The Chapel Hill Town Council got its first look at three new development projects, including a 300,000-square-foot mixed-use project off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
At a meeting Monday night at town hall, the council looked over concept plans for the Altemueller Mixed-Use Development, which would be located at 1641 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. between Weaver Dairy Road Extension and New Parkside Drive. The 12.9-acre site is located adjacent to the Northwoods V neighborhood.
The concept plan includes 110 residential units, a hotel, offices and retail spaces with parking for 280 vehicles.
The Altemueller farmhouse, built in the late 19th century, and several white oaks estimated to be more than 200 years old would be preserved under the plan.
Council members were generally pleased with the concept, which follows efforts to increase housing and commercial density along major transit corridors. But several expressed concern about how the large heritage trees on the site would be protected. Jim Ward said the stand of trees was of similar size to those on Polk Place and McCorkle Place and would need a larger protection zone than the plan anticipates.
“I don’t think many [trees] would survive,†Ward said.
Also under review Monday were plans by the Episcopal Church of the Advocate to construct a worship center on 16.4 acres off Merin Road near the Billabong neighborhood.
Vicar Lisa Fishbeck said conversations with the neighbors have been productive, with the major concern being parking along Merin Road during services or events. The first phase of the plan calls for a welcome center, administrative offices and a 75-seat chapel located near a large pond on the site.
The council also got its first look at the Murray Hill Multi-family Development at Meadowmont. The project would include 16 dwelling units with 40,000 square feet of floor space on a 1.17-acre site on Meadowmont Lane.
— From Staff Reports