Some Chapel Hill residents are questioning whether the Town Council has adequate information about the environmental impact of the proposed Obey Creek development project.

“There are species that depend on these interior forest habitat patches for their survival, for their food, shelter, rearing and so forth,” said Kevin Nunnery. He is a senior ecologist for Biohabitats, a conservation planning company.

During Wednesday night’s Town Council work session at Chapel Hill Public Library, Nunnery presented an environmental report that compares the impact of building 79 single family homes to the impact of a mixed-use development at the site of the proposed Obey Creek development project.

East West Partners wants to build a 1.5 million square foot mixed-use development on 15-501, across from Southern Village.

The report finds that building single-family homes would disrupt the forest habitat more than a mixed use development.

Chapel Hill resident Betsy Smith, a research ecologist and program director at the EPA, said during public comments that the environmental report is flawed and inadequate.

She said the report does not consider water quality and air quality impacts, both of which are crucial issues for this type of development.

Councilwoman Maria Palmer said she read the report while she was in Peru.

“To be reading about preserving trees, it was balm for my spirit – so thank you for doing this,” said Palmer. “And to think of you going in there and looking at 65-year-old trees that my grandchildren are going to be able to look at . . . Reading this just made it more clear to me why we don’t want those big homes disturbing this forest.”

The Chapel Hill Town Council will hold a business meeting on October 15th at 7pm.

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