Three Chapel Hill Town Council members volunteered to lead a working group to analyze  affordable housing options for the proposed Obey Creek Development.

The developer, East West Partners, plans to bring a mix of retail, office space, and up to 800 residential units on 35 acres at the site, which is across from Southern Village. The town officially entered the negotiation phase with the developer in November.

At Monday’s meeting, the town council talked with members of East West Partners about options for the residential units. Council members Jim Ward, George Cianciolo and Sally Greene will plan housing strategies for the proposed mixed-use development. The team may consult with local affordable housing providers in the planning process, and the team will report findings to the town council.

The town council may ask East West Partners to provide 15 percent of the units at prices affordable to households that earn between 65 and 80 percent of the area median income. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development lists the area median income for Orange County at $65,700 for a family of four.

Alternately, the council may ask the developer to pay a fee for affordable housing programs elsewhere in Chapel Hill. The council may choose a combination of these options or another option that supports affordable housing initiatives in the town.

The Chapel Hill Office of Housing and Community prepared this list of new developments and the number of affordable units or amount of payment in-lieu at each development.

Council members will negotiate with East West Partners to build infrastructure as part of the development agreement. The town council discussed possible bicycle and pedestrian paths, including a proposed bridge over U.S. 15-501 connecting Obey Creek with the town’s park-and-ride lot.

The town council will hold four meetings in January focused on the development of Obey Creek and the park-and-ride lot. The next meeting will be at Chapel Hill Town Hall on January 8 at 7 pm.