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South Columbia Street Annex
The application for the Columbia Street Annex was finally approved by the Chapel Hill Town Council in February 23rd, 2021. The owner and developer requested a zoning change from residential 2 to mixed use village conditional zoning district. The applicant will build a 6 story building into the western slope of South Columbia made up of 52 housing units. The proposal includes 8 units of affordable housing, less that the 15% requirement. A maximum but not a minimum one is specified for retail and office.
The location of this small lot is challenging since it is sandwiched between the Westwood neighborhood and the on ramp to the 54 west by-pass, and across the street from Merritt’s Restaurant. The corner of the restaurant and Purefoy Road is already a dangerous intersection. A perennial stream runs through the tract and parts are quite steep. The applicant wants variances in order to place buildings and parking lots within the Resource Conservation District (RCD). (The RCD was designed to protect water quality, ecology, and wildlife habitat.)
Because of the site challenges, a number of variances from town rules are requested. The most serious is that the plan calls for significant incursions into the RCD. Over 50% of the managed and upland portions of the overlay district will be disturbed. See table below..
The Town Council has the authority not to grant a rezoning request. The Town Staff informs the Council when a project plan does not meet the ordinances. However, it’s up the the elected Board, the Town Council, whether or not to allow exemptions from our town regulations.
In addition to the RCD exceptions the applicant is requesting, they are also asking for variances from our steep slopes ordinances, reductions in our landscaping standards, and even a variance from the mixed use village land use mix zone they are seeking.
Looking at the big picture, the most serious obstacles to approving the South Columbia Street Annex project are: significant incursions into the steep slopes and the Resource Conservation District which will cause significant harm when buildings and parking lots are put in these protected areas.
Public safety is compromised by a proposed driveway entrance for cars and turns will be dangerous for pedestrians in an already problematic area. (The sign that directs traffic on the pedestrian island is regularly flattened by passing automobiles.)
The scale and massive appearance of the building is not compatible to the ambient character of southern Chapel Hill — specifically the old college homes in Westwood, the historic Purefoy neighborhood, or the newer village feel of Southern Village.
NC DOT has not yet weighed into a long-term transportation solution for this area and any rezoning here will limit future solutions. Applicants often select mixed use but the retail and office components are seldom achieved and the town loses out in gaining the commercial tax base.
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Town page:
https://www.townofchapelhill.org/government/departments-services/planning/development-activity-report/columbia-street-annex-2017