Wednesday night marked the last business meeting of the year for the Chapel Hill Town Council. But there were no lame ducks in sight as the council voted on two different proposals for two 150-foot buildings downtown.
The council denied the first—a 12-story luxury condo tower—and approved the second—a wet lab that was a litmus test for opinions on development in the recent mayoral and council elections.
Since a majority of council members will be back in January, the tale of two proposals gave a preview of the year to come. The denial of the residential tower showed that while the pro-growth faction won a mandate for “Moving Chapel Hill Forward,” even the most development-friendly members were hesitant to cross some lines on setbacks, height, and transitions on a lot next to the historic district.
The meeting brought out what may have been the most bizarre community crossover of the year, as Dungeons & Dragons nerds joined forces with sorority sisters to speak against the plan for the 157-foot building at 157 East Rosemary Street.
The current building at that address, which would be demolished to make way for the tower, is home to the Gathering Place, a self-described nerd bar with a love of fantastical card and board games. The development would also cast a shadow over the next-door UNC-Chapel Hill Phi Mu sorority house and apparently ruin the charm of their private patio.
Most council members liked the design of the building but were uncomfortable with such a tall structure on a small (one-third of an acre) lot that borders the historical district.
“If you moved this a couple blocks down Rosemary [Street] on the south side of the street, it’d be a big thumbs up for me. But I’m feeling like this is the wrong building for this place,” said council member Amy Ryan.
And while they were sympathetic to the geeks and Greeks, several members cautioned that development was probably still on its way to 157 East Rosemary.
“We do need to expect that this building is going to redevelop,” council member and Mayor-elect Jess Anderson said. She told lovers of the Gathering Place that when redevelopment happens, the town will be there to help with relocation.
Council member Camille Berry pointed out her discomfort with some of the arguments used by the predominantly-white sorority in protecting the charm of their patio and house, especially in the context of the affordable housing crisis of the town.
“Let’s be careful about holding on to charm and character,” Berry said. “Because what is charming and characteristic to one can feel very exclusive to another if you’re outside of that group. And I have to tell you, it was startling to see pictures and also to see a group here that looks very homogenous.”
Berry was the only member to vote for the proposal, which failed 7-1. Council member Tai Huyhn was absent from the meeting.
The second development proposal before council was the Longfellow building, a nine-story wet lab at 306 West Franklin Street. The Longfellow project has been pending for the past year, catching public attention because its construction would displace businesses like the Purple Bowl. In October, the Purple Bowl announced that it had found a new location on Franklin Street.
After a few design and procedural questions, the council approved the Longfellow building with a 7-1 vote.
Adam Searing, the lone dissenter, unsuccessfully ran for mayor this year. The Longfellow proposal was a perpetual target of critique during his campaign.
“With this project, Chapel Hill is kind of like the surfer who tries to catch a big wave and fails and gets clobbered by the next one,” Searing said on Wednesday, citing vacancy rates in wet labs in the Boston area. “While I think that this project could be something that might work, it’s in an industry that is experiencing an extreme downturn and having a large, empty building on Franklin Street is not going to create a vibrant downtown.”
For outgoing Mayor Pam Hemminger, who did not seek reelection, the Longfellow approval was a capstone of her four terms in office.
Especially in her last term, she emphasized the need to balance Chapel Hill’s commercial tax base, skewed by the presence of a large, tax-exempt, public university. She argued that a lab building would help sustain a “year-round economy” instead of relying on the nine months of student traffic.
“I really would have a hard time thinking of a better way to go out the door,” said outgoing council member Michael Parker, who also did not run for reelection.
Reach Reporter Chase Pellegrini de Paur at chase@indyweek.com. Comment on this story at backtalk@indyweek.com.
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