After several months of public agitation, the Chapel Hill Town Council voted this past Wednesday, June 21st, to pass the proposed text amendment to the town's Land Use Management that would allow duplexes and larger additional dwelling units to be built in neighborhoods currently zoned for single family structures only. Council member Adam Searing, who has been opposed to the text amendment from the beginning, and has announced his candidacy for Chapel Hill Mayor, voted against. Council members Amy Ryan and Camille Berry also surprisingly voted against the amendment, given that they had vocally supported it throughout the drafting process.
A full overview of the LUMO text amendment can be found on the Town's website.
A large number of Chapel Hill residents have been extremely distressed by the potential degradation of our neighborhoods by real estate investors who will use the zoning change to capitalize on the demand for student housing. These same residents are now mobilizing to support Town Council candidates who, like me, will do their best if elected to mitigate the negative effects of the change.