A Neighborhood in Transition: Northside Neighborhood Focus Area Report

Transcription

1 A Neighborhood in Transition: Northside Neighborhood Focus Area Report For the Town of Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan Revision UNC Chapel Hill Department of City and Regional Planning April, 1999 Allison Freeman Jeremy Klop Audrey Levenson Patrick McMahon Constanza Pallini Sasha Vrtunski

2 Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PROJECT PURPOSE SUMMARY OF RELEVANT ISSUES SUMMARY OF POLICY ALTERNATIVES CONCLUSION NORTHSIDE: A NEIGHBORHOOD IN TRANSITION NEIGHBORHOOD DESCRIPTION Neighborhood History The Neighborhood Today RELEVANT EXISTING CONDITIONS Property Ownership Patterns Student Residence Patterns New Building and Renovations Patterns Noise Complaints Parking Patterns EXISTING AND EMERGING NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND AVAILABILITY Increasing Rental Costs Lack of Sufficient Student Housing Supply Property Inheritance Issues NEW DEVELOPMENT INCONSISTENT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER CODE ENFORCEMENT Excessive Noise from Amplified Sound Parking Excessive Number of Unrelated Individuals Living in a Dwelling SAFETY/CRIME Crime in the Neighborhood Pass-through Traffic Insufficient Lighting Lack of Sidewalks LACK OF EFFECTIVE TOWN RESPONSE TO RESIDENTS CONCERNS LOSS OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER/QUALITY OF LIFE NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY ALTERNATIVES HOUSING AFFORDABILITY Housing Trust Fund Community Land Trust Preserve and Enhance Existing Properties LAND USE CONTROLS AND NEW DEVELOPMENT Creating Compatible Design Standards for New Development Encourage High Density Residential Development on Rosemary Street IMPROVING ORDINANCE EFFECTIVENESS Modification of the Noise Ordinance Modification of Parking Requirements Limiting the Number of Unrelated Individuals per Dwelling Landlord Licensing and Education ADDRESSING COMMUNITY SAFETY ISSUES Improve Lot Maintenance and Increased Lighting Reduce Speeds and Volume of Automobiles in Northside Improve Pedestrian Safety

3 4.5 SENSE OF COMMUNITY / TOWN ROLES Utilize the Comprehensive Plan Revision Process to Build Community Encourage Student Involvement in the Neighborhood Increase Coordination and Communication between and among the Town and Stakeholders in the Northside Neighborhood CONCLUSION...31 APPENDIX A...33 APPENDIX B...34 RESOURCES

4 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Project Purpose This report presents a summary of the issues facing the Northside neighborhood and reviews policy options for this designated focus area in the Town of Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan Revision process. The findings and recommendations contained in this report will be used to better inform the revision process currently underway. The Northside neighborhood is located immediately northwest of the downtown area and the University of North Carolina, and represents one of the more diverse neighborhoods within Chapel Hill. A strong sense of history and appreciation for the diversity present in the neighborhood has led residents to seek strategies to protect the integrity and character of their neighborhood and has led the Town to include Northside as a focus area. Northside is a diverse community, which makes planning for it a challenge. The current population represents a mix of races and income levels. There are homeowners and renters, students and professionals, long-time residents and newcomers. With this diversity comes an equally diverse spectrum of visions for the future of the Northside neighborhood. There is also a difference of opinion concerning the boundaries of the Northside neighborhood. The Town Council has established that the neighborhood is roughly bounded by the back lot lines on Rosemary Street to the south, North Columbia Street to the east, McMasters Street to the north and the Chapel Hill/Carrboro town boundary to the west. Some of the long-time residents interviewed felt that Northside was actually a smaller area than the Town s designation; others expressed that, although separated by the town boundaries, some residents of Carrboro also identify with the Northside neighborhood. Still others felt that the area between North Columbia Street and Airport Road should be included. For the purposes of this project, we found that the majority of input we received identified the boundaries as consistent with the Town s designation. Therefore, these are the boundaries we have employed in our data collection and reporting. This report has been prepared by members of a University of North Carolina Department of City and Regional Planning graduate workshop, in cooperation with the Town of Chapel Hill Planning Department. It is intended to provide the 3

