small area planning

The Town of Chapel Hill invites the community to participate in information sessions about zoning opportunities for the Ephesus Church Road-Fordham Boulevard area.

To reach as many residents as possible, meetings with identical presentations will be held on Thursday, Sept. 20, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chamber of Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Family, 200 Hayes Road.

Current community discussions about the Ephesus Church Road-Fordham Boulevard area are being initiated by the Town of Chapel Hill as part of its work to implement the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive plan. In a collaborative community process, residents and Town staff will identify appropriate form and zoning regulations in and near Ephesus Church Road and Fordham Boulevard. Technical assistance with the focus area initiative will be provided through a $20,000 grant to the Town from the Mayors Innovation Project.

At the Sept. 20 meeting, the Mayors Innovation Project consultant team, comprising Scott Bernstein of the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Hazel Boyrs of PlaceMakers, will present information about zoning opportunities for the area. All community members are invited to participate in the process and share their ideas. It is anticipated that the consultant team will return to Chapel Hill to present their initial recommendations for community consideration.

The 123-acre area surrounding the intersection of Ephesus Church Road and Fordham Boulevard was the subject of an earlier study adopted by the Town Council on Feb. 28, 2011. The Ephesus Church Road-Fordham Boulevard Small Area Plan, led by the Town's Economic Development Division, defines land future land uses and offers solutions to the transportation network to encourage reinvestment.

The focus area is located near the intersection of Ephesus Church Road and Fordham Boulevard and extends from South Elliott Road to north of Ram's Plaza. It was one of six areas included in Future Focus community discussions that took place in spring 2012 during the development of the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive plan. The plan focused on areas most likely to change in the future due to vacant land, underdeveloped sites, and their location along transportation and transit corridors.

Questions and ideas are welcome. For those unable to attend the information session, there will be opportunities for future involvement. To be added to the email distribution list for the Ephesus Church Road-Fordham Boulevard Focus Area, contact compplan@townofchapelhill.org or 919-968-2728. To find more information, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=1656