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Downtown, Events

Exhale by internationally renowned landscape architect Mikyoung Kim

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Exhale - the Town's most recent public art installation by internationally renowned landscape architect Mikyoung Kim

Enjoying the new art sculpture with colorful lighting and fog effects at downtown Chapel Hill’s new public plaza at 140 West Franklin.

“Exhale” consists of a folded and layered perforated metal skin that allows for fog to emanate through the textured surfaces of the piece. The amount of fog emanating from the sculpture is controlled by a sophisticated computerized weather station that reads the wind velocity and adjusts the amount of fog accordingly.

Artist Mikyoung Kim states: “Exhale moves beyond art as object, and suggests a point of transition, interaction, and activation – a place to observe people utilizing the various zones of the plaza, making them an active, integrated part of the art piece.”

To view the schedule of events at 140 West Plaza, visit http://www.townofchapelhill.org/140west

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DESIGN 2020 Special Topic: Economic Development in Chapel Hill

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DESIGN 2020 will offer the special topic presentation “Economic Development in Chapel Hill” by Town of Chapel Hill Economic Development Officer Dwight Bassett at noon Wednesday, May 15, in the Council Chamber of Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. 

Bassett will present information a general view of economic development in Chapel Hill, including facts and information about retail, housing and office markets. He will provide an overview of some of the key projects now under way including Ephesus Church-Fordham, Rosemary Imagined, and Downtown Chapel Hill. Concepts from the Downtown Framework and Action Plan also will be discussed. 

The presentation will be aired live on Chapel Hill Gov TV-18 and via streaming video at www.townofchapelhill.org/video

Bassett is the Town of Chapel Hill’s first economic development officer, hired in 2007 to develop a clear economic development strategy. Learn more about Chapel Hill’s economic development strategy at www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=1069. To access economic development studies and data, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=2063.  Office, housing and retail studies were completed to benchmark Chapel Hill for future economic development and to inform the Town Council of information to help in making decisions about our future. 

The Special Topics series began during the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive planning process as a way to share information with interested residents who want to know more about issues, trends and studies that affect the future. These presentations continue with DESIGN 2020, the implementation phase of advancing the comprehensive plan’s goals and objectives. For past topics, see www.townofchapelhill.org/video 

For more information about DESIGN Chapel Hill 2020, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/design

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Central West Community Workshop

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Join the Central West Steering Committee and your fellow community members for the upcoming Central West Community Workshop!

The Town of Chapel Hill will hold the Central West Community Workshop from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18, with sign-in at 8:30 a.m. The workshop will be in Meeting Room B at the Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive. 

The purpose of the workshop is to gather the community’s thoughts and feedback about the draft planning principles, objectives, and planning concepts for the Central West Focus Area. 

The Central West Focus Area Steering Committee has developed a draft set of planning principles and objectives that define the important elements to be considered while developing the small area plan for the Central West Focus Area. The planning principles include statements about the importance of connectivity, pedestrian and bicycle safety, identity/sense of place, mixed uses, diversity, green environment, and others. 

In addition, the Central West Steering Committee has also begun developing different planning concepts which provide visuals of the locations of the different uses in the area. 

The Central West Focus Area Steering Committee was charged by the Council to develop recommendations for a small area plan for the Central West Focus Area that would address the appropriate uses, form, and intensity for the area. The Committee is to work with the community, Town staff, and a consultant, and the thoughts and ideas developed from this process will form a small area plan which if necessary, will be developed into new zoning regulations for this area. 

Please help spread the word about the Central West Community Workshop to your friends, neighbors, and colleagues! 

For more information about the Central West Focus Area process, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest.

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Central West Community Drop-By Session

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DESIGN Chapel Hill 2020The Town of Chapel Hill will host a Central West Community Drop-By Session from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in Meeting Room B of the Chapel Hill Public Library to receive public input about proposed planning principles for the area along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and portions of Estes Drive. 
 
The Central West Focus Area Steering Committee has developed a set of planning principles that define the important elements to be considered while developing the small area plan for this area. The planning principles include statements about the importance of connectivity, pedestrian and bicycle safety, identity/sense of place, mixed uses, diversity, green environment, and others.
 
During the Community Drop-By Session, community members can speak with Steering Committee members and Town staff about the planning principles and provide their feedback. 
 
