Monday night, the Town Council will be reviewing a request to re-zone the corner of MLK/Historic Airport Road and Estes Drive. The project, named “Carolina Flats,” proposes to develop this tract of land with a four story hotel placed right on the corner of this intersection with a minimal setback, plus seven apartment buildings, all designed for student housing. The traffic for this development would enter and exit onto MLK and also Estes Drive. 

Carolina Flats, proposed for one of our town’s busiest intersections, is a high density development. On Monday night, the out of state developer is hoping the Council will give a thumbs-up to rezoning this tract of land. 

But should the Town Council be approving re-zoning requests during a time when our town and many of us are still working on the 2020 comprehensive plan, a plan to re-examine the future vision of Chapel Hill and our community? Why not have a moratorium on re-zoning requests until Chapel Hill 2020 is completed? 

We all know the corner of MLK and Estes Drive is a critical and very busy intersection for our town. There are no future plans to expand or widen Estes Drive. Two to three times daily we already have traffic backed up at this intersection. With the YMCA in this location, a church, Carolina North and two large public schools, how can we burden this area with more traffic? 

For our quality of life and our environment, for the public safety of all and for our town, for the children and all of us who bike, walk, and run in this area, for the buses and cars trying to get to the public schools and elsewhere in an efficient time, please urge the Mayor and Town Council to deny the re-zoning for Carolina Flats.