HARVEY C. KRASNY, Ph.D.
___________________________________________________________________________
120 Woodbridge Ln, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
April 23, 2003
Mayor and Town Council
Town of Chapel Hill
306 N. Columbia Street
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516
Re: Petition to request Marriott Residence Inn to bar large vehicles from parking lot on northern site of property.
Dear Mayor and Town Council:
I respectfully submit to you this Petition to be heard at the earliest possible date:
Request that Marriott Residence Inn, which will be located on Erwin Rd at Dobbins Dr, be asked to agree that Busses, Trucks, RVs, Mobile Homes, Trailers, and other similar vehicles shall NOT be allowed, either temporarily or for any period of time, in the hotel’s northern parking lot site. The exception would be Town of Chapel Hill official vehicles, and emergency vehicles needing temporary access to this area for service.
My request comes as a result of our concern for such large vehicles (some with temporary living accommodations) leaving their typical waste and effluents (inadvertently or purposely) in this parking area. I believe this material can then easily find its way through parking lot run-off to the nearby northern drainage swale through which a creek flows (following each and every rainfall) on a path to Summerfield Crossing property and to the Town stormwater drain on Summerfield Crossing (Rd).
In addition to the issues of potential co-mingling of parking lot run-off with the aforementioned stream, I believe these vehicles (sometimes left running for long periods to protect their cargo) will be a tremendous source of noise and exhaust pollution (especially from diesel fuel emissions) to Summerfield townhomes which are approximately 200 ft away. As an example, multiple sports network TV trailer trucks have been left for days at the Sheraton Hotel's rear parking lot while they cover events in the Town.
It is true that the runoff issue should be managed by the LUMO and Stipulation 32 of the Marriott’s SUP (2003-03-24/R-7) which reads:
Parking Lot on Northern Portion of Site: That the parking lot proposed to be located on the northern portion of the development be reduced in size or relocated, subject to Town Manager approval, and that the stormwater management plan include special attention to the stormwater run-off from this portion of the site to protect the northern drainage swale in the vicinity.
cont.
Mayor and Town Council
April 23, 2003
page 2 of 2
Neither LUMO nor Stipulation 32 can readily prevent these types of vehicles from dumping their typical waste onto this impervious surface parking lot (subsequently becoming part of run-off) or stop them from eliminating their exhaust fumes literally in our backyard (approximately 200ft away). I think that totally barring these vehicles from this particular parking area is the solution that will help to insure that these two types of potential pollutants will NOT enter our residential area from this source (ie, in the event that this parking lot will remain in its present location).
The Marriott is a commercial operation sitting in the midst of a residential neighborhood, and so there needs to be extra consideration for the exposures to the residential neighborhood by pollutants that aren't usually found in the neighborhood, except when one intermingles a sizeable commercial operation like this hotel in a residential setting like ours.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
(sig)
Harvey C. Krasny, Ph.D.
Summerfield Crossing Resident