5 Comprehensive Plan Working Group, and residents of Northside, with detailed information about the issues being faced in the neighborhood, along with policy alternatives with which to address these issues. A number of information sources were utilized in preparing this report. A series of interviews were conducted with residents who represent the neighborhood s diverse population (Appendices A and B). These residents provided first-hand accounts of their perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of Northside, as well as their hopes for the neighborhood s future. Information was also obtained from the Town s Community Forum of January 14, 1999, minutes of the September 1998 Planning Board meeting with Northside Residents, and the Comprehensive Plan Working Group meeting of February 15, In addition, county and city databases provided information about homeownership patterns, building patterns, and crime statistics. Finally, visual surveys of the neighborhood were conducted, with specific attention to parking patterns. 1.2 Summary of Relevant Issues The proximity of Northside to downtown Chapel Hill and the UNC campus has both positive and negative effects upon the neighborhood. Residents benefit from being within walking distance of a wide variety of social, cultural, and educational resources, as well as retail services. This proximity has also brought significant development pressure on the neighborhood. In 1998 alone, there were 16 building permits issued for new dwelling units and additions, up from 2 in the previous year. There are a host of concerns relating to housing affordability and availability throughout the neighborhood. A major issue, which has been intensifying in recent years, is the pressure put on the Northside housing market by students moving into the neighborhood. As one of the only neighborhoods providing affordable housing near the university, Northside is very attractive to students, as well as to developers and property owners who see the potential for profit in renting to the student population. Improvements to individual units are, on the surface, a benefit to the physical condition of the neighborhood. But these improvements, along with student rentals, drive up rental rates; they also have the potential to drive up property taxes for homeowners, making affordability an issue for low-income residents in the area. Increased rentals to students have also worsened parking problems in the neighborhood. The influx of students has brought an increased number of cars to the area. Because off-street parking is limited, some cars are parked in front yards. 4

6 A visual survey revealed 30 houses with cars parked within the front yard setback. In addition, some streets are overly congested with cars belonging to both residents and others who park in the neighborhood due to its proximity to downtown and the UNC campus. Police records also show that noise complaints have been increasing in the neighborhood, and that these complaints are correlated with the University academic calendar year. On a more fundamental level, there are concerns about the Comprehensive Plan Revision process, in and of itself. Residents have expressed a fear that this study, along with other venues for input into the Comprehensive Plan Revision, will fail to result in significant corrective action. In 1990 the Northside neighborhood was designated as a Conservation Area in the Chapel Hill Land Use Plan. Now Northside is being recognized again as a designated focus area for the Comprehensive Plan Revision. Residents do not want merely to be studied again. A Planning Board meeting was held in September 1998 to hear the concerns of residents; they brought forward many of the same issues that had been documented in past years and that are again outlined in this report. The Comprehensive Planning Process is an opportunity to effectively address these issues. Although there are many specific issues to be addressed in Northside, the overriding goal is to conserve the character and quality of life known in Northside s past, while preparing for the changes to come in Northside s future. These issues are described in more detail in Section 3: Existing and Emerging Neighborhood Issues. 1.3 Summary of Policy Alternatives A series of policy options are suggested to address the issues outlined above. This section presents a brief summary of those suggestions, which are outlined more fully in Section 4 of this report. Housing affordability and availability in Northside can be addressed through a variety of mechanisms. In trying to increase the affordable housing supply, one method is the development of a community-wide housing trust fund. The fund could be used to help develop or renovate affordable housing in designated areas of Chapel Hill, i.e. in the Northside Conservation Area. This fund could be developed by setting aside one cent of the current property tax rate to be held in a fund for affordable housing development. Another option is the development of a Community Land Trust. A Land Trust buys the land that a house stands on, 5

7 transferring ownership to the community. Housing becomes affordable through this mechanism because the homeowner does not absorb land costs. A third proposal is the creation of a First Option program, which would give the Town, or a local non-profit organization, the first option to buy a property up for sale within the neighborhood; the Town or non-profit would then sell the property to a low- or moderate-income buyer. The goal would be to keep those homes affordable and keep them as single-family, owner-occupied units, as opposed to selling to a developer who might convert the house to more profitable rental units. Compatibility of new development within Northside could be addressed with the development of a Neighborhood Overlay District. Such a designation could add additional criteria or standards for new development to the underlying zoning requirements. Neighborhood Overlay Districts are well suited to preserving neighborhood character by regulating lot sizes, setbacks, building heights, and street design. Another land use control-- incentives or preferential treatment for multi-family development along Rosemary Street-- could be used to direct development patterns. Increased high-density residential development here could take pressure off of the neighborhood for rental development and conversions. To alleviate problems associated with the high level of music/noise complaints, we recommend revisiting the Town s Noise Ordinance. Two options exist here. The Town could change the hours under which the ordinance is effective, for example, making the ordinance go into effect earlier on weekend nights. They could also change the regulation to include different types of noise, not solely limiting outdoor amplified sound. The issue of parking could be addressed in different ways to deal with the distinct problems of front-yard parking and on-street congestion. To limit on-street congestion, the Town may choose to implement residential parking permits in additional areas throughout the neighborhood, thus limiting the ability of nonresidents to park in the neighborhood where they are afforded ready access to downtown. Another mechanism to control on-street parking is an increase in the number of off-street parking spaces required by ordinance for new development. Where front-yard parking is concerned, the Town could choose to ban parking on unimproved surfaces in front yards, while also limiting the area of the front yard that may be improved to 40 percent of the total front-yard area. 6