The Central West Focus Area Steering Committee was charged by the Council to develop recommendations for a small area plan for the Central West Focus Area that would address the appropriate uses, form, and intensity for the area. The Committee is to work with the community, Town staff, and a consultant, and the thoughts and ideas developed from this process will form a small area plan which if necessary, will be developed into new zoning regulations for this area.
 
For more information about the Central West Focus Area process and to view the draft planning principles, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest
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Community Forum for Chapel Hill Bike Plan set for May 9

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Are you a cycling enthusiast? Maybe you haven’t ridden a bike in a while but want to. Perhaps you enjoy riding only on greenways or trails? Do you ride your bike to work or school? Do your kids ride a bike? Are you concerned about transportation issues? 

If you answered yes, then you’ll want to come to “Bike to the Future,” a community forum for the Chapel Hill Bike Plan set for 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at the Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive.

The Town of Chapel Hill planning process is one of many public outreach opportunities of DESIGN Chapel Hill 2020, the title given to the implementation phase of the community’s new comprehensive plan. “Connected Community” (including Chapel Hill Bike Plan) is one of the Big Idea initiatives that embody the essence of the Chapel Hill 2020 goals.

When completed, the Chapel Hill Bike Plan will provide a “how-to-guide” for making Chapel Hill a place where more people can safely ride their bikes to more places in the community. The Council is committed to building a more connected, bikeable community, as stated in Chapel Hill 2020 Plan. 

“We will have an opportunity in creating this plan to look at our streets and policies to see what’s working – and what could work better,” said Garrett Davis, a Town of Chapel Hill transportation planner. 

During the Chapel Hill 2020 planning process, residents expressed that they want more facilities and street design features that promote safe bicycling. People said there should be improved connectivity between important destinations and that bicycling can become part of a healthy active lifestyle.

The Community Survey of 2011 showed that 5.2 percent of residents ride a bicycle and that 64 percent of residents felt that riding a bicycle was safe in Chapel Hill. 

“We think that number should be higher, and this plan is going to show us what steps the Town can take to make that happen” said David Bonk, transportation planning manager for the Town of Chapel Hill. 

A steering committee will meet over the next year to guide the plan, and there will be many opportunities for the community to contribute. The committee will work closely with staff and Bill Schultheiss of Toole Design Group , the lead consultant. A final plan is expected to be presented to the Council in November 2013. 

For more information contact Garrett Davis at bikeplan@townofchapelhill.org  
Visit The Chapel Hill Bike Plan on the web at www.townofchapelhill.org/bikeplan  
Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thechapelhillbikeplan  
Toole Design Group www.tooledesign.com 

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Central West Focus Area is on Flickr!

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Do you like to keep up with what is going on in the Central West Focus Area? Do you like photography? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then you should consider joining the Central West Flickr page! The Central West Flickr site allows you to view pictures of the area that other members have posted, and to add your own photos to the collection as well.

We encourage you to go check out the Flickr site and see what others are posting about the Central West Focus area.
To access the Flickr Site, click here: www.flickr.com/groups/centralwest/
For detailed instructions for uploading images, click here.

While you are browsing around the site, take time to explore the many features that Flickr has to offer. You can provide captions for your photos and label them with tags to give viewers a better sense of how your photo relates to the focus area. Flickr also has a mobile app for smartphones, enabling you to view and post pictures when you are on the go. So, the next time you are wandering through the Central West area and see something that you would like to share with the group, snap a picture and upload it to the Flickr site! The Central West Flickr site is meant to be a useful AND fun tool in this process, so be sure to take advantage of it!

The Central West Focus Area is one of the six focus areas that were identified in Chapel Hill’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan. In December of 2012, a Central West Focus Area Steering Committee was formed, and the Committee has been working with community members to develop recommendations for the form, use, and intensity of the area. For more information about the Central West Focus Area process, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest

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DESIGN 2020 Presents LaUNCH Chapel Hill

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Launch Chapel HillThe Town of Chapel Hill Special Topics sessions continue for the community with a presentation on “LaUNCH Chapel Hill” at noon Wednesday, March 20, in the Council Chamber of Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. 

LAUNCH Chapel Hill , a laboratory for entrepreneurs or “venture lab,” opened in January at 321 W. Rosemary St. The collaborative venture was made possible by the efforts of the Town of Chapel Hill, Orange County, UNC- Chapel Hill, and the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership. Program management for LaUNCH is provided by UNC-Chapel Hill through the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and the Kenan-Flagler Business School. 

