Chapel Hill council reviews townhome plan. It’s the 1st since utility rules changed.
Dozens of townhomes proposed for the southern outskirts of Chapel Hill are possible because of a change last year that expanded access to public water and sewer service.
On Wednesday, the Chapel Hill Town Council reviewed Bold Development’s concept plan for 160 townhomes and a small commercial project at 1609 U.S. 15-501.
The council does not vote on concept plans, but its feedback was mostly positive.
The proposed Flintrock Knoll neighborhood is just south of Wave Road and the South Creek mixed-use neighborhood now under construction across from Southern Village. It backs up to several houses and acres of woods.
The concept plan includes a 7,200-square-foot building next to the highway for a daycare or a similar use. The three-story, for-sale townhomes would blend into the hilly landscape between two stream buffers and include garages, walking trails and a variety of green spaces.
The developer is working with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County to sell least 20 units at below-market rates, project official Dan Jewell said. Habitat typically serves homebuyers earning up to 80% of the area median income — up to $59,360 per year for an individual and $84,720 for a family of four.
The council would have to rezone the land to allow more than one house per acre.
Utilities to attract more housing
The project would not have been possible without a change that Chapel Hill and other local governments approved last year to the Water and Sewer Management, Planning and Boundary Agreement.
The amendment added 360 acres on both sides of U.S. 15-501, from the Chapel Hill town limits to the Chatham County line, to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority service area. The change was aimed at attracting developers to build lower-cost and more dense housing, including townhomes, condos and duplexes.
The land is not part of the county’s rural buffer, where water and sewer service is limited to prevent commercial sprawl and dense growth, but the change did require approval from OWASA, Chapel Hill and the other partners to the agreement: Orange County, Carrboro and Hillsborough.
Development projects proposed for the new service area would have to get council approval and could potentially be annexed into the town. The developers would have to pay to extend the water and sewer lines to their projects.
What did the council say?
Karen Stegman: “This is the kind of use that we envisioned when we extended the (water and sewer) boundaries … and I think it kind of works out in the plan’s favor that there’s so much undevelopable land, because it’s really green and so much natural area that’s really an asset to the plan.”
She suggested turning stormwater ponds into amenities. Jewell responded to a similar comment from Camile Berry later, saying there could be some greenery and seating, maybe nature trails, and some type of water feature, like a pier, deck or gazebo.
Elizabeth Sharp: She liked the day care idea and the “functional” green space throughout the project, instead of a parking lot “plopped down in the middle of the trees.”
“I really appreciate that part of it, and I also appreciate that you are thinking about ways that things may change potentially way down the road so that we can connect things, rather than having pockets of development along major highways,” Sharp said.
Adam Searing: He liked the idea of townhomes and the Habitat partnership, but questioned the need for a road stub toward the South Grove neighborhood next door, referencing an earlier discussion about whether the Aura South Elliott project in the Blue Hill District should have a second vehicle entrance.
The link to South Grove might be needed for emergency vehicle access, staff said.
Camille Berry: She suggested planning for where a future bus stop could go and emphasized stormwater pond amenities. She also asked for more information about the effect of lighting on neighbors’ dark skies.
The communal aspect of the plan is also good, she said, with “people living close together, because they will see each other.”
Melissa McCullough: She is happy to see development in the area, including owner-occupied and affordable housing, but asked for one building to be moved away from the stream buffer.
Theo Nollert: “Overall, I want to say how much I like the project,” Nollert said, adding he’s “eager to see how a robust and effective plan” for stormwater management will work in the stream buffers. The town now requires 100-year storm measures.
Jess Anderson: She’s “really excited to see townhomes in this area,” she said, noting workforce-priced housing is important and smaller units could be more affordable for working families.
She reminded staff about the need for a “well-functioning” transit and transportation network, including bus stops and greenways to the Chatham County line. She urged the developer to look at how neighbors might connect to new water and sewer extensions.
Paris Miller-Foushee: She’s “really excited” about for-sale housing and that “you are working with a great community partner” in Habitat. She also loves garages facing the roads and houses facing greenways, and thinks the daycare would be an “amazing” amenity for the community.
This story was originally published January 7, 2025 at 2:59 PM.
