By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer
CARRBORO — After hearing again from advocates for and opponents of the county’s chosen site for a new library in a residential neighborhood near Carrboro Elementary School, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen approved a rezoning request for the property on Tuesday.
The 6-1 vote came after a lengthy debate over the site and the impact of the town’s response on future library discussions.
Board member Jacquie Gist cast the lone vote against the rezoning, but stressed her support for a library.
“This isn’t about who does and who does not want a library,†she said, adding that the site is not in an area of transition, as the county’s request indicated.
“If you know Carrboro,†she said, “no, it’s not.â€
All board members in favor of the site cast their votes with some reluctance, expressing reservations about whether the 2.79-acre parcel could accommodate what’s proposed.
Mayor Mark Chilton urged the board to support the proposal, saying it would be a show of good faith that Carrboro is ready to collaborate on the library.
Randee Haven-O’Donnell, who served on the most recent library task force – the third in more than two decades of exploring a possible Carrboro branch library – said she supported the rezoning but continued to be saddened by the split the site has caused in the community.
She voted in favor after stressing that other sites exist and that the county and the town should continue discussions on those possibilities, even as county officials conduct due diligence ahead of a purchase of the property.
The site was identified last fall after the Orange County Board of Commissioners entered into a contract for the parcel, which has a $610,000 asking price.
Chilton said he would personally discuss possible alternatives with county commissioners.
A resolution by the board of aldermen passed just after the rezoning included a request to the county that they look at alternative sites in town, conduct a charrette with residents on library design and adopt an extensive visual and sound buffering plan for the project’s driveway on Hillsborough Road.
Public comments prior to the vote illustrated the different views on the project.
Residents near the project expressed concern about how traffic would affect the safety of the neighborhood and students at the nearby elementary school, and the impact of a large public building next to Hillsborough Road residences.
Kathy Gunn, the closest neighbor to the project, asked the board not to rezone the property out of a concern that the library might not happen.
“I hope that the rezoning is not made out of fear that this is the last chance for a library for Carrboro and southwest Orange County,†she said.
Her neighbor, Jeff Rubish, reiterated his belief that the library will have a big impact on his neighborhood. “It’s going to be devastating,†he said.
But several residents said they looked forward to having a library close by.
In a note to the board read by a neighbor, Melva Okun said she and many of her High Street neighbors are excited about having a library within walking or biking distance. She said her experience as a longtime library advocate makes her skeptical that an alternative will arise.
“For those of you who think there are other sites, you haven’t been looking for 20 years,†she wrote.
Nerys Levy, speaking on behalf of the Carrboro Branch Library’s Friends of the Library, said the organization has worked too hard to get a library, and turning down the county’s offer risks losing an important chance.
“Citizens of Carrboro, 210 Hillsborough Road is it,†she said.
Gerry Christmas, another longtime library supporter, said he understood the neighbors concerns, relating his worries about having a post office located near his James Street home and how while there was an increase in traffic, it was not the nightmare he envisioned.
“Life changes and things move on,†he said. “I can’t see being against a library.â€
With the rezoning, county officials said they intend to extend the contract to purchase the property and finalize the due diligence process.