Rogers Road is not out of the woods

Yesterday's Chapel Hill News discussed the possibility of constructing a new elementary school in the Rogers Road neighborhood as if it would bring an instant end to the problems this neighborhood has had for decades of living next to the landfill. While the schools' ability to pay for the extension of sewer to this area would be a tremendous benefit, it's not like sewer acess is the only challenge facing the Rogers Road area.

Thursday was a very interesting meeting for the Rogers Road Small Area Plan Task Force. First, we heard from School Board members Lisa Stuckey and Pam Hemminger about the (very vague) possibility of a school site on the Greene Tract (which is jointly owned by Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and the county). The task force is already developing plans for affordable housing on this land, which is a potentially compatible use with a school.

At the same meting, we also reviewed a proposal from St. Paul AME Church, which has plans for a group of about 4 or 5 lots at the corner of Purefoy Drive and Rogers Road. They are developing a concept plan which includes a wide variety of community resources including a senior center, a gym, affordable housing, a cemetery, and child care - in addition to a new sanctuary for their church.  (St. Paul is currently located on Merritt Mill at Main Street, so what happens to that land will be of great interest to all of us.)

The Roger Road area residents who sit on this task force were very excited to see this concept plan and saw it as a great addition to the community. It was really great to begin to realize this emerging vision of how this could grow into a healthier and more robust neighborhood. But, I also want to remind people that both of these developments are only suggestions right now. They are great for testing ideas, so that we can examine how we would react to different types of development, but I hope that folks don't get too attached to the specifics which may not pan out as we imagine them now.