AGENDA #3b(1)

Petition to Chapel Hill Town Council

on Carolina North Impact Studies

Submitted October 15, 2008

We request that complete information on the traffic congestion, public health and safety impacts on neighborhoods surrounding the proposed Carolina North development be collected, made publicly available and fully considered before any irrevocable decisions are made regarding the development.

Specifically, we request that the results of the traffic impact analysis, the long range transit plan and other pending studies be publicly shared, discussed and serve as the basis for identifying strategies to minimize neighborhood impacts to the greatest extent possible.

Among the questions important to us that have not yet been addressed:

• How will the anticipated increase in traffic associated with Carolina North impact the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists in surrounding neighborhoods? 
• How will increased traffic impact citizens’ ability to access connecting roads to their neighborhoods from primary corridors like MLK Boulevard ? 
• What is the anticipated impact of the development and increased traffic on air quality in surrounding communities? 
• How will noise and light pollution associated with the development be minimized?
• What short-term and long-term standards will define acceptable levels of traffic, air particulate, and noise and light emissions associated with Carolina North and how will compliance with those standards be monitored?

The timeline for a vote on final approval of the master plan should accommodate reasonable public deliberation and comment on relevant information as it becomes available.  This information should also be disseminated early enough to inform any development agreement with the University.