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Board approves new downtown parking lot on South Greensboro

Posted on November 19, 2009November 19, 2009 by Staff

Temporary spaces to be in place for holidays

By Beth Mechum, Staff Writer

Those who frequent downtown Carrboro have seen the makeshift parking lot on Greensboro Street across from GlassHalFull and next to Open Eye Café. The space was designated for the 91,575 square-foot Roberson Square project, but the downturn in the economy has stalled the development.

The five-story condo, retail and office project has been on the market for about a year. The plans calls for 18 condominiums, 11 office spaces and 11 retails spots, with a central courtyard and 65 parking spaces. The property is listed at $1.9 million.

At their meeting Tuesday night at Town Hall, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen approved a plan to lease the property, site of the former Andrews-Riggsbee hardware store, for a town-maintained parking lot. The 90 space lot will cost $7,500 a year on a two-year lease.

Nearby business owners have been approached about sharing the cost of the lease. To date, two have said they’d be willing to contribute.

All aldermen present (Lydia Lavelle was missing due to a death in her family) endorsed the idea and several expressed a desire to have the lot open for the holiday season.

The plan to add parking spaces will be put into action immediately with thoughts of local shop owners and gift buyers in mind. The lot will eventually expand to a full 90 spaces once an upfit estimated to cost $9,474.75 is completed.

Also Tuesday night, the board discussed at length a request from the Friends of the Carrboro Branch Library to waive fees for the use of the Century Center for its annual book sale. In the past, the sale has been held in the McDougle Middle School cafeteria, but the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools system recently started charging $55 an hour for the use of the cafeteria, and Friends representative Nerys Levy said the branch was not in a position to pay the new price, which would total $1,443.

“I’m extremely disappointed in the school board for putting the library in this position,” Alderman Jacquie Gist said. “I know the school is under financial pressure, we all are, all the entities are. The money for all of us comes from the same pocket.”
Gist then introduced a resolution to send a letter to the school board stating that the aldermen disagreed with the decision to charge the Friends of the Library for use of the space.

The board voted to try to negotiate with the school board, but said as a contingency plan the Century Center fees could be waived for the Dec. 18-20 sale.
The board also heard some concerns from citizens about the Goddard School in the Winmore neighborhood. Three people spoke of concerns that include a proposed no-left-turn zone for morning school hours.

Nonetheless, the minor modification to the conditional-use permit that was proposed in September was approved by the board after the town planning board gave its approval as well.

Goddard School developers made some changes to the design, including deflating the pitch of the roof and increasing the window size to satisfy the planning board’s initial concerns.

The board also was presented with the audit report for the fiscal year ending in June and heard a review of the Carolina Carwash minor conditional-use permit modification.
In other action, the board approved:

• a budget amendment to transfer $26,555 from the Capital Projects Fund to the Capital Reserve Fun;

• a construction contract for the sidewalk bond project – Ashe and Bim Streets;

• repealing 14-19(b) of the Town Code, which deals with access to bathrooms and locker rooms contingent on a person’s sex;

• a public hearing on a land-use ordinance text amendment on Dark Sky Friendly Lighting Provisions;

• an authorization to renew lease agreement for communication antenna co-location on Town Hall Tower;

• an ordinance amending Chapter 11 of the Town Code to prohibit the placement of certain items within dumpsters and an amendment to yard waste/leaf collection provisions;

• appointments of Susan Powell and Nicolette DeGroot to the Arts Committee;

• and a board review of who could provide banking services when the contract with Bank of America ends in February of next year.

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