8 Increased density associated with rental units could be addressed by lowering the number of unrelated individuals permitted per dwelling unit. This could be accomplished through a zoning change or through the use of a Neighborhood Overlay District. The Town could also institute a Landlord Licensing Program that would call for annual inspection, licensing, and registration of all rental units in the neighborhood. A final initiative associated with rentals in Northside would be the development of a Landlord Education Program to teach landlords about the business side of renting their properties, including a focus on code compliance. Community safety issues can be remedied through a variety of proposed actions. First of all, physical improvements would improve residents perception of safety within the neighborhood. There are a few specific areas of inadequate lighting identified later in this report where additional street lighting could be added. In addition, maintenance of vacant lots, including lots and greenways owned by the Town, would improve safety in Northside. Where auto congestion is concerned, safety issues could be addressed by improving auto circulation in the neighborhood through reducing parking to one side of the street in identified problem areas. Additional stop signs at appropriate intersections would also be beneficial in slowing down vehicles traveling through Northside. Finally, additional sidewalks could be provided, and existing sidewalks improved, to address pedestrian safety. The Town can take meaningful action to ensure they are responsive to these and other concerns that develop for Northside residents. One recommendation is for the establishment of a permanent liaison with an active role in maintaining open lines of communication between the Town and neighborhood residents and with a role in ensuring prompt action on neighborhood issues. This liaison would also directly support the efforts of the Northside Neighborhood Association. The changing character and quality of life in Northside is a more complicated issue to address. One suggestion involves creating a program to integrate the student and non-student populations into a more cohesive neighborhood. For example, UNC could purchase a house within the neighborhood to be occupied by students eager to be a part of Northside. These students could conduct an orientation program for other student residents in Northside and also be active participants in the Neighborhood Association. Such a program could help restore the sense of community that Northside residents feel they are losing. 7

9 1.4 Conclusion After thoughtful consideration of the former policy alternatives, it has become apparent that the lack of consensus among Northside residents will seriously undermine any serious attempts that the Town may make in addressing issues of concern throughout the neighborhood. A dialogue with the goal of developing a meaningful level of consensus could facilitate the Northside community s moving from a stage of disagreement and contentiousness to one where an exchange of opinions occurs and common ground is developed. Within our community, there is the Orange County Dispute Settlement Center, which could be called upon to help design a process and facilitate sessions among interested community stakeholders. Policy implementation would then be owned by the Town and by community members from different sides of the issues. 2. Northside: A Neighborhood in Transition 2.1 Neighborhood Description Neighborhood History Longtime residents of the Northside neighborhood are loyal to and protective of this area of Chapel Hill, and this attachment seems to stem directly from Northside's history. According to most residents, Northside is the area of Chapel Hill located west of Church Street and running to the Carrboro town line. This area, originally known as Potter's Field, was traditionally occupied by African American homeowners and renters; according to residents, Potter's field was the largest African American neighborhood in Chapel Hill in which residents owned their homes. The neighborhood originally contained a majority of single-family, owner-occupied homes. Potter's Field was "discovered" in the late 1960s by surveyors who came through the neighborhood to plan for urban renewal. During this process, residents were offered money to move and build elsewhere in the Chapel Hill region. Residents pulled together and fought to prevent the dissolution of their neighborhood. Rather than accept money with which to build elsewhere, residents sought to obtain federal funding to improve existing homes or to construct new homes on the land they owned in Northside. The struggle against urban renewal was the beginning of residents' working together to protect the Northside neighborhood. 8

10 The area east of Church Street and south of Caldwell Street was originally known as Pritchard's Field. Pritchard's Field was a farm that was sold in 1922 by William Pritchard, its original owner. The Pritchard's Field region of Northside developed in a more uniform fashion and with less subdivision than the area originally known as Potter's Field. The Northside neighborhood contains a number of buildings of historical significance. The building that housed the former Town Hall is located in the neighborhood. The Orange Person Chatham County Services is located in the former Northside School, which was the first public secondary school for African American students in Orange County. The William P. Hargraves Community Center, used as the home of an all-black Navy band during World War II, today serves as a social and cultural focal point for the community The Neighborhood Today The physical area studied for this report is approximately 150 acres (Exhibit 1). It is predominantly residential, with a limited number of institutional facilities throughout the neighborhood. Northside contains predominantly single-family residential structures, though there are a number of duplexes and some multi-family housing. One of these is a major apartment building, which has approximately 50 units. Other multi-family structures include public housing facilities located at Craig and Gomains Streets, Lindsey Street, and Church Street. Institutional uses in the neighborhood include the William P. Hargraves Community Center. Although it is centrally located within Northside on Roberson Street, the center serves people from throughout Orange County. Northside is also home to three churches: St. Joseph s AME on Rosemary Street, Church of God on Church Street, and Bryant s Chapel on Chapel Street. In addition, the Orange Person Chatham Mental Health Center, the Southern Orange Senior Center and the Chapel Hill Housing Department are located within the neighborhood. Northside is also home to a police substation, located close to the corner of Craig and Caldwell Streets, and the Gomains Play Area located on Sykes Street (Exhibit 1). 1 Conserving the Northside Neighborhood. December 1990 Report Prepared by Graduate School Class of Department of City and Regional Planning at UNC-CH 9