Wednesday’s presentation will be made by Bobby Funk, asssistant director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, with partners of the venture lab. 

LAUNCH Chapel Hill provides three key benefits: 1. Street smart training events and networking opportunities; 2. Subsidized rent and services for those in need; 3. Mentoring by experienced entrepreneurs as well as industry contacts and fundraising assistance 

The Special Topics series began during the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive planning process as a way to share information with interested residents who want to know more about issues, trends and studies that affect the future. For past topics, see www.townofchapelhill.org/video  DESIGN Chapel Hill 2020 recognizes that the adoption of the comprehensive plan was not an end point, but a beginning. Now that the community’s ideas have been articulated through the comprehensive plan, these ideas may be used toward designing our community. Look for more DESIGN special events coming soon.

The public event will be aired live on Chapel Hill Government TV-18 and streamed on the Town of Chapel Hill website at http://www.townofchapelhill.org/video. For more information about the special topic series, contact Catherine Lazorko at clazorko@townofchapelhill.org or 919-969-5055.

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Take the Central West Focus Area Questionnaire

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Help the Town of Chapel Hill gauge perceptions of the Central West Focus Area by completing a survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CentralWestQuestionnaire 

The easy, 10-question survey will be available until 5 p.m. Thursday, March 28.

The Central West Focus Area is located along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Estes Drive, bounded by E. Franklin Street to the east, the Carolina North Campus to the west, and Homestead Road to the north.

The area was identified as a priority during the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive planning process due to the known development pressures in the area. During the adoption of the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive plan, the Council requested that the Town staff work with the community to develop a process that would provide an opportunity for more focused discussion that would ultimately provide the Council with additional direction for the area.

The questionnaire was prepared by the Central West Focus Area Committee, which was appointed in December 2012 by the Town Council to provide ideas for planning the uses, form and intensity in the area. The committee is expected to prepare a report to the Council before its June 2013 meeting; a final plan should be provided no later than December 2013.

The committee is charged with ensuring that the process is open and participatory and that broad engagement occurs with the full community. A community workshop was held on March 2 to gather the community’s perceptions and vision about the area. Feedback from that workshop, as well as the questionnaire, will be used to aid the Committee ask they develop recommendations for Council regarding the form, use, and intensity of the Central West area.

For more information about the Central West Focus Area and upcoming meetings, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest.

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Take the budget survey! What do you value?

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Chapel Hill residents are invited to take an informal survey to rank their 2013-14 budget priorities for the Town of Chapel Hill. The survey will be posted through April 1 at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SGQRRXS.

The survey is being used as part of a priority based budgeting system that aims to better align budget decisions with community values.

The purpose of the unscientific online polling is to gather a sampling of opinions about which budget objectives should be emphasized in the next fiscal year (FY2013-14 Budget Year). Survey results will be shared on the Town website in April and will be provided to Council and Town Manager Roger Stancil during their budget deliberations. The final prioritization of budget objectives will be used in conjunction with the evaluation of budget programs to develop the Manager’s recommended budget. Public input will be an important factor as the Council considers many issues in determining how to assign values to the Town’s programs.

“We hope that residents will use this as another opportunity to express their opinions,” said Ken Pennoyer, director of business management. “The feedback provided is extremely important as we consider changes to meet the needs of our community.”

The survey is divided into two parts. In the first part, you rank the objectives within each of the respective budget goals in the order of importance, with the number 1 being the most important. You do this for each of the six Budget Objectives and their associated objectives. The second part of the survey is a selection of nine of the 25 budget objectives that you believe should be emphasized in the FY2013-14 Budget Year.

Budget Goals for the FY2013-14 Budget Process:

  • Strategic, Sustainable and Balance Development – Providing for comprehensive, successful growth and development 
  • Safe Community – Providing services to preserve and protect people and property 
  • Stewardship of the Natural Environment – Providing services that preserve the natural environment by promoting sustainable practice 
  • Inclusive and Socially Thriving Community – Providing leisure, cultural and social opportunities to the entire community 
  • Accessible and Connected Community – Provide reliable infrastructure and an effective and connected transportation system 
  • Quality Governance & Stewardship of Public Assets – Provide an effective, efficient and sustainable organization

The process of determining how the Chapel Hill community values the services the Town provides began with the Chapel Hill 2020 Community Comprehensive Planning Process. These budget goals represent long-range targets that stem from the Town’s vision. In addition to the six goals, there are 25 budget objectives that represent specific results needed for goal achievement.

