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 It is apparent that there is a majority on the Town Council ready to approve the Aura permit despite the big problems community members have identified. Estes Neighbors and so many like minded people in town believe what amounts to another high rent apartment complex with lots of cars (650) and concrete is the last type of development the Town needs.
If the Town had followed its own Central West Plan, neighbors would have greeted with excitement a new development for this important Estes Drive/MLK Jr. corner: Imagine what 175 town homes with tree lined streets and generous buffers would have added to our Town. Instead, the town is signing on to a 15 acre heat island that is glaringly out of context to its surroundings.
Through the meetings with council members, what struck residents forcefully was the degree to which council members were more concerned about the interests and welfare of the Texas developer, than the interests of Chapel Hill residents living here now. Few modifications were made to address the concerns of neighbors. Major unaddressed issues remain:
- No traffic plan for Estes Drive to serve future properties;
- No commitment for a traffic signal for Somerset Drive;
- No reduction in number of parking places (650);
- Unaddressed: need for home owner housing;
- Missing retail to create community amenities for residents and neighbors;
- High % impervious surfaces not appreciably reduced;
- Buffer widths not sufficient to provide a green vegetative buffer to help stormwater infiltration and provide shade;
- Dangerous 3 lane full access Estes Drive entrance will cause future accidents.
On June 16, the Town Council voted 5 – 3 in favor of the Aura permit. For a rezoning, the law requires a super majority or two votes with a simple majority.
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