11 2.2 Relevant Existing Conditions Property Ownership Patterns Using the best available data on property ownership, owner occupied parcels and absentee owners parcels were identified. Of the 429 privately held parcels (excludes churches, town owned property, and housing department properties), 221 (52%) are owned by someone not living on the property, 208 (48%) are owner occupied (Exhibit 2). The rate for owner occupied parcels does not distinguish whether the parcel is occupied solely by the homeowner and his/her family, or if the homeowner rents out some part of the residence to a tenant. Additionally, more than one dwelling unit may be present on a given parcel, but the information was not readily available for analysis Student Residence Patterns Data from the University s Online Campus Directory provides student addresses as of spring, These data are available only for students who listed their addresses in the UNC student directory. Therefore, this data may undercount the number of students actually residing in the Northside neighborhood. We can see that students are present throughout the neighborhood, but with more students in the eastern portion of the neighborhood, especially close to Church Street (Exhibit 3). Although the Northside neighborhood has a history of providing rental housing, these rentals have traditionally been in single-family structures, and have not detracted from the single-family character of the neighborhood. UNC records show that there are now at least ten houses with three to four student occupants and seven houses containing five to six student occupants 3 (Exhibit 3). In addition to the seventeen houses identified previously, Chancellor Square, a 50 unit apartment complex in Northside, is home to approximately 134 students. While these numbers do not seem significant in comparison to the total number of parcels in the neighborhood, there is a perception among residents that student impact is more significant than the numbers would suggest. This may indicate that even a relatively small number of students can have an impact on the neighborhood, especially when many students are concentrated into single family structures. 2 UNC Chapel Hill 1999 Student Directory Database 3 Our data may undercount the total number of students in the neighborhood since it included only those students who chose to list their addresses in the UNC online 10

12 2.2.3 New Building and Renovations Patterns Data on building permits 4 show that while the number of building permits issued for Northside remained relatively constant from 1995 to 1997, there was a significant increase in 1998 (Figure 1). The greatest increase is in the number of permits for duplexes. While no permits were issued for duplex construction from 1991 to 1997, eight permits were issued in 1998 (Figure 2). Increased duplex construction may contribute to an increased availability of rental housing in Northside, and an increased number of student residents. Although these may not seem like high numbers, when the social fabric of a neighborhood is disintegrating, or perceived to be disintegrating, the impact can be significant. Eight duplexes -- equaling sixteen units, each with at least two to four people per unit can mean 32 to 64 more residents living densely in an area. If all of these residents are students, who are less likely to become invested in the neighborhood, the impact will surely not be negligible. A comparative analysis of maps documenting student residence patterns and delineating properties that were issued permits for renovation or other types of alteration reveals a strong correlation between these properties (Exhibits 3 and 4). This suggests that much of the housing is being improved or converted for student use. The increase in permits issued in Northside in 1998 shows that modest investments are being made in this neighborhood. It is important to consider the effects of these investments on both the physical appearance and character of the neighborhood, as well as on the affordability of residential units. Physical improvements can surely be seen as a boon to the neighborhood, improving the aesthetic quality of structures. However, these improvements also lead to higher property valuations, thus increasing property taxes for all neighborhood residents. Landlords facing increased costs are likely to pass these costs along to renters. Should this happen, lowincome or fixed-income residents may be priced out of the Northside neighborhood. Residents interviewed for this report expressed concern about the affordability of units and commented that only multiple students living together could afford to pay the rents on the newer units in the neighborhood. For example, a house rented at $1300 a month is close to impossible for a low-income family of four to afford, but four students sharing the same rent would only pay $425 per month each. campus directory. Therefore, students may represent a greater proportion of neighborhood residents than revealed in our maps. 11

