ATTACHMENT 1

AGENDA #3a(3)

Chapel Hill Downtown Economic Development Corporation

308 West Rosemary Street – Suite 202

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

919.843.7306

February 9 2005

Mayor Kevin Foy and Members of Town Council

Town of Chapel Hill

306 North Columbia Street

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Dear Mayor Foy and Town Council Members,

By unanimous vote the Chapel Hill Downtown Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors would like to formally petition Town Council to consider condemnation procedures with respect to the Wicked Burrito property located on West Franklin Street.  

This property has been sitting idle, unoccupied and unused for many years now since the restaurant closed in January 2000.   Our board considers it a major downtown eyesore and an abandoned property, with torn awnings, fading façade and weeds.  This property is one of the few downtown properties wherein the property owner appears to be making no reasonable attempt to develop, utilize and improve this site, thereby making it an asset to downtown.    Communications with the property owner by many Chapel Hill persons and organizations over recent years indicate that the owner has no plans to do anything with the site.

The property listing for the site shows the legal owner is “Mama’s Concept Inc #6153, Suite 700, P.O. Box 22845 , Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73123-1845”.   The tax value listed for the building is $203,110 and for the land $332,833.   We understand this to be a subsidiary or division of Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon.

Our board plans to contact the officers and directors of Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon to inquire again about the status of the property and plans and timing for its development and use.   However, given the community history and knowledge about this idle property and downtown eyesore, we hereby formally petition Town Council to consider condemnation procedures with regard to this property.

Sincerely,

Andrea Rohrbacher, Chair

Board of Directors