Solutions to town problems seemed so much simpler when I sat in the audience at Town Hall covering Town Council meetings for my Chapel Hill Watch blog. After I was elected and moved to the dais, I learned there are no easy answers. Running for re-election this year, I was disheartened to receive questionnaires from […]
All posts in category Parking
Too simple to understand?
Posted by Nancy Oates on August 26, 2019
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2019/08/26/too-simple-to-understand/
Next party will be better
Give us another chance. We had to make a comparatively last-minute change of venue for the fireworks that for years had been at Kenan Stadium on July 4th, and we faced a steep learning curve. When Mack Brown returned to UNC as its football coach at the end of last year, he insisted on swapping […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on July 8, 2019
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2019/07/08/next-party-will-be-better/
How old is too old?
Age discrimination reared its ugly head at last week’s Town Council meeting. And this time, because we were talking about edifices, the youngster took the hit. Staff made two proposals — the first to donate town-owned land to be used to relocate nearly century-old tiny houses to be used for affordable housing; and the second, […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on October 15, 2018
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2018/10/15/how-old-is-too-old/
What’s driving driverless cars?
As we plan for autonomous vehicles, bear in mind that the car, not the driver, causes the demand for infrastructure. At our Sept. 18 council work session, town planning director Ben Hitchings presented some futuristic ideas of the day when everyone owns, or at least uses, a driverless car. Our starry-eyed discussion focused only on […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on October 2, 2017
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/10/02/whats-driving-driverless-cars/
If we build it, they will park
We walked to our downtown E. Franklin Street church Easter morning to avoid a lengthy search for parking. The Morehead lot fills up quickly, as does Lot 2 on the corner of E. Rosemary and Columbia streets on a typical Sunday morning. Sometimes the Wallace Deck has no room, either. Bub O’Malley’s gravel lot used […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 17, 2017
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/04/17/if-we-build-it-they-will-park/
Chapel Hill’s Central Park?
Dream first; set your sights; then figure out what you have to do to get there. That philosophy has worked for me over the years, and town staff used it, too, last Saturday by hosting a charrette to find out what value taxpayers believe the 36-acre parcel we bought from the American Legion could add […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 10, 2017
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/04/10/chapel-hills-central-park/
Bargaining Power
People love to feel special. Sales agents make a living by understanding the power of “just for you”: “I don’t usually do this, but just for you, I’ll …” It closes the deal and mitigates buyer’s remorse. But “just for you” would lose its value if there were no standards or rules to push back […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on March 13, 2017
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2017/03/13/bargaining-power/
Parking — It’s not just for cars anymore
Chapel Hill’s parking problem extends beyond where to put your car when you go downtown. A truly vibrant downtown needs spots for pedestrians to park their bodies when they are fatigued or simply want to people watch or absorb the ambience. Last Tuesday, University of Kentucky Professor Ned Crankshaw came to town and shared some […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on December 5, 2016
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2016/12/05/parking-its-not-just-for-cars-anymore/
How much is that rent, really?
Trying to find an apartment in Chapel Hill affordable to your typical Chapel Hill worker takes diligence and a roommate. An apartment complex may advertise rent at one price, but by the time the management adds up all the additional mandatory fees — valet garbage pick-up, package delivery acceptance, weight room access, and Internet and […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on September 12, 2016
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2016/09/12/how-much-is-that-rent-really/
Don’t let Google be lonely
Google unveiled its new sign last week. The tasteful, illuminated logo on the Church Street side of 200 W. Franklin St. perhaps quelled fears that the town’s new sign ordinance would result in a wave of garishness overpowering our downtown’s charm. Chapel Hill has been Google’s home for the past decade, but few people knew […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on September 5, 2016
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2016/09/05/dont-let-google-be-lonely/