Age: 40
Neighborhood: Highlands
Family: Husband, Randolph; daughters, Lara & Courtney; cat, Fred
Profession/Business: Pastry Chef, La Residence; Local Business Owner, Sugarland, Chapel Hill
Education & Experience: President, Orange County Democratic Women; founding member, Texas Abortion Access Network; media strategist, Bill Clinton for President 1992; media relations mgr., Ann Richards for Governor 1994; Bill Bradley Campaign 2000; John Edwards Iowa Primary staff 2004; BFA, Northwestern University; Diplome D’Etudes Culinaire- La Varenne Villecien, France
What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
I have several goals that I believe can be accomplished during the next four years. The first is to put commercial zoning on the ground and eliminate the floating zoning that has yielded unchecked residential growth in North Carrboro. The second is to develop a transportation plan to improve transit, traffic and walkability throughout Carrboro, but especially in the Old Fayetteville/Homestead Rd corridor. The third and most important goal is to aggressively pursue true economic development in Carrboro via a dual strategy of nurturing our own homegrown entrepreneurs while recruiting socially responsible, Carrboro-friendly businesses from around the country.
What are the top two or three critical issues facing Carrboro?
Carrboro’s greatest challenge is the ever-increasing burden placed on homeowners due to a lack of economic development. The imbalance created by the unchecked residential growth in Carrboro over the last ten years threatens everything that we love about Carrboro. It is economically and ecologically imprudent and unsustainable to continue on our current path.
We need to target and recruit new businesses to Carrboro that can pay what it costs to live in Carrboro. A recent Chamber of Commerce study tells us that over 40% of Carrboro/Chapel Hill residents drive out of town everyday to go to work and 70% of us leave town once a week to shop. We need to better serve local business owners by increasing parking downtown and create new space for commercial growth. We need to seriously pursue a general merchandiser (I prefer Costco) to come to North Carrboro. One general retailer would provide the same tax benefit as 70 small businesses and provide town residents with basic daily needs without driving to Durham. The same residents in Carrboro that need affordable housing need affordable socks and underwear.
All of the things we would like to provide to our town — like better trails and greenways, sidewalks and more transit routes through town — are costly, and we need to develop our non-residential tax base to be able to provide them without increasing the tax burden on our residents.
What have you learned about our town in the campaign?
I have learned that most Carrboro residents have the same concerns. They want safe neighborhoods and good schools. They want to support our local artists and love the music festival and the Farmers’ Market. However, they want local government to protect their quality of life. Every parent expressed concerns about overcrowding and constant redistricting in schools due to too many new houses being built at breakneck speed. I heard over and over again that people are afraid they won’t be able to afford to stay in Carrboro when they retire. I heard over and over again that Carrburbans love Carrboro and don’t want it to lose its small-town feel.