By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer
Carrboro — The Carrboro Board of Aldermen moved part of their public policy agenda several miles north Tuesday night, taking up a proposed change in the water and sewer boundaries in the unincorporated community of Efland.
In an unusual move, the board objected to a proposal in a small-area plan for Efland that would allow water and sewer service to an area along Bowman Road. Such changes require altering a longstanding countywide services boundary agreement and need to be OK’d by all local governments in Orange County. Carrboro approved a portion of proposed changes relating to Hillsborough last month but held up a changed proposed for Efland, pending further review.
The Efland proposal is intended to spur greater development, including housing and commercial flex space in the area.
Mayor Mark Chilton said he would not be in favor of approving a plan to allow for mixed-use development in the area because of its historical significance.
Chilton, who has researched and written histories on the area, noted that Bowman Road is part of the Indian Trading Path. He quoted 18th-century explorer John Lawson’s description of the area and read the board a historical synopsis of the original white settlers on the land and court struggles between them and the Scottish businessman who claimed title to it.
Chilton said without reassurances about protections for historical sites, he could not support the proposal. He said he felt he was “being asked to sign off on the obliteration†of some of the county’s key historical sites.
Board members Dan Coleman and Randee Haven-O’Donnell also expressed their concern about the proposal and the county’s emphasis on economic development north of Carrboro and Chapel Hill.
Coleman said he also would not support the proposal because of a long-held belief that the county skews its economic-development policy toward recruiting larger, outside businesses and not in shoring up the local economy.
Another sign of tension between the county and Carrboro came up at the end of Tuesday’s meeting during a brief discussion about library services and the county budget.
Alderman Jacquie Gist noted that just like last year, there are cuts proposed for staff at the Carrboro Cybrary and the Carrboro Branch Library at McDougle School.
Gist also wondered how a proposal to convert the county’s Skill’s Development Center on West Franklin Street into a downtown branch library would affect library services.
Chilton urged the board to not jump to conclusions about how the budget cuts would play out as county commissioners deliberate. He said County Manager Frank Clifton was asked to present a no tax-increase budget, but doubted that the county would be able to bridge its budget gap without a revenue hike.
In other action, the board approved a proposal to allocate $144,296 for the town’s human services budget.