A controversial project will go before the Chapel Hill Town Council on Monday night.

The proposed development bringing commercial space, apartments and a larger park space to the 36-acre Legion Property on Legion Drive in Chapel Hill has been a hot-button topic since early 2016.

The concept plan put forward by Woodfield Investments calls for a maximum of 400 apartment units on the property along with commercial space and enhancing the current park designated on the Ephesus-Church side of the property.

Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger described the plan being put forward Monday night as a “preliminary concept” that has already gone before the town’s Community Design Commission. Hemminger added that many council members attended that meeting to get an initial feel for the site and any potential concerns.

Hemminger said Monday’s presentation will allow an opportunity for the developer to gather feedback from town leadership.

“We listen to citizens; we listen to the applicant; we listen to whoever wants to speak and then council gives some of their ideas, concerns, direction, whatever,” Hemminger said. “And then the applicant takes that information and goes back and can either submit an application or not. And we never know how that’s going to work after a concept plan review.

“I think there’s a lot of interest and concern on both sides from the concept that we’ve seen so far.”

Hemminger said it is important to consider the entire Ephesus-Fordham area when making a decision about what fits into that portion of Chapel Hill.

The original ideas for the property called for 600 apartments and came with a $10 million price tag. The scaled-back proposal was officially submitted earlier in the summer and brought the price down to $9 million.

Some community members have raised concern about more apartments coming to the area on the property – which is one of the last large parcels of undeveloped land in the area – and are calling for town leadership to purchase the property and develop the entire space as a park.

There will be opportunity for public comment at Monday night’s meeting, which is scheduled to begin at seven o’clock at Chapel Hill Town Hall.

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