“Priority budging is based on the premise that, although everything we do as a Town is important, not everything we do is equally important,” Pennoyer said. “When revenues are not sufficient to fully support all of our services, what we choose to reduce and what we choose to maintain should be based on how services (programs) are valued by the public we serve.”

To review progress on the development of the FY2013-14 Budget Year, see http://www.townofchapelhill.org/budget The Town of Chapel Hill Community Survey is a scientific survey that measures the public’s perception of Town services. Those survey results are posted at www.townofchapelhill.org/survey

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“Sketching Chapel Hill” RESCHEDULED

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DESIGN Chapel Hill 2020

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This event will be rescheduled due to forecasts of inclement weather. We regret the inconvenience, and hope you will join us when we announce the new date!

Come join us at “Sketching Chapel Hill,” a series of free informational sessions on Saturday, Jan. 26, that will be idea-inspiring, conversation-sparking and thought-provoking. Sessions will be held throughout the day in the Council Chamber of Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill 27514.

“Sketching” is an education program of DESIGN Chapel Hill 2020, the title given to the implementation phase of the Chapel Hill 2020 comprehensive plan. The sessions will focus on community-wide topics as well as topics pertaining to the Central West and Ephesus/Fordham Focus Areas.

DESIGN Chapel Hill 2020 recognizes that the adoption of the comprehensive plan was not an end point, but a beginning. Now that the community’s ideas have been articulated through the comprehensive plan, these ideas may be used toward designing our community. This month’s “Sketching Chapel Hill” meets an interest expressed by many participants during the Chapel Hill 2020 for continued civic education in such areas as designing public spaces, zoning rules, transportation system, landscape design, and more.

“We are looking forward to continued public involvement as we begin to evaluate and implement the goals and action items for the goals – and take other steps towards implementing the Chapel Hill 2020 Plan,” said Mary Jane Nirdlinger, director of policy and strategic planning for the Town of Chapel Hill.

“Sketching” participants may come for all sessions or drop in for topics of interest. For more information, contact Megan Wooley, housing and neighborhood services planner, at mwooley@townofchapelhill.org or 919-969-5059. To learn more about DESIGN Chapel Hill 2020, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/design

*** 
Schedule for Sketching Chapel Hill 
Saturday, January 26

Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 

8:30 a.m.: Sign-in Begins

9:15 a.m.: Welcome

9:30-10:30 a.m.: Session 1: Creating Healthy Hubs Through Zoning 
Presenter: Roger Waldon, Principal, Clarion Associates 
Resources 
Before this session, you could watch this presentation about Form-Based Codes:http://chapelhill.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=5&clip_id=1396. This presentation was given by Lee Einsweiler, Principal at Code Studio, on March 15, 2012.

10:45-11:45 a.m.: Session 2: Growing Creative Businesses and Community Spaces 
Presenters: Judith Cone, Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Innovation & Entrepreneurship 
Bobby Funk, Assistant Director, Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership 
Len Wohadlo, Founder, 3 Birds Marketing 
Resources 
Before this session, be sure to check out the LAUNCH-CHAPEL HILL website:http://launchchapelhill.com/home

11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m.: Break for Lunch

1:15-2:15 p.m.: Session 3: Making Transportation Decisions on a Local Level 
Presenter: George Alexiou, Principal, Martin/Alexiou/Bryson 
Resources 
Before this session, check out the Town’s Complete Streets webpage:http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=1599 
Also, be sure to watch the special topics presentation about Chapel Hill’s Future Transit Network:http://chapelhill.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=9&clip_id=1326. This presentation was given by David Bonk, Long Range and Transportation Manager, and Steve Spade, the former director of Chapel Hill Transit, on February 10, 2012.

2:30-3:30 p.m.: Session 4: Carolina North Update 
Presenter: Bruce Runberg, Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities, Operations, Planning & Design, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
Resources 
Before this session, check out the Town’s Carolina North webpage:http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=900 
Also, be sure to watch this special topics presentation about Student Housing:http://chapelhill.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=9&clip_id=1569. This presentation was given by representatives from UNC Student Affairs on August 15, 2012.