13 2.2.4 Noise Complaints An analysis of music and noise complaint data from the Chapel Hill Police Department 5 reveals that the number of noise complaints (average monthly number of complaints over each school year) nearly doubled during the period from April 1996 to January 1999 (Figure 3). In addition, noise complaint data reveal that the number of complaints over the course of the year is highly correlated with the presence of students during the University calendar year. The number of complaints is drastically reduced during the months of June and July, and again during the month of December Parking Patterns Parking in the Northside neighborhood can be challenging due to narrow streets, a lack of off-street parking areas, and the high demand for parking near downtown. Many residents have commented on the problems associated with parking in the neighborhood. We conducted a visual survey 6 to assess the extent of parking issues such as front-yard parking and on-street congestion. During one site visit, we found that 30 lots had vehicles parked within the front-yard setback (Exhibit 5). These lots were identified as having more than 40 percent of the front-yard setback dedicated for parked vehicles (this was identified by cars actually present, or by indications of cars being parked in the area, i.e. bare patches where grass used to be). Of the 64 houses where students are known to be living, only 14 of these were identified as having parking areas within their front yard setback. This finding suggests that student housing in the neighborhood is not solely to blame for the problem of front-yard parking in Northside. On the other hand, a greater relationship seems to exist between student occupied housing and areas with congested on-street parking. Areas of congestion were identified as sections of streets having multiple cars parked on one or both sides to the degree that passage was difficult and/or sightlines were limited. Of the 45 observed areas with congested on-street parking, 21 of those were located adjacent to known student occupied housing. Interestingly, the same survey indicated that on-street parking congestion was also associated with Town owned properties. Of 4 Town of Chapel Hill Building Inspection Department. Data for 1995 to Chapel Hill Police Department. Crime Data on Music/Noise Complaints Survey included six visits to Northside over a two-week period. Three visits took place on weekday evenings, and three occurred between 7:00 am and noon on weekday mornings. 12

14 the 45 areas identified, 10 were located adjacent to property owned by the Town. These Town owned properties include public housing units and the Chapel Hill Department of Housing. The visual survey indicates parking was particularly congested on several streets: Pritchard, Carr, Bynum, Short, McMasters and Caldwell Streets (Exhibit 5). This onstreet congestion correlates with the location of student occupied housing, but congestion also reflects that the problems are not solely limited to student occupied housing. 3. Existing and Emerging Neighborhood Issues 3.1 Housing Affordability and Availability Increasing Rental Costs One of the most significant concerns raised by neighborhood residents in our interviews dealt with housing affordability and availability, though we were presented with differing perspectives on the subject. Much of the concern revolves around the idea that Northside may no longer be financially accessible to a large segment of the population that has historically lived in the neighborhood. There has been considerable redevelopment in portions of the neighborhood, rehabilitating houses and making them available as rental units. While rehabilitation is beneficial with respect to the physical improvement of a property, it can also enable property owners to increase rental rates, making units unaffordable to many of the lower-income residents of Northside. In addition, improvements to homes within Northside have an impact upon property values throughout the neighborhood, leading to property tax increases for homeowners of all income levels, further affecting affordability Lack of Sufficient Student Housing Supply There has been an increasing demand for rental housing in the Northside neighborhood caused in part by the inadequate amount of student housing provided by UNC. This issue is troubling to neighborhood residents, who feel that the University should be taking responsibility for meeting students housing needs. The University s student population increased by 5.7% between 1987 and 1998, from 13

15 22,921 to 24,238 students 7. The last student housing facility to be constructed was Carmichael Hall in In assuming that rental markets will develop to meet these needs, the University disregards the significant impact this has had, and will continue to have, on established neighborhoods such as Northside Property Inheritance Issues Sales to developers are fostered, in part, by increasing illness or death among the older residents of Northside, and the ensuing property inheritance issues. The Northside neighborhood has many older, long-time homeowners who leave their property to their children. The rising property taxes may make it undesirable for children/heirs to keep the property, either for their own occupation or for potential rental income. Heirs residing outside the neighborhood or the region, in particular, may not wish to occupy the home or manage its rental. In addition, where multiple heirs are involved, they may be unable to afford to buy their siblings shares of the property. Individuals may then try to obtain the highest sale price possible (often from developers of rental properties) to liquidate the property. A local neighborhood-based nonprofit organization has been active in helping residents address property inheritance issues. One of their goals has been to ensure that all homeowners in the neighborhood have a will and have made some decisions about what to do with their property upon their passing. This is an effort to make sure that homes do not necessarily go to the highest bidder. Similar assistance has been provided through the Southern Orange Senior Center in the neighborhood. In addition, proposals have been made to give nonprofit entities or the Northside Neighborhood Association the first option to buy a home when it is placed on the market. These entities then resell the homes to families from the neighborhood or low to moderate-income newcomers who will reside in the home. 3.2 New Development Inconsistent with Neighborhood Character A final housing issue raised by area residents concerns new construction and development. There is a seeming lack of consistency in scale between some new construction and the existing physical character of the Northside neighborhood. This further fuels the negative feelings surrounding new development in the neighborhood. 7 Planning for Chapel Hill s Future: Revising the Comprehensive Plan. Chapel Hill Data Book, January

