Apartment building with retail raises questions in Chapel Hill, and some suggestions
Only one person spoke during public comments Wednesday about a proposed 334-unit apartment building near shopping and restaurants in Chapel Hill’s Blue Hill district.
Donna Darragh, co-owner of Casual Pint, shared her experiences of delivery trucks parked in the street outside the Berkshire Chapel Hill building, where the pub faces the proposed Aura South Elliott project at 200 S. Elliott Road.
She’s seen pedestrians in near-miss crashes on the winding road, hot and gusty days that make relaxing outside the pub difficult, and she fears construction will bring noise, dirt and dust.
“I worry that people will choose to go to other establishments once they realize the disruption that is on our patio,” Darragh said. “I’m highly concerned about losing business.”
Texas-based developer Trinsic Residential Group wants to build 334 apartments and 18,562 square feet of leasing and commercial space on four acres. The property is currently home to Extraordinary Ventures and mostly wooded, but many trees would be removed.
The Town Council gave the project a positive reception, despite questions. Aura South Elliott is in the Blue Hill District but needs council approval, because it’s not subject to the form-based code that regulates buildings there.
A second public hearing will be held Feb. 12.
What did the council say?
Council members spent a lot of time talking about traffic, connections and whether Couch Road, which starts at East Franklin Street. should be extended through the property to Elliott Road.
Council member Adam Searing said he was disappointed to see a bike-pedestrian connection instead, given the importance of having multiple transportation routes.
Council member Camille Berry said she worries about the additional traffic without Couch Road and delivery trucks parked on South Elliott Road, making it more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.
The developer said extending the road would make the project financially impossible. It would divide the buildings, reduce the number of acres for housing and retail, and make parking more difficult, said Jessica Hardesty, land planner at McAdams.
Other council comments:
▪ Elizabeth Sharp: There’s already a lot of commercial space in the area, she said, lobbying for a mix of housing, instead of apartment buildings. Trees taller than 10 to 15 feet would “help (the buildings) feel more human scale and mitigate” the tree loss, she said.
Justin Brown, Trinsic’s development director, declined to elaborate about potential retail tenants and how they could fit into the neighborhood. Retail is not cheap to build, and the intent is to fill the space with successful tenants, he said.
“It’s not lost on me that we’re replacing Extraordinary Ventures. Our team is going to be very selective,” Brown said.
▪ Paris Miller-Foushee: Density is needed and appropriate at the site, she said. She also asked for 15% affordable apartments, instead of 10%.
▪ Karen Stegman: If only 10% of the housing will be less expensive, then she would like to see all of it priced for households earning 65% or less of the area median income. Retail will succeed at that location, and the connectivity is also good, she said.
▪ Melissa McCullough: She suggested reducing the amount of retail to add more affordable housing, and offered support for the bike-pedestrian connection and more E-bike chargers, in addition to EV chargers. More trees for shade and in the stormwater area would create a nice amenity, she said.
▪ Jess Anderson: Chapel Hill’s mayor said she would be excited about the road, but understood why it won’t work. The greenway will “be a great amenity,” she said. Anderson was also “really excited” about the potential retail, and supported more shade trees and more housing at a lower cost.
Aura South Elliott project details
This is Trinsic Residential Group’s third Aura project proposed for Chapel Hill. The first, Aura Chapel Hill, is under construction at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Estes Drive. A second, Aura Blue Hill, is nearing construction on Fordham Boulevard.
▪ Location: 4 acres at 200 S. Elliott Road
▪ What’s there: Extraordinary Ventures and two wooded lots
▪ What’s planned: Six stories at the street, stepping down to five stories (up to 65 feet tall), with 335 apartments, 11,375 square feet of retail, and 7,187 square feet of leasing and amenities, with a pool, courtyards and a parking deck.
▪ Affordable housing: 10% of the apartments are proposed. Half serving individuals and families earning up to 65% of the town’s area median income, and half serving up to 80% of the AMI. That’s up to $59,360 a year for an individual or $76,320 for a family of three.
▪ Transportation: Drivers would access a 391-space parking deck from the private road between Elliott Road and Signature HealthCare on East Franklin Street. A shorter, less-busy path down Couch Road could be an optional route for pedestrians and cyclists between University Mall, East Franklin and Elliott Road. The site also is near multiple bus routes.
