
With restaurants sprouting up across the nation, the Chipotle chain has a lot on its plate.
"The project is in a universe of dozens of other projects happening at the same time," Arnold said.
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(08/29/06 4:00am)
After 26 years the Chapel Hill Community Center at 120 S. Estes Drive has started to show its age.
Participants in swim classes and basketball leagues who call the community center home might have to find another place to hone their skills this year.
In November the center likely will shut down for a much-needed tuneup.
Most years the center closes for two or three weeks at the end of August for upkeep, such as fixing tiles and emptying the pool.
But this year Kathryn Spatz, director of the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department, said she's hoping to fix a whole lot more.
If the bid is approved by the Chapel Hill Town Council, the center will close for eight to 10 months in November for what could be a $2 million face-lift.
The to-do list includes overhauling the pool mechanical system, replacing roofing and the gym floor, and installing new heating and cooling systems.
The mechanics for the pumps at the pool are as old as the center itself.
"The pumps are archaic," Spatz said. "They don't even make the parts anymore. We were told that it is about to break. We also hope to have AC in the gym by the end of it.
"The project has been planned for six years and put off because of budget issues," she said.
Basketball leagues run by the department of parks and recreation have played many a sweaty game in the un-airconditioned facility.
Town council member Laurin Easthom said it is too early in the process to say much.
"It's been a part of the budgeting process," she said. "It's been talked about."
During renovations people still would have a place to come play. All outside facilities - including the playground, outdoor basketball court, rose garden and walking trail - would stay open to the public.
Spatz said she didn't think most social interaction would be displaced.
"It's just the gym, pool and meeting room," she said.
"The inside isn't really a social place, like a classic community center. The park, which is more of a community center, will remain open for use."
Some programs would be relocated or temporarily suspended. Basketball players who use the indoor gym would hold practices in the Hargraves Community Center at 216 N. Roberson St, and the climbing wall would be shut down.
Spatz said the biggest worry would be finding a new location for swimmers who use the pool for classes and practices.
Parks and recreation staff are in negotiations with facility managers at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA and at the Triangle Sportsplex in Hillsborough.
Spatz said she was confident swimmers would be able to use one of the two facilities.
"We've historically had a reciprocal relationship with the Y," Spatz said. "This year we've created a relationship with the Sportsplex. The swimmers from the Y have been using the center during their renovation period."
Spatz said she thinks the improvements would be well worth the costs of relocating programs.
"Anyone who visited the center would realize it needs repairs."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(08/28/06 4:00am)
Saturday night, Chance Carpenter, of Sanford, was the first to pass the checkered flag in his stock car race.
"I grew up around it," he said. "My dad raced, and I would watch him. As soon as I got a job, I started racing myself. It's just natural."
After three years of an empty track, the Orange County Speedway in Rougemont has run an expanded schedule this season, giving locals like Carpenter a chance to race.
Carpenter has raced for two seasons and does most of his time behind the wheel at the speedway.
The speedway, labeled "The fastest 3/8 mile racetrack in America," reopened in March after closing for renovations in 2003.
In an effort to rev up for next season, track management has applied for NASCAR to sanction weekly races at the track. Sanctioned events would allow drivers to earn points toward their overall standing.
"It could mean more drivers or fans turn up because of name recognition," said Kim Foushee, director of operations at the track.
Ginger Sellers, whose nephew, Peyton Sellers, races at tracks throughout the country, said she's noticed the track's improvements.
"We enjoy this track," she said. "He was rookie of the year here."
Speedway races range from local events with $5,000 cars to national events with $100,000 cars. The season lasts from March to November.
"As with any new business, we've learned the biggest thing is developing a budget," Foushee said. "We won't get rich the first year, but the first year has been good."
Track owner Vance Agee said they sell 2,200 to 2,300 tickets per race and usually have 60 or 70 cars in the infield.
"We've got a good fan base, but It's not as big as I'd like it to be," Agee said.
Foushee said some races make money, but some don't.
"People aren't here for the money," she said. "They're here because they enjoy racing and want to be a part of it. They're passionate about making this place work and continue on."
To attract more fans to the track, students and faculty with an ID from Duke University or any UNC-system school can get in for half price through September - $4 for students and $5 for faculty.
The next race is Sept. 9, and a full schedule can be found at http://www.ocstrack.com/schedule.html.
And UNC-Chapel Hill is certainly not lacking in race fans.
Junior Paige Michael-Shetley follows the Orange County Speedway races on TV and said he wants to catch a race before the season ends.
"I like short tracks because the racing there is always great," he said. "It's close. It's competitive."
