Growth has proved a hot topic in the discussions in the local blogsphere recently. Participants have divided into two camps. One side believes that all growth is good and that new development of any kind will make money for the town and thus lower residential property taxes. The other side believes only nonresidential property is […]
All posts in category Town staff
Talk, hear, act
Posted by Nancy Oates on March 2, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/03/02/talk-hear-act/
The price of doing right
Art Pope tried to buy his way into the university and failed. So Pope, the Dick Cheney of the McCrory administration, took another tack: He pressed the N.C. General Assembly, which has appointed several Republican cronies to the UNC System Board of Governors, to push out the system president, a man revered for his integrity, […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on January 19, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/01/19/the-price-of-doing-right/
Roj Mahal
On Thursday, town manager Roger Stancil stamped his approval to Village Plaza Apartments, thus setting in motion what one wag refers to as “Roj Mahal.” Historically, Town Council has had the authority to approve or deny development. But with form-based code rezoning in the Ephesus-Fordham area, Stancil has the final say of what goes up. […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on January 12, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/01/12/roj-mahal/
New Year’s resolutions
My family won’t let me forget the time I passed up a chance to go to the movies so I could observe a Planning Commission meeting instead. Truth be told, the board meeting held greater promise of drama. But I got the message, and one of my New Year’s resolutions is to not put town […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on January 5, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/01/05/new-years-resolutions/
Council must govern
Form-based code — it’s everywhere in Chapel Hill these days. First, Town Council approved it for 190 acres in the Ephesus-Fordham area. Currently, Northwood Ravin is trying to get the same liberties offered by form-based code, though it hasn’t used the highly charged term, in its proposed mixed-use development The Edge, at the corner of […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on December 8, 2014
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/12/08/council-must-govern/
Ask a planner
This being the time of year to give thanks, I must acknowledge how grateful I am to my children, both of whom inherited their father’s lawyer gene, for the training they put me through during their teenage years. If I had not had those years of intensive practice asking laser-like questions to get to the […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on November 24, 2014
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/11/24/ask-a-planner/
Safety or spin?
In early September, eight members of the town’s communications team won national awards for two public relations pieces they produced. The City-County Communications & Marketing Association bestowed Silver Circle Awards for the “Mayors Innovation Project Video” in the category of Promotional Videos and the “CaPA How-To Guides” in the Internal Printed Publications category. The video […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on September 15, 2014
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/09/15/safety-or-spin/
Hurry up and wait
Whether you’re building a multistory apartment complex or adding a deck to your home, your budget and timetable hinge on the Inspections Department. The mayor would have us believe the SUP process is responsible for the high cost of development in Chapel Hill. Builders will tell you the cost impact of the Inspections bottleneck. The […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on September 1, 2014
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/09/01/hurry-up-and-wait/
DHIC project DOA for now
Last week, the N.C. Housing Finance Agency announced its list of tax credit winners for affordable housing projects. DHIC was not on it. Recall that Town Council had agreed to sell 8.5 acres of vacant cemetery land to DHIC for $100 if the nonprofit would build workforce and affordable senior apartments there. DHIC said it […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on August 25, 2014
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/08/25/dhic-project-doa-for-now/
Escape hatch
When Jim Ward asked Roger Stancil why renovations to Town Hall toted up to $1.2 million dollars — recall this was work that began as repairing water damage after council chambers and the ground floor of Town Hall flooded last year during a torrential downpour — Stancil said it was to remake the ground floor […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on August 4, 2014
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/08/04/escape-hatch/