16 3.3 Code Enforcement Excessive Noise from Amplified Sound The Town's noise ordinance sets limits on noise levels within Chapel Hill. Outdoor amplified sound (such as music from loudspeakers) is allowed only on Thursday night (5 p.m. to 11 p.m.), Friday night (5 p.m. to midnight) and on Saturday (10 a.m. to midnight). A permit from the Police Department must be obtained at least 48 hours before an event involving outdoor-amplified sound. In some circumstances, as authorized by the ordinance, the Police Department may issue a permit for outdoor-amplified sound at other times during the day. 8 One-on-one interviews with residents of the Northside neighborhood revealed that residents are very concerned with levels of noise in the neighborhood and with the enforcement of the noise ordinance. Residents believe that the increasing number of students in the neighborhood has led to an increase in the amount of noise in the area. This would seem to be confirmed by our analysis of Police Department music/noise complaint data (see Section 2.2.4) Parking One of the consistent complaints aired by residents of the Northside neighborhood concerns over-parking or parking congestion in the area. Over-parking along streets is a nuisance to residents as it restricts access to driveways and homes. Both residents and police personnel have expressed safety concerns about over-parking on streets, which effectively narrows two-way streets to one-lane access. Such restricted access is inconvenient and can be dangerous when emergency vehicles need to travel quickly through the neighborhood. Northside residents report that the parking situation becomes particularly unmanageable when residents have multiple visitors. The vast majority of the Northside neighborhood is zoned R-3 and R-4. According to the Town of Chapel Hill Development Ordinance (adopted May 11, 1981, with Town Council amendments through July, 1997), the minimum number of off-street parking spaces required for a single family dwelling in Northside is two per unit. For two-family or multi-family units, one off-street space is required per efficiency unit, 1.5 off-street spaces is required per one or two-bedroom units, and two off-street spaces are required for each unit with three or more bedrooms. Residents of some

17 streets where parking is normally prohibited may qualify for special on-street parking permits. These permits may also be obtained for residences lacking adequate space for off-street parking. 9 But these special permits may only serve to worsen the on-street congestion in some areas. The Development Ordinance requirements for off-street parking clearly are not adequate for units that have been converted into student housing. A single family home which has been renovated to allow for multiple-student occupancy is not required to have additional off-street spaces per resident. This results in areas of the neighborhood having more on- and off-street parking than can be accommodated, and can force residents to use their front yards for additional parking. This is directly related to resident concerns that multiple cars parked in front yards detract aesthetically from their neighborhood Excessive Number of Unrelated Individuals Living in a Dwelling The Town of Chapel Hill Development Ordinance (adopted May 11, 1981, with Town Council amendments through July, 1997) describes a rooming house as a building or group of buildings intended for occupancy by or occupied by more than four persons who are not related by blood, adoption, marriage or domestic partnership. 10 In essence, this ordinance restricts the number of unrelated individuals who may live together in a dwelling (without that dwelling being considered a rooming house) to no more than four. A single-family home with five bedrooms, therefore, will be considered a rooming house unless at least two of the five residents are related to one another. The Development Ordinance places additional restrictions on multi-family housing in Chapel Hill. A two-family, or duplex, unit should not have more than three bedrooms per unit. A duplex with more than three bedrooms per unit will be classified as a rooming house unless each dwelling unit is occupied by persons related by blood, adoption, marriage, or domestic partnership, and with not more than two unrelated persons per unit. Residents of Northside have expressed concern with the lack of enforcement of the ordinance concerning the number of unrelated individuals who may live together within different types of housing. Residents claim that the number of individuals on a lease for a home often differs from the number of individuals actually living in that

18 home; as a result there are more individuals living in certain dwellings than is allowed under the Development Ordinance. Such overcrowding in the neighborhood negatively affects the parking situation in Northside, and residents believe it also increases the level of noise in the neighborhood. 3.4 Safety/Crime Crime in the Neighborhood Interviews with personnel at the Chapel Hill Police Department indicate that there has been an overall improvement in the level of crime in the Northside neighborhood over the past decade. Police continue to be concerned about drug dealing (especially sales of crack cocaine) in the neighborhood; according to Police, most of this activity takes place on Sunset, Rosemary and Graham Streets. Neighborhood crime levels have improved due in part to the police's having worked with residents to establish community policing techniques. In the past, there was some confusion among residents about whom to call with different types of complaints. After working with residents for several years, however, the police have trained complainants about which departments to call (police, building inspection, etc.) when they have a concern Pass-through Traffic Residents of the Northside neighborhood expressed concern over the increasing level of pass-through traffic in their neighborhood. In addition to concern over the level of such traffic, residents are concerned about the speed of travel of vehicles passing through. Some residents felt that excessive speed was worsened by an insufficient number of stop signs in the neighborhood; the lack of stop signs also makes the neighborhood a convenient and efficient through-route for outside traffic. The intersection of Church and Caldwell Streets was identified as a particularly dangerous spot. Although Town engineers have determined that a four-way stop is not needed at this intersection, some residents remain interested in seeing one installed Insufficient Lighting Police personnel are especially concerned about the issue of lighting in the Northside neighborhood. While there are streetlights throughout the neighborhood, 10 Development Ordinance, Chapel Hill North Carolina,

