The Chapel Hill Town Council recently approved an application for a special use permit modification, which is the final step toward beginning construction projects at Chapel Hill High School.

Chapel Hill – Carrboro City Schools assistant superintendent Todd LoFrese said the project, which will renovate and improve the school and transportation, will start as soon as school gets out.

“Thank you again Town Council members for approval this evening. We are really, really excited to get this project started,” said Lofrese.

Senior planner Aaron Frank presented at the town council meeting and said the renovations will result in an expanded student capacity of 105 additional students.

“With the renovated campus, there is a new access that is proposed to the southeast to Seawell School Road. This crosses the Jolly Branch, and its associated Resource Conservation District. A few highlights of the program include a decrease of parking from 596 spaces to 518 spaces,” said Frank. “This has an associated decrease in impervious surface on the site. One-hundred-sixty-three new bicycle spaces are proposed and stormwater management improvements are proposed both to the north of the school within the parking lot area as well as with impervious pavers to the south of the school.”

According to Frank, renovation plans include a security gate that would prohibit access from High School Road into the student drop-off, which will only be accessible from Seawell School Road.

Modifications made to the Special Use Permit for the renovations include changing the tree canopy requirement from 40 percent to 35 percent and changing building-height restrictions from 40 feet to 50 feet.

A friendly amendment was also made during the Town Council meeting to try and save as many trees along the southern edge of High School Road as possible.

The school will hold a groundbreaking event on June 12.

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