Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt is scheduled to moderate a panel discussion on bullying, following the screening of the documentary “Bully” at East Chapel Hill High School on Oct. 13. As Town Council doesn’t meet that Monday night, I hope many council members will attend. After watching recent Town Council public hearings, particularly on the controversial Ephesus-Fordham […]
Bully pulpit
Posted by Nancy Oates on October 6, 2014
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/10/06/bully-pulpit/
Downside of up-zoning
I give credit to Arctic explorer Robert Peary for words that have been guiding principles in my life: “Find a way, or make one,” and, more frequently, “Do it now.” So I share the impatience of many residents of Rogers Road who want water and sewer service extended to that area, like we promised we’d […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on September 29, 2014
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/09/29/downside-of-up-zoning/
Courtyards dissed
What do some members of Town Council have against the 20 percent of Chapel Hill residents who are at least 55 years old? Last Monday night, the developers of Courtyards at Homestead presented their proposal for an age-restricted community of 63 moderately priced one-level cottages clustered on 18 acres that back up to Carolina North […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on September 22, 2014
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/09/22/courtyards-dissed/
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
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/09/15/safety-or-spin/
Who wins?
You can’t make this stuff up. The Urban Land Institute of the Triangle lists Timber Hollow Apartments as a nominee to win an award for affordable housing. Ron Strom of Blue Heron Asset Management self-nominated his project, which Blue Heron sold to Eller Capital (after pocketing nearly $6 million profit from his $12.6 million investment […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on September 8, 2014
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/09/08/who-wins/
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
https://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
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/08/25/dhic-project-doa-for-now/
Real estate sales 8/11/14-8/15/14
Sean Michael and Heather Dawn Delaney bought 100 Brighton Court from Joseph Rickard and Gloria Beissinger for $490,000. Mao Mao bought 111 Vintage Drive from Robert L. and Virginia W. Gilliam for $296,500. Zili Zhang and Yong Peng bought 103 Dairy Court from Guy and Rhonda Dear for $400,000. Taylor T. Ra and Yu Yu […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on August 22, 2014
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/08/22/real-estate-sales-81114-81514/
Section 8 crisis
The old joke goes that former first lady Nancy Reagan followed up her “Just Say No” drug abuse prevention program by tackling homelessness, with “Just Get a House.” Making decent housing available to people even in the lowest socio-economic categories has no simple solutions. Earlier this month the mayors of Chapel Hill and Carrboro staged […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on August 18, 2014
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/08/18/section-8-crisis/
Real estate sales 8/4/14-8/8/14
Yugen Zhang and Qingling Chen bought 106B Duncan Court from Yng Hae Chung and Hoon Lee for $174,000. Scott D. and Ruth Ewing Berkowitz bought 616 Woodgate Drive from Donald M. and Reina S. Weiner for $178,000. David and Alexandra Sheaves bought 8708 Snipes Farm Road from Joseph E. Phillips for $210,000. Ryan Kilpatrick and […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on August 15, 2014
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2014/08/15/real-estate-sales-8414-8814/