He said young drivers that make it big in NASCAR usually start out at smaller tracks, giving fans a chance to watch them come up through the ranks. One such driver, Scott Riggs, began his racing career in Orange County and won fourth place in the Daytona 500 last year.
Junior Blair Hunter said that he would like to go to the speedway, but that the track is underpublicized.
To him, races are a social event.
"It's really about more than just the cars," he said. "It's about all the people getting together. It's like football tailgating; everyone gets there early."
Fans at Saturday's race ranged from infants to seasoned fans. Some were there to support family, and others showed up to satisfy their need for speed.
"Imagine being on I-40 with a bunch of other people and no speed limit," Foushee said. "It's just fun.
"This track has heart."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(08/25/06 4:00am)
Late-night food quests no longer will be limited to venues such as Time-Out, Cosmic Cantina or Qdoba Mexican Grill.
A new restaurant recently added to the Franklin Street repertoire promises to eliminate unexpected hunger pangs in the wee hours of the night.
Joe's Joint, a collaboration between the owner of Bandido's Mexican Cafe and the manager of the grill at Sutton's Drug Store, likely will open Sept. 10.
It will occupy the old Burrito Bunker space behind Amber Alley near the Wallace Parking Deck.
The idea came about because the same landlord owns all three spaces.
When the Burrito Bunker closed, the landlord offered the spot to Tony Sustaita, the owner of Bandido's, and Don Pinney, manager of the grill at Sutton's.
The new restaurant will serve what Sustaita described as "munchy comfort food" - the best of Sutton's, including hamburgers and hot dogs, as well as some of the top sellers from Bandido's such as burritos, nachos and Cuban sandwiches.
The restaurant likely will stay open until 3 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday and close at 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. It will be closed on Sundays.
"We always wanted to do late-night here, but we just can't," Pinney said. "It will be the same food they have here, but at night. Nothing at Sutton's will change."
Joe's Joint will open for lunch at 11 a.m. every day except Sunday, but with a different cuisine.
"With a name like Joe's Joint, we can pretty much serve anything," Sustaita said. "We talked to people on Franklin Street and they said they wanted something besides a sandwich shop. They said they wanted something like a meat and two veggies."
Sustaita and Pinney plan to hire a chef specializing in Southern cooking to give the people what they want - and at a cheap price. They say lunch plates will run about $4.
"Since we're in that alley, the way we'll attract people, besides the food being good, is that it's very low-priced," Sustaita said.
Potential customers might also be attracted to a delivery option through Tar Heel Takeout Express or the possibility that the food will be served at select bars.
The owners of Joe's Joint said they hope to put menus at bars, so people can place orders with the bartender and have the food delivered to them at the bar.
"We're working with the bars that don't have kitchens in town," Sustaita said.
"We have three or four deals in the works. They're being receptive to us. It's really a win-win situation."
Steve Woodham, owner of Players nightclub, said he's been in conversation with Sustaita and Pinney about serving their food and will make a more concrete decision after looking at a finalized menu.
"We haven't really ironed everything out," he said. "When we open up early for a football game, a lot of times people are eating in here anyway, ordering pizza and stuff.
"We might as well have their menus up so they can run the food up the back stairs."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(08/24/06 4:00am)
While walking from one fraternity house to another along East Franklin Street on Tuesday night, sophomore Alison Bolick was arrested on charges of underage possession of a malt beverage.
"I had a beer in my hand, and the cop was just like, 'Hey little girl, come here'," she said.
With students returning, charges such as Bolick's increase.
To deal with students' return, Maj. Brian Curran said the Chapel Hill Police Department puts extra foot-patrol officers downtown and restricts vacation days for officers.
"Undoubtedly this is a busy time for this," he said. "Many people are on their own for the first time, and there's pressure from peers."
Curran said officers focus on downtown but also respond to calls, mostly noise complaints.
Bolick said she was surprised to see officers patrolling so heavily and had mixed feelings about the arrest.
"I think there's a bunch of people underage drinking," she said. "I don't think at certain points they should be less strict."
Curran said the department is constantly shifting resources to accommodate different needs.
"It's pretty much like this every year," he said. "Kids don't change all that much. They come to college with the same expectations."
Officers run compliance checks at bars and grocery stores and N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement officers run checks at bars and nightclubs in Chapel Hill. During the main drinking hours, agents watch to make sure bartenders check IDs.
The ALE also sponsors a training course on how to identify fake IDs and recognize someone who's been drinking excessively.
Lauren Wilson, an ALE agent who patrols Chapel Hill, said she checks in on bars at a steady pace throughout the year.
