Chapel Hill to Start Talks with UNC on Joint Police Station

The Chapel Hill Town Council voted unanimously to continue discussions with UNC-Chapel Hill on a joint development project that could put a new police station on Estes Drive.

Votes were cast by council members on Monday during a business meeting that included a presentation from Chris Blue, the chief of the Chapel Hill Police Department.

“We’ve outgrown our police department, and there’s some site challenges there,” explained Blue.

According to Blue, the proposed venture may result in the establishment of a shared command center for emergency services that would benefit both the town and the university.

“There’s some opportunity […] to co-locate some other things, too,” he noted. “We talked about a joint emergency operations center; there may be some technology opportunities there as well.”

Council members were also briefed on the anticipated benefits of the project by Mary Jane Nirdlinger, the executive director of the Chapel Hill Office of Planning and Sustainability.

“It’s a nice opportunity have a conversation about how we might collaborate a little more [closely] on some of the public safety aspects in town,” cited Nirdlinger.

The boundaries of the proposed facility would extend into the Elkin Hills neighborhood on Barclay Road, which may precipitate noise complaints according to local resident Carmen Elliot.

“The one thing I’d be very concerned about with this site […] is the fact that there’s many, many, many houses in Elkin Hills that back up to that property,” stated Elliot.

Public concerns notwithstanding, Pam Hemminger, the mayor of Chapel Hill, applauded the lease terms proposed by the university for the land pertaining to the project.

“The university’s willing to lease us that property for a nominal charge,” cited Hemminger.

If approved, the project would compliment efforts to demolish the fire station on Hamilton Road and replace it with a modern emergency services facility by the first quarter of 2018.

The UNC Board of Trustees will also take the joint venture into consideration during a meeting scheduled for later in the week.