The Chapel Hill Town Council failed to fully approve the Aura Chapel Hill project, but voiced a majority of support for the mixed-used development proposed for Estes Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Town council members and the mayor voted 5-3 during their meeting on Wednesday night, meaning the project did not advance. Council Members Michael Parker, Amy Ryan, Tai Huynh, Jessica Anderson and Karen Stegman voted in favor of the project. Council Members Hongbin Gu, Allen Buansi and Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger voted against the project.

Due to the project lacking a two-thirds majority in the vote, the request for a conditional use zoning change will return to the town council for a second reading at the town council’s meeting on Wednesday, June 23. A simple majority vote would be needed to either approve or reject the application.

The applicant, Trinsic Development Services, seeks to rezone the 16.2-acre site at the corner of two major thoroughfares from residential to office and institutional use, with the goal of constructing a mix of 419 apartments and townhouses, as well as some commercial space.

Town council comments on Wednesday reflected elected officials’ support of the project, specifically Aura’s opportunity to build residential and limited retail on the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor. The five council members who voted in favor of the project cited in-depth analysis completed by the developers and town staff.

Since its first appearance to the town council in May 2020, elected officials, town staff and community members have discussed the Aura development’s potential traffic impact. During the public hearing period of the project, residents voiced concerns about traffic congestion and mobility for vehicles along Estes Drive.

A traffic impact analysis conducted and presented to the public in May found the Aura development would not worsen the traffic flow on Estes Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard once completed. According to the study, this is due to the Level of Service grades falling to lower levels as other developments are completed and there is resulting traffic.

Additionally, the town government plans to implement several changes to Estes Drive for pedestrian safety in the coming months, including a multi-modal path. Town staff said Wednesday the state Department of Transportation believes resulting pedestrian counts could warrant a traffic signal at Somerset Drive and Estes Drive, even if current traffic totals do not. Aura developers will contribute $25,000 to the cost of a traffic light, if installed at the Somerset Drive intersection.

A overhead view of a potential layout for the Aura development, which was adapted by the applicant following public comment and town requests. (Photo via Trinsic Residential Services.)

Town staff also said Wednesday all traffic improvements for Estes Drive would be completed before the residential units in Aura will be occupied.

Other topics, which were covered Wednesday, included stormwater management, affordable housing units in the development and access from Estes Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Representatives with the applicants said updated designs for the Aura development aimed to “reduce peak flows” of stormwater to prevent any adverse impact downstream from the development. Another stipulation the applicants offered is accepting federal housing choice voucher, or Section 8 vouchers, for its affordable units.

Several council members said the Aura developers and representatives’ ability to present detailed analysis and answers to questions. Council Member Jessica Anderson, who lives near the parcel, said she has felt a mix of emotions and relates to the concerns raised by nearby residents. But Anderson said she also believes the thorough responses and commitments from the applicants led to her approval.

“It’s okay to be skeptical,” she said, “I just hope you’ll believe we’ve taken the time and care to dig deep into this. I’m supportive of this project, but we really need to make sure we get the implementation of this one right so we uphold our promises to its neighbors.”

 

Photo via Trinsic Development Services/Town of Chapel Hill.

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