The clear-cutting of trees on Estes Drive continues to draw concern from Chapel Hillians.

The property near Phillips Middle School is the future site of a retirement residence community. The developer has drawn the attention of neighbors by clear-cutting trees from the property and conducting rock blasting, which some residents fear will have a negative impact on their homes.

Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger said she understands the concerns of the neighbors.

“It’s just really heartbreaking,” Hemminger said, “because we love our trees here. They provide great kinds of amenities for us, and they help our environment. But we also just love them and so it’s really sad to see them when they come down like that.

“We haven’t experienced a clearing like that in a long time.”

But, Hemminger said, the developer is within their rights so far – although they will be required to replant trees to meet the town’s ordinance.

“They are required to have a certain number of trees at a certain caliper put back for tree canopy coverage,” Hemminger said. “This particular contractor apparently decided he would rather take it all out and put in new, good-size caliper.

“That’s now how most of our developers have chosen to do sites.”

Concerns from neighbors extended beyond the tree clearing to notices that blasting would be occurring.

“If you didn’t get the tree phone call, you got the blasting phone call,” Hemminger said.

The mayor said there are several sites around town where developers are blasting rock to create a developable environment.

“Most of the developable properties left in Chapel Hill now are the ones that were harder to develop in the past,” Hemminger said. “And they’re in some tricky places; they have interesting topography.”

Hemminger also warned that some other property owners in the area will be conducting operations cutting some other trees in the area due to a pest infestation harming the trees.

The retirement residence proposal is scheduled to have 152 units with construction set to begin by March 20, 2019 and concluding two years later.

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