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Butler hearing continued

Posted on June 26, 2008June 28, 2008 by Staff

by Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

At a public hearing Tuesday night at Town Hall, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen delved into the details of a proposed five-story condominium and commercial complex on Brewer Lane adjacent to the Libba Cotton Bike Path.

“The Butler,” which is planned for the site now occupied by Butler’s Garage at 120 Brewer Lane, would include 57 condominiums and 22,170 square feel of commercial space and a two-level parking deck. Access to the complex would be through the existing parking lot of 110 Brewer Lane, home to a Tae Kwon Do studio and small condominium complex. Under an agreement between the two property owners, the parking lot would be expanded at 110 Brewer Lane with more spaces and improved stormwater systems in addition to the access route to The Butler’s underground garage.

Representatives of project developer Downtown Urban Ventures LLC plan to complete an agreement with environmental regulators under the state’s Brownfields program. Since the property was used for decades as an automobile garage and salvage business, plans call for removal of contaminated soil at the site. Under the proposed agreement, the state will supervise and monitor the cleanup of the materials.

The new building will border the proposed 300 East Main project, which would add several new buildings to the vicinity.
After reviewing plans for the project — one in a series of residential and commercial properties planned for downtown — board of aldermen members said they’d like to see the developers go a little further to incorporate green building features into the design. Alderman Jacquie Gist suggested they explore roof gardens and solar water heating.

“I’d like to see you stretch a little more,” she said.

Alderman Joal Hall Broun said the board also would want to see a well-thought-out construction plan, especially since the site has limited access and plans call for a new sewer line under Brewer Lane.

The board voted to continue the public hearing until the aldermen return from their summer break. The next hearing is scheduled on August 26.

In other action, the board also continued until August 26 a public hearing on proposed changes to town impervious-surface rules for daycare centers. The change would clear the way for developers to apply for conditional-use permits to build a 130-seat daycare center in the Winmore neighborhood.

At Tuesday’s hearing on the matter, several members of the Camden Place neighborhood, joined by members of Friends of Bolin Creek, objected to the proposal, saying the center would actually be closer to homes in their neighborhood than to homes in Winmore and would change the character of their neighborhood.

Dave Otto, representing Friends of Bolin Creek, said runoff from the site, which borders the creek, could seriously impact the water quality downstream.

Linda Chappel, director of Child Care Services Association, also spoke at the meeting. While she did not offer an assessment either way of the impervious surface proposal, she noted that Orange County has a severe shortage of daycare slots in centers with the highest rating. Chappel said there is a one percent vacancy rate in the county for five-star facilities, a number equal to 12 open slots.

Mayor Mark Chilton said that he has received several emails suggesting that the choice is either one of protecting the environment or supporting daycare. Chilton said he does not buy into that juxtaposition.

He said that because Winmore was approved under the town’s village mixed-use rules, the impervious-surface requirements are more stringent. He noted that there is still a good deal of potential development upstream and downstream from the site that likely won’t face the same kind of standards.

1 thought on “Butler hearing continued”

  1. Elizabeth says:
    June 27, 2008 at 5:26 am

    “THE Butler”?? Can they make the name a little less pretentious? I don’t care if it incorporates an historic name of a garage.

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