19 police are concerned about a lack of visibility in some areas despite these lights. According to police personnel, streetlights do not illuminate street edges sufficiently to allow police to view criminal activity in these areas. Shadowy sidewalk areas and shrubbery allow those engaged in illegal activity to recognize and hide from police before police detect their presence. High-powered streetlights would facilitate crime enforcement of the Northside neighborhood. While concerns were raised by police personnel about the quality of lighting in Northside, visual surveys of the neighborhood do not show a neighborhood-wide lack of lighting (Exhibit 6). For the most part, streetlights are located consistently throughout the neighborhood and spaced similarly to those in the McCauley/Cameron neighborhood. Of the approximately 150 streetlights in Northside, only one streetlight was not working. However, several areas were identified that did not have sufficient lighting; additional streetlights in these areas would better serve the neighborhood. The greenway adjacent to Mitchell Street is a good example of a poorly lit area; it is insufficiently served by the existing streetlights and is extremely dark at night. This area of poor visibility on the greenway extends from McDade and Mitchell Streets to north of Caldwell Street. In addition, the eastern edge of the Orange Person Chatham Mental Health Center property is also obscured by a lack of sufficient lighting. Six streets were identified as having small pockets of extreme darkness: the north end of Sykes Street, Amity Lane, Andrews Street, Caldwell Street between Church and Columbia Streets, Carr between Pritchard and Columbia Streets, and Pritchard north of Carr Street Lack of Sidewalks Both neighborhood residents and police express concern over the lack of a consistent sidewalk system throughout the Northside neighborhood. A visual survey of the neighborhood revealed that sidewalks, where they exist, often end abruptly in grassy areas. The lack of sidewalks throughout the neighborhood forces residents and visitors in Northside to walk along the edges of or within streets. This creates a safety concern for both pedestrians and drivers in the Northside neighborhood. 3.5 Lack of Effective Town Response to Residents Concerns One of the more fundamental issues expressed by residents dealt with a perceived lack of sufficient and timely action on the part of the Town in addressing concerns in the Northside neighborhood. It is hoped that the current planning process will be more fruitful, since the neighborhood has been designated as a specific focus area 18

20 in the Comprehensive Plan Revision process. But some residents worry that this focus area report and series of suggestions will not result in any meaningful change. Residents acknowledge that they have a responsibility to become involved in neighborhood improvement efforts. However, there is a sense that the Town has not done an adequate job of soliciting such involvement. Some residents feel that the same people are approached each time planning efforts are undertaken in Northside, and that the resulting mix of opinions is not necessarily representative of the diversity of perspectives present in the neighborhood. Residents feel that relying on the input of a predominantly constant group of individuals overlooks opportunities to engage new neighborhood leaders. 3.6 Loss of Neighborhood Character/Quality of Life All of the aforementioned issues have contributed to an over-arching concern about the changing character of the Northside neighborhood. As in many neighborhoods in rapidly expanding communities, residents are grappling with changes in their quality of life and are seeking some mechanisms by which to gain greater control. Some changes can be attributed to the impact that students have on the neighborhood, but residents acknowledge that this impact is not inherently negative, nor does it explain many of the expressed concerns. Many students have been, and can continue to be, good neighbors and positive assets to the neighborhood. However, noise disturbances, parking problems, and housing affordability issues are seen as the negative effects of increased student movement into the neighborhood. People miss the time when they knew their neighbors and felt that people were watching out for one another. Addressing these issues is a great challenge in a neighborhood such as Northside where the diversity of the population leads to dissimilar visions and ideas. Some residents would like to return to the days when they knew all of their neighbors; they are hopeful that their children and grandchildren will be able to own homes in Northside. Others are enthusiastic about the physical revitalization that has started to take place and enjoy the diversity the student population brings to the neighborhood. One common hope is that the Northside neighborhood will continue to be a pleasant place in which to live. 19

