Chapel Hill Still Cleaning Up From (First) Flood

Photo by Ernie Rogers (CHTC parking lot).

CHAPEL HILL – Town Manager Roger Stancil is asking town staff to move swiftly in the review process and waive fees for permits related to flood reconstruction.

“The assessment, clean up, and disposal will all take time, so patience is needed,” Stancil said in a release.

The Town is also waiving fees associated to some waste collection. Household bulky waste pickup is free to residents with flood damage. Residents with flood debris are asked to call Public Works at 919-969-5100 to arrange a special collection or to inquire as to whether or not your items can be picked up. Crews will not pick up construction or demolition wastes.

The conclusion of Tuesday’s joint assessment of the most affected areas of OrangeCounty to determine whether it will receive disaster loan assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA) has not been announced. Representatives from the SBA, North Carolina Emergency Management, and Orange County Emergency Services conducted the review. The USSBA Disaster Loan Declaration is requested if enough uninsured or underinsured loss to homes and or businesses occurred, which will offer low-interest loans to qualified applicants.

Some areas of the town are still recovering from flood damage. The first floor of Town Hall is being cleaned after several inches of water damaged the facility’s lower level. Taxes and other bills are being collected on the second floor. Business Management and Information Technology staff members have also been relocated.

A portion of Meadowbook Drive is still closed after an assessment of the road deemed it unsafe for vehicles. Repairs are currently underway.

Other Affected Areas

Town Hall at 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. – The first floor of the building was flooded with several inches of water. The clean-up and repair is underway. Residents may pay taxes and other bills on the second floor of Town Hall at the Revenue Collector. Business Management and Information Technology staff members have been relocated.
Airport Gardens public housing neighborhood on South Roberson Street: Clean-up and repair of 18 apartments is underway.
Umstead Park: Rather than restore the existing playground, crews will install a new play structure in the park away from the creek. Work on Umstead Park is scheduled to begin this week with removal of the existing structure and barrier fencing.
Greenways: The Bolin Creek Greenway was heavily impacted by the flooding. The Morgan Creek and Booker Creek greenways received some minor impacts, but these have been addressed. The Bolin Creek Greenway remains open, but greenway users need to be aware that while temporary measures have been implemented to maintain the trail surface, additional construction will be occurring over the next six months to repair damage. This work will necessitate the closing of sections of the trail. Crews will also be working in close proximity to the trail to clean up storm debris and remove damaged trees which may cause short term closing of trail areas.
Sykes Street Playground: The Sykes Playground is closed until a new retaining wall can be installed and the playground fall surface replaced. Chapel Hill Housing Department is responsible for this playground with assistance from the Parks and Recreation Department.
Meadowbrook Drive: Closed, pending repair.
Swimming Pools: None of the Town’s swimming pools were affected by the flooding. While we did receive the torrential rain at AD Clarke Pool, the pool filtration equipment is engineered to handle the overflow and keep the pool water within acceptable sanitary standards.

Chapel Hill Still Cleaning Up From (First) Flood

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