Raleigh developer plans more housing in hot spot on Chapel Hill’s Durham border
The next housing development in eastern Chapel Hill could add public spaces and expand a growing street and greenway network just over the Durham County line, a developer says.
ZOM Living’s plan for 11 White Oak shows 394 apartments and flats and six townhouses in three- to five-story buildings on White Oak Drive and Old Chapel Hill Road.
The proposal is slightly larger than a concept plan the Chapel Hill Town Council reviewed in June, which had 350 apartments and townhouses in up to a dozen four- andto five-story buildings.
The plan would preserve a wooded stream buffer that bisects the site. A historic country store would be moved to a recreational area on the western side of the property to become a clubhouse or other amenity.
The plan would also add greenway and road connections to Meridian Lakeview to the north, Chapel Hill Crossing to the east, and Old Chapel Hill Road and a future project to the south. Raleigh-based ZOM Living and other developers have collaborated with each other and town staff on a more cohesive plan for the newly created Parkline Village East district.
The council would have to rezone the site to allow more dense development. A date for that review has not been set.
Parkline East Village growing
The council created Parkline East Village in 2022 to test the town’s new Complete Community strategy for creating largely self-contained, dense neighborhoods where residents can get around without a car.
The White Oak project adds more housing in an area designated for future growth, but it does not include any retail or employment opportunities, similar to the Meridian Lakeview and Chapel Hill Crossing projects approved last year.
A concept plan for a fourth project, East Lakeview, also emphasizes housing, but an official application has not yet been submitted.
Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson has downplayed concerns about what’s being built in the district, pointing instead to the street and greenway networks being created to Wegmans in the west and shopping to the east, to existing neighborhoods and to The Parkline office building and UNC Health’s Eastowne campus along U.S. 15-501.
Commercial projects could be added when market demand, bank financing and residential density areis there to support shops and restaurants, Anderson has said.
Jessie Hardesty, a project planner with McAdams, said the greenway across the White Oak site could end at a pond before reaching East Lakeview Drive, but branches off that trail could take pedestrians to Meridian, East Lakeview and points beyond.
The recreational area surrounding the greenway would be on private property, but town staff has asked for public easements, she said. The town’s Complete Community plan calls for new construction to include greenways that are part of a more comprehensive transportation network.
White Oak project details
▪ Location: 11.7 acres at 11 White Oak Drive
▪ Developer: ZOM Living, Raleigh
▪ What’s there now: A few older homes, but mostly woods
▪ What’s proposed: 394 apartments and flats and six townhouses in three- to five-story buildings.
▪ Affordable housing: At least 10% of the housing — up to 40 units — could be leased at a rate affordable to residents earning up to 80% of the area median income. That’s up to $59,360 a year for an individual or $84,720 for a four-person family.
▪ Amenities: Small parks, courtyards and gathering spaces, dog park, two pools, clubhouses and greenways.
▪ Transportation: The site is on a bus line and within walking distance of shopping and other bus lines. It would have driveway access to Meridian Lakeview, Chapel Hill Crossing and Old Durham Road.
