While several large pieces of property are in process or set to soon be clear cut, community advocates are holding a meeting Thursday night after a request to the Town of Chapel Hill.

Approximately 15 acres at the corner of Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and Estes Drive are being clear cut of the trees that have been a hallmark of the property.

Estes Drive Clear Cutting. Photo via Blake Hodge.

That area is just up Estes Drive from another property that was recently clear cut in advance of a retirement residence development that is being built. And across Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, there is approximately 40 acres owned by PH Craig spanning from Chapel Hill into Carrboro scheduled to be clear cut.

That prompted the Friends of the Bolin Creek group to approach the Chapel Hill Town Council with a request for the town to purchase all 77 acres of the Craig property.

Julie McClintock represented the Friends of the Bolin Creek in presenting the petition to the council last week.

“I know you all have a lot on your plate – you’re going to be hiring a new town manager; you’re dealing with a budget which will involve a tax increase – but why not try to take on something really challenging,” McClintock joked, “like acquiring PH Craig’s 77-acre tract.”

McClintock described the property as a beautiful piece of forest.

“If you go up Seawell School Road and park your car near the railroad tracks and walk in that way,” she said, “that forest is full of trails. It’s used every day of the week by runners, by cyclists, by people that just want to get in touch with nature.”

Friends of the Bolin Creek is hosting what is being described as a community forum on Thursday night. Mayors of Chapel Hill and Carrboro are both scheduled to attend the meeting, according to the group, along with town and county officials and forestry and water quality experts to talk about the impact of the clear cutting on the property, which has Bolin Creek winding through.

Estes Drive Clear Cutting. Photo via Blake Hodge.

The property is being clear cut in order to comply with timbering designations from the state, according to officials.

The aforementioned 15-acre site on Estes Drive is also a timbering designated property. Real estate personnel representing the property owner in that case said that nails were discovered hit into the trees on the property in what they said they believed was an attempt to sabotage the harvesting. Crews had to be more cautious during the harvesting in order to avoid potential injury to workers or damage to equipment, which the Durham Herald-Sun recently detailed.

Thursday’s community meeting is scheduled for Smith Middle School at 7 p.m.

Related Stories
‹
Downed Trees Close Stretch of Fordham Boulevard in Chapel Hill Tuesday Morning
Overnight storms felled trees along a popular thoroughfare in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, leaving morning travelers to find a detour.
Thousands Lose Power, Roads Get Closed in Orange County Due to Winter Storm
UPDATE: This story has been updated Monday evening with additional information about some power restoration in Hillsborough and Tuesday’s weather forecast. A winter storm that swept across North Carolina left several thousand Orange County residents without power Monday morning, as the forecast turned even colder. Heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms arrived in the region […]
Rain, Wind Bring Falling Trees in Orange County
With rain and wind battering North Carolina in recent days, falling trees have become a common sight throughout Orange County and the Triangle area. On Wednesday, a large 150-year-old tree fell on UNC’s campus at McCorkle Place. The tree collapsed near the entrance of Alumni Hall, a building that holds the university’s Anthropology and Archaeology departments. […]
Chapel Hill Removing Trees Deemed Safety Threat
The Town of Chapel Hill has started the process of removing 10 trees from two locations due to “their health and the harm they pose to people and property near them.” The work started this week with two willow oak trees being removed from North Street near its intersection with Hillsborough Street. Crews will then […]
Viewpoints: What's Happening to Chapel Hill's Trees?
What’s Happening to Chapel Hill’s Trees?  A perspective from Rudy Juliano, for Chapel Hill Alliance for a Livable Town Many residents of Chapel Hill appreciate the verdant beauty of the numerous mature trees that grace our town. Thus, people have been shocked by the extensive clear-cutting that has taken place recently at several major construction sites. […]
Crews Begin Removing Trees Deemed Safety Hazards in Downtown Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill officials began removing a series of downtown trees on Wednesday after they were deemed unsafe due to safety concerns. Removal began Wednesday for a tree in front on Graham Memorial Hall on the UNC campus. The removal caused one eastbound lane of Franklin Street traffic. Crews will work to remove a tree at […]
Clear Cutting Coming to 40 Acres in Carrboro
As Chapel Hill is alerting residents that approximately 15 acres are scheduled to be clear cut, Carrboro is dealing with similar circumstances. A release from the Town of Carrboro said that P.H. Craig is planning to clear “about 40 acres of timber near Bolin Creek in 2018.” The operation will be subject to state regulations. […]
15 Acres Set for Clear Cutting in Chapel Hill
It appears more trees are set to be clear cut along Estes Drive in Chapel Hill. Residents voiced their concern when land on Estes Drive was clear cut as construction is beginning on a retirement residence project. The mayor called the tree removal “heartbreaking” at the time. Now a forestry permit has been pulled by […]
Chapel Hill Mayor Calls Clear Cutting of Trees on Estes Drive 'Heartbreaking'
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 […]
Estes Drive Clear Cutting Sparks Concern from Chapel Hill Residents
A large clearing of trees has caused concern among some Chapel Hill residents. If you have recently driven down Estes Drive, you have likely noticed a large clearing of trees between Phillips Middle School and Somerset Drive. The nearly seven-acre site is the future home of a retirement residence in Chapel Hill, which received approval […]
›