The full UNC Board of Trustees convened on Thursday at the Carolina Inn.

As part of the consent agenda at the meeting, a design to improve pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular access from Franklin Street to Cameron Avenue was presented for approval.

As a result of the design, there would be 16 parking spaces lost in that area.

Board member Steve Lerner says another issue caused concern during the committee discussion on the project.

“We are going to close off the Franklin Street entrance, and we’re going to move that to an entrance and exit off of Columbia Street” he says. “There was concern this would cause further tie ups at a busy intersection.”

Board member Sallie Shuping-Russell was the only member to be opposed to the approval, saying she is concerned about the close proximity of major intersections.

“My opposition to this was primarily on the entryway, which I feel like would be too close to the Franklin Street and Columbia intersection,” she says. “And [I] was hoping that we could move it back to mid-block.”

Lerner says he felt more comfortable regarding that concern once town officials announced they felt this would be an effective redesign.

Lerner also says input will continue to be offered as progress is made on the development; in case an issue is discovered.