Chapel Hill is a wonderful corner of the Triangle, filled to the brim with culture, fantastic food, and beautiful homes. But what if we told you there’s a development project in the works to better this lovely town?
West Rosemary Street Development Project Information
Overall, the project is going to create a “commercial and economic development vision for the West Rosemary Street area. The vision hopes to be practical from a marketing perspective and consistent with the vision of the Northside Neighborhood Conservation District”, according to the Development Guide.
The Development Guide offers parameters for commercial and economic development that’s aligned with the Northside Neighborhood Conservation District. By encouraging the diverse community to work together, the town of Chapel Hill hopes to create not only a better community, but a forward thinking and progressive downtown.
After months of work, drafts of the Development Guide are ready to be proposed to the Chapel Hill Town Council. The proposal includes the range of the community benefits, which are huge!
The Most Recent Draft of the Proposal
Firstly, the proposal includes solutions to community-based issues such as the maintenance of storm water drainage, adequacy of street lighting, condition of sidewalks, and other various community projects. The proposal then heads in a different direction, outlining how the project will encourage and welcome local as well as minority-owned businesses. West Rosemary Street Development Guide defines how they will welcome small businesses by creating shared office spaces which reinforce the small scale character of Chapel Hill.
Affordable housing, proposed by the Development Guide, will restrict some student housing. Housing may be limited to renters 21 years and above. Alongside this, the town will evaluate policies that may act as barriers in affordable housing, such as development fees. Home-ownership is outlined, too. The project indicates usage of town-owned land in order to develop new homes, and provide sponsorship for new home creation.
The project will also begin a campaign to highlight the cultural identity of the “corridor”. A cultural center location will be determined, and a Cultural Resource Plan will be developed in order to preserve the cultural identity of the area.
Building the West Rosemary Street Development Corridor
There are several suggested steps to implement the West Rosemary Street Development Guide. These suggested steps are mainly under the responsibility of the Town of Chapel Hill.
First, on the implementation agenda, is creating a cultural resources plan. Following the plan comes considerable studies to understand the West Rosemary Street corridor better. Studies might include Residential Permit Parking study, or Franklin Street Connectors. Then the Town will begin to work within zoning. A Community Benefits Agreement will be created, too. This is in order to bring together the “community benefits” discussed earlier within the Development Guide.
The implementation plan will conclude with traffic and safety improvements, street lighting, and other associated improvement projects. Additional private and public development projects will be encouraged, too.
For more information about the implementation of the West Rosemary Street Development Plan, click here.
Interested in Learning More?
There are many resources you can turn to if you’d like more information on the West Rosemary Street Development Guide. You can contact Jay Heikes, Development Planner (919)-969-5082 or [email protected] . The other resources below can also be of use in learning more about this project:
- Northside Neighborhood Conservation District
- Town of Chapel Hill West Rosemary Street Development Guide
- Downtown Chapel Hill
There are a number of neighborhoods, communities, and subdivisions located in Chapel Hill, surrounding downtown and West Rosemary Street.
If you are interested in learning about the neighborhoods surrounding downtown Chapel Hill and other properties in the greater Triangle area, visit us online. Call us today at 919-813-6449 or e-mail us at
[email protected] for additional information. We can’t wait to welcome you to your new home.