"This is prime time for arrests for underage drinking, but we still enforce all year," she said.
Wilson would not disclose where or when she usually patrols, but Jeff Lasater, ALE's Raleigh district supervisor, said agents tend to go places that historically have sold to underage people.
Several minors were arrested last weekend at 300 W. Rosemary St., the address of Pantana Bob's. Manager Chris Blindenbacher said he's increased security to watch for people trying to sneak in.
"I believe the ALE does crack down on us at the beginning of the year," Blindenbacher said. "They came in here to check IDs a couple of nights ago."
And last weekend might only be the beginning.
"We weren't really worried about last weekend because parents were still here," Curran said. "This weekend will be different. People have a few classes under their belt but realize they don't have any homework yet."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(08/24/06 4:00am)
Athletes at rival high schools Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill now have even more incentive to play their best in head-to-head matches.
The winner will not only have bragging rights and a conference win but also the Top of the Hill Cup.
Scott Maitland, owner of Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery, came up with the idea to increase interest in high school sports.
In high school Maitland played water polo and was on the swim team, sports he said don't usually get enough attention.
"It struck me as a really good way to get people excited about all high school sports in Chapel Hill," he said.
Twenty-one sports will compete throughout the year.
Each time the two schools compete, the winning school will get one point added to a running tally and two points for football, men's basketball and women's basketball.
Top of the Hill is co-sponsoring the competition with WCHL-AM 1360. The station will announce score updates on the radio and post a running point tally online.
At the end of the academic year, one school will win the trophy.
The athletic directors at both high schools said student athletes might not get enough attention from residents of Chapel Hill.
"I think it's a great way to boost enthusiasm and visibility for high school sports in an area where University sports usually dominate," said Ray Hartsfield, athletic director at East Chapel Hill High.
Jeff Hamlin, the sports director at WCHL, said the station hopes the cup becomes a lasting tradition.
A girls tennis match that rained out earlier this week would have been the matchup. The next event is the Chapel Hill Volleyball Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Chapel Hill High.
Ronnie Hayes, athletic director at Chapel Hill High, said it's good to include sports besides football and basketball.
"You need something for the non-revenue sports," he said. "It gives those kids and coaches a chance to feel they contributed to beating East."
Joe Kovens, a rising senior at East Chapel Hill High and a former football player, said the cup will emphasize an already exciting rivalry.
Games against Chapel Hill High have a different feel than other competitions, he said.
"The intensity is definitely a whole other level," he said. "There's a lot more pressure because there's a bigger crowd and a lot more talk beforehand. Also, it's common that it's one of your friends across the court."
Hartsfield and Hayes agreed that the long-standing rivalry intensified when East Chapel Hill High was moved into the 4-A classification from 3-A, making the two schools conference opponents.
"It's a rivalry that is growing in intensity," Hayes said. "If East and Chapel Hill were playing marbles, it would be intense."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(08/23/06 4:00am)
A chain-link fence keeps passersby a safe distance from the drills and hammers gutting what used to be The Village Apartments on 213 E. Franklin St.
The 35-unit apartment complex, originally constructed in 1937, will be transformed into The Condominiums at McCorkle Place, an 8-unit development. Three units are still for sale.
"It clearly seemed the highest and best use of the property," owner Joe Patterson said.
Renovations include new plumbing, wiring and heating systems, and new kitchens.
The original window placement on the outside of the building was kept.
"They're upscale in terms of finish, but the original hardwood floors from the Pisgah National Forest were kept," said Kelley Hunter, one of the real-estate agents listing the condos.
Hunter predicted a move-in date sometime in late November.
But a different crowd will be moving in than the students who once occupied the small, one-room apartments - some of which even had Murphy beds that folded out of the wall.
Families and older individuals looking for a downtown setting have paid between $899,000 and $1.5 million for the three-bedroom units.
One smaller unit, designed for a concierge, sold for less.
"People like the location, and most have some tie to UNC - maybe they went there or still work there," Hunter said. "Also, at least two people said how much they liked the urban feel."
Andrew Sims, a student who lived at the apartments two years ago, said mostly older, more low-key students who didn't have many parties lived in the old apartments.
"There weren't any normal college pranks or anything," he said. "The area will probably still feel the same."
Sims also said he doesn't think many students would have been able to afford the old apartments much longer with downtown property prices increasing.
"It was really expensive to live there," he said. "You're just paying for location. It probably just got too expensive."
Patterson said he hasn't received any complaints about the renovations from students or otherwise, saying, "We trust it will improve the viability of some new downtown businesses."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.