Last month, Chapel Hill’s town council continued the slow march toward fulfilling its lofty—and necessary—affordable housing goals.
The council unanimously voted to approve Longleaf Trace, a three-story, 48-unit development on three acres near the former American Legion property at 1708 and 1712 Legion Road.
The development will be entirely reserved for people 55 and older and is considered affordable, as determined by the area median income. Dustin Mills, president of Taft-Mills Group, told the council that for a family of two the income limit would be roughly $48,000. Taft-Mills Group is also currently partnering with the town and the local nonprofit Community Home Trust to build affordable housing on Jay Street. Community Home Trust is also a partner in the Legion Road project.
Mills said conversations with the nearby Turnberry Lane Homeowners Association pushed them toward a 55-and-older community, because the building will use a smaller footprint than family-sized units would. This will leave about a third of the property, closest to the existing single-family homes on Clover Drive, undisturbed. Mills emphasized that the area is ideal for an aging community because of its easy access to transit, bike lanes, and grocery stores.
The lot is adjacent to the town’s 36-acre Legion Road property, which has been debated as the site of a future park and more affordable housing.
The council’s main concerns were about stormwater management. Council member Adam Searing pointed to the Hamlin Park condominiums as an example of an affordable development experiencing flooding problems, and council member Melissa McCullough added that those problems came about because “development took place for generations without any cognizance to what they were causing in the way of stormwater problems.”
Mills reassured the council that this development will not cause more water to flow off the site.
“Well, that’s our town standard,” responded Mayor Jess Anderson. “That’s nonnegotiable,”
Council members Camille Berry and McCullough, both of whom noted that they are over 55 years, asked about e-bike charging stations to support that transit option. Mills said it was under consideration.
Residents who showed up to give public comments thanked the developer for work with nearby communities and asked that they continue to engage through the process.
The approval comes on the heels of the town’s affordable development plan and investment strategy, approved last year, and in the midst of conversations about a possible bond, which would include money for affordable housing, on the ballot in November.
The affordable housing plan found that the town is “in an affordable housing crisis” and “at a pivotal moment to address” it. Last year, the town approved St. Paul Village, a 350-unit development (including around 90 affordable units and 100 for seniors) on Rogers Road. While Longleaf Trace is much smaller, it’s another step toward the town’s goals.
Council member Paris Miller-Foushee applauded the council’s streamlined approval process, which allows projects like this to be approved in a single meeting rather than stretching over several months.
“I was almost in tears when I saw 100 percent affordable housing and at the age that you all are targeting,” Miller-Foushee said.
“This is a great project,” said council member Karen Stegman. “We need it, we need it yesterday, we need it last year.”
Reach Reporter Chase Pellegrini de Paur at chase@indyweek.com. Comment on this story at backtalk@indyweek.com.
