Today’s Commentator is Ken Larsen

FBC or Form Based Code is a tool that Chapel Hill leaders have adopted to expedite the development approval process.  I’m all for expediting that process, but in their haste to approve FBC, serious errors were made.  One lies with parking.  They introduced a formula that lowballs the number of parking spaces that developers are required to provide.

The Chapel Hill FBC specifies that a developer be required to provide only 1 parking space per one bedroom apartment and only 1.25 spaces for a two bedroom apartment.  To me, that’s too low and will result in fights over parking.  Like it or not, people own cars, and apartments will often be shared by multiple car-owning people.

This and other FBC issues were presented to the Town Council in 2014, but they chose to ignore such feedback.

Unfortunately, the results of a flawed decision are not immediately apparent.  If you permit a developer to skimp on parking spaces, it may be several years before a development is built, gets fully occupied, and parking problems surface.  This is all the more reason to proceed with caution.

Problems such as this FBC parking issue can be avoided if a Town Council actively listens to citizen and planning board feedback.  However, that hasn’t been happening.  The hubris of the current Town Council has resulted in many flawed decisions.  If they could put their egos aside and place serious value on citizen feedback, problems can be avoided.

Please vote in the November 3rd election.

— Ken Larsen.

Related Stories
‹
Chapel Hill Moving Forward with Plans for New Fire Station, Affordable Housing Development
The Town of Chapel Hill is “moving ahead” with plans to build a new Fire Station 4 and make room for an affordable housing development, both at the intersection of Weaver Dairy Road Extension and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to a release shared Thursday. The current Fire Station 4 is more than 40 […]
The Morning News: VinFast, Binkley Baptist, UNC Basketball
In today's news: local officials take action against the EV maker VinFast, and UNC men's basketball adds a preseason exhibition against USC.
Chapel Hill Shares LUMO Draft, Which Could Reshape Development Standards and Housing Types
After nearly a decade since Chapel Hill first launched plans to rewrite its land use management ordinance, or LUMO, a draft has arrived.
Here Are the Orange County Local Governments’ Approved Budgets, Tax Rates for 2026-27
The final totals and changes for Orange County governments' budgets are being finalized. Here are the details of each approved so far.
Chapel Hill Approves FY27 Budget with No Tax Increases; Will Revisit Library Funding, Greenways in Fall
The unanimous vote approved the Town of Chapel Hill to operate on a $170 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a slight increase.
As Chapel Hill Library Weighs Options Amid Possible Funding Cut, Supporters Speak Up to County
After receiving more than $620,000 annually from the Orange County government, the Chapel Hill Public Library may soon lose that funding.
Blue Sky Robotics Expanding Chapel Hill Headquarters, Moving to Rosemary Street
Blue Sky Robotics, which has been headquartered in downtown Chapel Hill since its founding in 2023, will be moving to the Innovate Carolina Junction building at 136 East Rosemary Street. The company is currently located in the Hill Commercial Building on 142 East Franklin Street. In a presentation to the Chapel Hill Town Council Wednesday […]
No Tax Increases and Increased Spending Featured in Chapel Hill Staff's Proposed FY27 Budget
Following a year with improved revenues and a new town manager at the helm, the Town of Chapel Hill may go into the next fiscal year without a tax increase or significant cuts.
Impassioned Public Comment Leads Chapel Hill Town Council to Drop Discussion of Downsizing
A discussion by the Chapel Hill Town Council about trimming its seats and extending the length of mayoral term was met with swift, vocal opposition during a public hearing last week.
Orange County Clerk of Court Mark Kleinschmidt Wins State, National Honors
Orange County Clerk of Superior Court Mark Kleinschmidt has been recognized with two awards – one statewide and one national – in recognition of his service. Kleinschmidt received the North Carolina Guardianship Association’s Trailblazer Award last week in Asheville, recognizing his two terms as Clerk of Superior Court and Probate Judge. In legal terms, guardianship […]
›