Citizens call on Chapel Hill to hold a public search for a better site

No public process, no public input, and no publicly vetted site selection criteria guided this decision. The Planning Department nor the Town Council has considered responsible growth for an area already pressured by the impending development of Carolina North, the Altemueller property and a myriad of other development projects along the MLK corridor.

Key factors such as existing at-risk overnight social services, proximity to childcare, and existing crime have not been considered. Kevin Foy then Mayor of Chapel Hill, struck a deal with UNC and IFC to select this site and Duke Power sold their property to the state without putting it on the market, despite expressed interest by private landowners to create a taxable retail and office facility.

Orange County Commissioners learned from missteps when they initially had no public process to site the waste transfer station. In the end, a public process was used which allowed for public criteria, a listing of sites that met the criteria, and public discussion about the site selection. A site was selected which stopped the siting of all of our landfills and trash management in a single neighborhood.

We ask leaders of our community who may be passionately committed to helping the homeless not to overlook the public process that should guide us all. Process does not start with a special use permit for an already selected parcel of land. Standards should be developed for community wide application, a list of proposed sites throughout Orange County should be brought to the community for public discussion before any provider applies for a special use permit.

Watch the town manager describe this backroom deal where one council member is asking the basic questions that other council members don't want to see answered: