Among many changes on the Carrboro development horizon is the disposition of the Lloyd cow farm across from Carrboro Plaza, beside the post office. The current site plan, unveiled at a Town Hall information session on Aug. 25, is for a 40-acre shopping mall, anchored by a grocery store. By my count from the existing map, the planned mall – twice the size of Carrboro Plaza – would host 11 buildings, including stores, chain restaurants, apartments and 824 paved parking spaces.
Although described proudly as a “high-end†retail center by a spokesman for the Cary planners and potential Charlotte buyers, residents living within 1,000 feet of the site expressed concerns. Who wants to find their house suddenly behind a grocery, with its dumpster and delivery truck traffic? Others worry about increased crime, noise, heat, light pollution and water runoff destined for Tom’s Creek, Jordan Lake or their yards.
The developers’ goals were not these quality-of-life issues. But even from a practical business standpoint, there were questions about the viability of this type of mall. As one gentleman put it neatly, “I could throw a baseball from where you have the new grocery to where Food Lion is now.†Many noted how similar outdoor malls around town, even indoor University Mall, with plenty of parking, struggle. What would be the repercussions on other town businesses?
The developers’ plan not only raised questions of potential urban blight and ecological degradation, it presented a stark contrast to Carrboro’s vision for itself as sustainable, local, diverse, socially just and aesthetically unique. When the adjacent property values decline, and those who are capable move away, a less diverse and more segregated hometown will remain.
Would the Cow Farm Mall support local enterprises that pay commercial taxes and employ workers in promising occupations? Couldn’t the talented people of this community launch useful businesses, employ the unemployed and still preserve the site’s stunning topography, waterways and old oak trees? There are many excellent possibilities, but how about a small and diverse farm-and-village community for Carrboro? It could sport local restaurants, shops, retirement housing, farm markets – even keep the Lloyd’s appealing brown-and-white cows, like Fearrington.
Or do we just want fries with that?
The big question that the town and citizens need to ask is this. Do we really want to take the last, large parcel of farmland that exists inside Carrboro and turn it into a cookie-cutter mall, “anchored†to franchises that sell mostly generic imported goods and processed foods? Surely, we in Carrboro can be more thoughtful and creative than that.
Lorraine Aragon
Carrboro
Great letter!
This kind of over development seems to be contagious, as it is going on in Chapel Hill as well. A similar proposal is slated for the Eubanks Rd/Martin Luther King Jr. intersection area, and mini versions are sprouting up all around.
I assume this Cow Farm Mall is to serve the population growth numbers that are being fed to us by the statistics folks. Do we have a choice as to when we can say “enough”.
It won’t be difficult to make this area become more and more generic – the more services we want, the more money our governments budget to serve our “needs”/wants, the more the developers see our communities hungry for money that the malls will supposedly bring in.
I believe we need to all want less from our governments so they will stop looking for more money. We need to try and stop this -FORCE that is taking on a life of its own and consuming our open spaces for no reason that can’t be turned around – if we act now.
Our trees are very very special. They are what I want and need for my sanity.
The best we can do?
I heard some numbers on WCHL today, taken from local economy and county professionals. Orange County is, out of 100 NC counties, somewhere around 75th in matching consumer supply with demand. You can talk all day long about what talented people COULD do, but until you get them to make the commitment to purchase and go through a long and very expensive planning and zoning approval process, it all comes down to the fact that a majority of Orange County residents shop in Durham, Alamance and adjoining counties, because that is where they have the most choices, and, let’s face it…the cheaper prices offered by “Big Box” retailers.
The Town of Carrboro is simply coming to the unfortunate, but true realization that local, diverse and aesthetically unique doesn’t always translate into sustainable in today’s business market. Residential property taxes can’t provide the necessary funds for the continuation of adequate public infrastructure and services, and the Town needs new commercial growth.
As for the “cow farm”, the Lloyd family simply rents the pasture, and the annual rent provides a tiny fraction of the yearly cost of property taxes on the land.
The fear of devaluation of adjoining residential areas seems to me to be pretty far-fetched, given the proximity to McDougal schools and the on-going residential growth in the neighborhood,and quite frankly, if it were to happen, the “hometown” Ms Aragon speaks of would probably be more diverse and less segregated than it is right now, at least in that particular part of town.
Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Orange County are facing tough times, just like the citizens who live here. In-fill and higher density have been an important focus now for several years. NIMBY is a luxury that we can no longer afford.
As a lifelong resident, property owner, and friend of the Lloyd family…
Walk a mile in their shoes, put your money where your mouth is, and run for office if you don’t like the way things are being handled in your community.
Mary E. Ayers