21 4. Northside Neighborhood Policy Alternatives This section will present a number of policy alternatives through which the issues identified in Section 3 may be addressed. To recap, these issues include: housing affordability and availability, issues associated with new development, code enforcement and ordinance effectiveness, community safety, lack of effective town action, and loss of neighborhood character and quality of life. 4.1 Housing Affordability Housing Trust Fund Housing trust funds have been used in communities of all sizes to create muchneeded funds for affordable housing. By definition, housing trust funds have a dedicated source of on-going revenue, do not rely solely on federal funding, and must target the housing needs of low-income or special populations (Freeman, 1998). Because of the flexible nature of housing trust funds, these funds can be used however is deemed appropriate by the authority that administers them. Most trust funds tailor programs toward people at or below 80% of area median income. Monies are put toward initiatives associated with affordable housing. These include, but are not limited to: land purchase, construction, rehabilitation, second mortgages for homebuyers, downpayment assistance, and first-time homebuyer assistance programs. There are a number of uses to which a housing trust fund might be put in Chapel Hill. In Chapel Hill, one barrier to affordable housing is obtaining available land. Certain government funding sources cannot be used for land purchase and Chapel Hill has very little land left to develop. One specific use for a housing trust fund could be to buy land when it becomes available on the market. Additionally, a housing trust fund could be used specifically to buy homes that come on the market in Northside so that they can be resold to low and moderate income families. Trust funds are usually created through governmental legislation and, as a result, the funds are administered by a governmental agency. However, there are cases in which a non-profit corporation administers the trust funds. Undoubtedly, Chapel Hill's instituting and administering a trust fund will produce associated administrative costs. The impact of these could be reduced, however, by setting up the trust fund as a separate non-profit entity. 20

22 Although Orange County passed a housing bond for $1.8 million dollars in the past year, housing advocates claim that housing needs are so great that six million dollars would have been a much more appropriate level of funding. A housing trust fund could be the answer to filling this gap. Communities have come up with a number of creative solutions to raise funds they dedicate to their housing trust fund. Dedicating one cent of the tax rate (Chapel Hill's tax rate is now $0.54 per $100 valuation) is a strategy that has been used in other cities such as Greensboro, NC. ABODE, the local affordable housing coalition, has proposed this strategy to the Town of Chapel Hill. One cent of every 54 cents per $100 valuation could go to a trust fund for affordable housing development. With increased funds, the Town or local non-profits could purchase homes on the market in Northside to ensure that they are resold to families at an affordable level Community Land Trust A community land trust has been suggested over the past few years as a possible policy option for addressing affordable housing issues in Northside. 11 Basically, a community land trust buys the land that a house stands on, but sells a long-term (in some cases a 99-year) lease to the house. The occupants are able to sell the lease when they choose to move and are therefore able to recapture some of their equity up to a certain percentage. This enables houses to be kept permanently in the affordable housing stock while giving participants the benefits of owning a house. A Land Trust in Orange County is currently being formed. For its first project, the Land Trust will be a partner in the Scarlette Drive project off of Through the Town and local non-profits, Northside could be a target area for the Land Trust. For information about the Land Trust in Orange County, call Loryn Barnes at the Town of Chapel Hill or Robert Dowling at Orange Community Housing Corporation. For more general information on land trusts, see The Potential for a Community Land Trust 12, which outlines the steps in implementing a Community Land Trust in Northside. Affordable housing advocates and non-profits often see land trusts as a solution to providing more affordable housing. However, community members sometimes do not see land trusts as a viable solution because ownership of the land does not rest with the house's occupants. Practically speaking, the community owns the land 11 Chow and DiStefano The Potential for a Community Land Trust. DCRP UNC 12 ibid. 21

23 while the resident owns the house. This may cause residents to feel that they are losing ownership of the property. In the case of Northside, a land trust is regarded by some residents as further diluting black residents ownership of land instead of increasing it. 13 Another approach the Town could take is to create or support a program to encourage homeowners to give a local nonprofit or the Town the first option to buy when homeowners in Northside consider selling their homes. One local nonprofit has begun to encourage homeowners to do just this. The purpose of this strategy is to keep home prices affordable and to prevent further loss of single family homes to conversion to rental units. The extent to which this strategy is working is not known Preserve and Enhance Existing Properties Residents of Northside can benefit from the Urgent Repair Program that is administered through Orange Community Housing Corporation. This repair program is funded through HOME funds (available from the Department of Housing and Urban Development), the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and Orange County. The program s administrator, Jamie Rohe, has estimated that they have worked on ten houses in the Northside neighborhood. From conversations with local affordable housing advocates, it appears that the repair program could help many more residents (of Northside as well as other areas) if there were more funds available. Currently, the Urgent Repair Program is applying for additional funding from the County and will apply later in the year for additional HOME funds. The program s funds are spent as repair applications come in and are approved. The demand has been great enough that funds have been spent much faster than expected. Orange County has stepped in to fund the program so it could continue. Rohe estimates that there is an approximate gap of $20,000 between the program s funding level and what they could spend to help low-income people repair their homes. As Chapel Hill residents are benefiting from this program, it is reasonable to expect that the Town would contribute to the program either directly or through an affordable housing trust fund. The two approaches used in tandem would work to preserve the current stock of affordable housing. 13 Personal Communication with Myles Presler, Executive Director of EmPOWERment, Inc. 22