Development

Stavros Garantziotis, Chair

Ann Schaal

Danny Benjamin

Charge: The purpose of this Committee is to facilitate and coordinate communication of the Board with outside entities (such as community, commercial and non-profit) involved in residential developments that may impact CG home owners’ health, safety, welfare and property.

Members (alphabetical order): Danny Benjamin, Stavros Garantziotis, Ann Schaal

The CGHOA has several environmental and health-related points of concern regarding current version of proposed development, as outlined below:

  • Light & Sound Corridors

The concept plan shows 13 separate parking areas and one long street that face the rear yards of the 18 contiguous properties. Although in some cases there will be partial shielding by trees, these homes will still be confronted throughout the night with headlights shining into back bedrooms, or onto their back decks as they are trying to enjoy their back yards. There is also a concern that this will create “noise corridors” from the removal of trees and the channeling of sound similar to a megaphone.

  • We ask that you modify the design to block these corridors with buildings, walls or similar barriers.

 

  • Drainage Easement from Amesbury

Several lots along Sweeten Creek Rd. and Amesbury Dr. drain stormwater that flows through a series of culverts under Ginger Rd., across the Potted Plant property, and eventually feeding the perennial stream on the Southeast corner of the same property. The concept plan crowds the current path of the ephemeral stream with parking lots, and has a road, trail head and triplex on top of the intermittent portion of the stream (or its riparian buffer).

  • We ask that you preserve the surface flows that have existed for 30 years in the ephemeral, and that you observe proper RCD setbacks from the intermittent and perennial portions of the stream.

 

  • Stormwater Basins Adjacent to Yukon Ln. Lots

The concept plan places stormwater basins along the East side of the development directly on the lot line. Even though they should be designed for a 100-year event, many municipalities require that basins are set back at least 25 feet to prevent flooding of the contiguous property. Since there is a gentle downward slope, any flooding would not affect just the yards, but would also potentially flood the homes. This is also a safety concern for children and pets.

  • We ask that you move the basins to the other side of the 50-foot buffer, and that you provide adequate safety barriers.

 

  • Surface and Ground Water Protection

Four contiguous properties neighboring the stream in the Southeast corner have yard drainage issues and water under the house due to a high water-table and downhill flows from the current Potted Plant property.  The stream flows between two of the contiguous properties, under Sweeten Creek Rd. and then past the Chandler’s Green playground and past six additional Chandler’s Green properties. The stream flows on past East Chapel Hill High School, Silver Creek and under Perry Creek Rd. Erosion from this stream undermined the culvert under Perry Creek Rd. and caused the recent closure of the road while it was repaired. We are concerned that any increase in the water flow or water table height would create health and safety issues for the contiguous homes or the downstream properties and roadways.

  • We ask that extra care is taken in the design of storm water systems at the Southeastern edge, and that extra measures are taken to fully capture stormwater flows from any Southward exposed streets and parking lots.

 

  • Amesbury Dr. Cut-through

Although the current concept does not show a cut-through to Amesbury Dr., there is an expectation that the Town may require it. Of note, the CGHOA supported the connection between the neighborhoods in the concept plan approved in 2008, because the developer agreed to a parking and width of road plan consistent with the current neighborhood. This included following key components:

  1. No on-street parking. This is required in Chandler’s Green and should be required in the new development;
  2. Streets that safely allow emergency vehicles and traffic flow in the new neighborhood. These streets should be consistent with the width in the existing neighborhood. If the new neighborhood has narrow streets and/or on-street parking (as currently proposed), traffic will cut through the current neighborhood to access the new neighborhood. This will put the children in the existing neighborhood at risk from cut-through traffic
  • We would expect that the new development adheres to the roadway standards of the current neighborhood, which is not the case in the proposed plan. If the cut-through does occur, we ask that the road remain closed until the development is complete, to prevent construction traffic through an already established neighborhood.

 

  • New Utility Easements

More than half of the development in the concept plan is 30 feet lower than the entrance at Sunrise Rd. to the West. The property is land-locked by I-40 to the North and Chandler’s Green to the South and East. This creates obvious challenges for managed underground storm-water systems and for sanitary sewage systems. The choice is to pump all waters up 30 feet to the exit at Sunrise Rd., or to build systems across the Chandlers Green Properties. There is a drainage easement for surface water put in place to preserve the stream that existed prior to the Chandler’s Green development. Any other conveyances are subject to HOA control, which has a covenant interest in the properties. Obviously, the Town can create easements retroactively by eminent domain and with fair compensation. The most efficient location for these services within the riparian buffer is under State control by appeal.

  • We ask that you work with us to ensure that any utility easements protect homeowner safety and the environment, and fairly compensates property interest holders for any loss in value.

 

  • Traffic

With the current development’s proposed housing density (>250 units), we expect >500 cars added to the neighborhood (the typical US household has 2 or more cars https://www.statista. com/ statistics/551403/number-of-vehicles-per-household-in-the-united-states/) and thus >2000 trips each day. This may be greater than 100% of capacity at peak morning and evening flow times.

  • We ask that you provide a traffic study demonstrating how this increase in traffic density would be ameliorated.

 

  • Zoning

When the current neighborhood was developed, this area was zoned R-1/R-2. In the 2003 Town Council meetings, the town staff and Town Council recommended that the developing property in question remain R-2 (https://townhall.townofchapelhill.org/agendas/2007/01/17/3/2003-05-12_r4.1.htm). Notably, this area does not have the amenities that accompany a typical higher-density zoning district, e.g. walking distance to shopping, work, recreation and arts venues, like comparable local districts (Downtown Chapel Hill and Trinity Park of Durham).

  • We ask that the zoning remain as it is currently. We wish to stress, that the CGHOA had agreed to a previous development plan presented by the HHOC, at the current zoning density. The proposed change in zoning density was never communicated to us and represents a radical departure from previously mutually agreed-to housing developments.

 

  • Noise

The proposed clear-cut of several acres of trees for the new development will remove a natural noise buffer. This, combined with the proposed widening of I-40 exactly adjacent to the proposed development and the fact that I-40 traffic is now greater than it was during the last noise study, suggests that the residents of both this neighborhood, and the proposed new neighborhood may be exposed to unacceptably high levels of noise pollution.

  • We ask that a new noise study is undertaken, which takes into account projected traffic levels after I-40 widening, and proposes remediation steps to address unhealthy noise pollution.