Chapel Hill Town Council Meeting – June 18, 2025
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Chapel Hill Town Council Meeting – June 18, 2025
The Chapel Hill Town Council met on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chamber. Mayor Jessica Anderson presided, with Council Members Adam Searing and Karen Stegman absent and excused. The seven present members voted on a contentious FY 2025-2026 budget, approved multiple land-use items for the Rogers Road and Parkline areas, and unanimously supported a UNC tennis facility expansion.
Consent Calendar
- Items 2–4 were approved unanimously (7-0) without discussion: approval of all routine consent items, submittal of the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development Programs in Orange County, and approval of the 2025-2026 HOME Investment Partnerships Program Annual Plan spending $375,939.67.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jennifer Leighton (Littlejohn Road resident) described a tree from the Hillmont development falling toward her home, alleging that tree protection ordinances were being treated as guidelines rather than enforceable rules and that planning staff had not responded to her outreach.
- Craig Nishimoto (arborist) provided specific evidence of violations: the developer failed to identify rare/specimen trees within 50 feet of disturbance and did not install protective fencing according to town standards, creating a hazard for neighboring properties.
- Neal Bench (Chapel Hill homeowner) opposed the proposed tax rate, arguing the 5.8 cents over revenue neutral constituted a 13% increase on the average homeowner and urged the Council to find cost reductions.
- Fifteen community members spoke in opposition to the conditional rezoning at 11 White Oak Drive (Old Chapel Hill Apartments). Key themes: the building’s 250-foot, four-story massing on Old Chapel Hill Road would be an overwhelming wall; the applicant had not submitted a binding revised design; the project would add ~3,000 daily car trips; and the developer’s attitude toward neighbors was dismissive. Speakers included Chuck Berlin, Walter Hinton, Anne Hartley, Joanna Pomerantz, David Adams, Adam Vane, Kathleen Smith, Dottie Fiddleman, Linda Convissor, Chris Zugelder, Mark Walters, Charles Humble, Chris Deschene, Steve Jernigan, and Doris Smith.
Discussion Items
FY 2025-2026 Budget Adoption
Interim Town Manager Mary Jane Nirdlinger presented the final recommended budget totaling $164,112,486 (general fund $94.9 million, a 4% increase). The proposed property tax rate was 50.0 cents per $100 valuation (5.8 cents over revenue neutral, including 0.3 cents dedicated to transit). Key elements: a 5% pay increase for town employees, $1.5 million for operating budget focus areas, reduction of fund balance reliance to $1 million, and resilience against declining sales tax revenues.
Council debate reflected deep division. Council Members Sharp, Miller-Foushee, Nollert, Berry, and McCullough supported the budget, arguing it was necessary to address employee pay that is 17–20% below neighboring communities, deferred maintenance, and core services. Mayor pro tem Ryan and Mayor Anderson opposed it, citing the revaluation-driven tax burden on residents and the need to adjust to changing economic conditions. A motion to enact Ordinance O-1 carried 5-2 (Aye: Berry, Miller-Foushee, Nollert, McCullough, Sharp; Nay: Anderson, Ryan).
LUMO Text Amendment – Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood District
Assistant Planning Director Judy Johnson explained the amendment would simplify entitlements, expand allowed uses, create a transition zone, and clarify buffers in the Historic Rogers Road Mixed-Use Zoning District. The public hearing was closed and Resolution R-4 and Ordinance O-2 were adopted unanimously (7-0).
Conventional Rezoning – 1900 Purefoy Drive (Greene Tract)
Senior Planner Jacob Hunt presented a rezoning of the Greene Tract, a parcel jointly owned by Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Orange County. Council Member Ryan confirmed the rezoning would keep the land under town ownership; a market analysis and development solicitation package are expected by the end of 2025. The public hearing was closed and Resolution R-6 and Ordinance O-3 were adopted unanimously (7-0).
Conditional Zoning – 11 White Oak Drive (Old Chapel Hill Apartments)
Applicant Jessica Hardesty and architect Aaron Moody described changes since the May 21 meeting: removal of a dedicated 30-foot right-of-way easement on the north end (at staff recommendation after hearing council consensus against it) and massing adjustments including a flat roof on 50% of Building One’s south façade and a three-story transition. Senior Planner Charnika Harrell recommended approval, noting the rezoning would allow up to 400 multifamily units with 10% affordable at 80% AMI.
Council Members Berry and Sharp opposed, citing the loss of the Danziger Drive connection (a complete communities vision) and insufficient design commitments. Council Member Nollert supported the project, arguing housing density near a transit corridor and grocery store outweighed design concerns. After public comment, motions to adopt Resolution R-8 and Ordinance O-4 both carried 5-2 (Aye: Anderson, Ryan, Miller-Foushee, Nollert, McCullough; Nay: Berry, Sharp).
Special Use Permit Modification – 251 Friday Center Drive (UNC Tennis Center)
Senior Planner Katherine Shor conducted an evidentiary hearing for a two-story team operations building. Attorney LeAnn Brown presented witnesses: architect Jackson Wall and UNC Athletics Director Rick Steinbacher, who testified the facility would provide essential amenities for varsity tennis, host NCAA events, and enhance contiguous property values. Staff found all four required findings of fact were satisfied. No opposition testimony was offered. The hearing was closed and Resolution R-10 approving the permit was adopted unanimously (7-0).
Key Outcomes
- Budget adoption (5-2) – FY 2025-2026 budget with 50-cent tax rate and 5% employee pay raise.
- Rogers Road LUMO amendment (7-0) – Adopted text changes to the historic district.
- Greene Tract rezoning (7-0) – Approved conventional rezoning to facilitate future development.
- 11 White Oak Drive conditional zoning (5-2) – Approved up to 400 units with 10% affordable at 80% AMI; the Danziger Drive right-of-way was removed.
- UNC Tennis Center SUP modification (7-0) – Approved two-story team operations building.
- Appointments – Council filled seats on the Board of Adjustment, Community Design Commission, Grievance Hearing Board (with a unanimous motion to extend two term-limited positions for one year), Historic District Commission, and Orange Water and Sewer Authority Board.
- Closed Session – The Council voted unanimously (7-0) to enter closed session under NCGS 143-318.11(a)(5) and (a)(3) to discuss personnel and compensation matters.
- Special Meeting Called – Mayor Anderson announced a special meeting on Friday, June 20, 2025, at 8:30 AM for a closed session on a personnel matter.
Meeting Transcript
Oh, you have a proclamation. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the June eighteenth meeting of the Chapel Hill Town Council. We are very pleased to have you join us. As we get started, I will note for the clerk that council members Karen Stegman and Adam Searing are not able to join us this evening, so we will have seven at the dies tonight. We have five agenda items up for discussion or action this evening. First up is to consider action on the twenty twenty five-2026 budget. Following that, we have a series of three public hearings. The first two relate to the historic Rogers Road neighborhood district. Very brief. Very brief. Such acts of political violence have no place in our country. This tragedy represents a chilling escalation of the threats that elected officials across America face today. Council members, after our presentation, we'll have a group photo. Yeah, take it away. You can go by the council membership. You can go by council membership. Come join me. Don't leave me alone. I could read it to you like storytime. Good evening, everyone. In 2010, under town manager Roger Stancil's direction, a committee was formed to investigate ways to reduce health care claims and enhance employee wellness and safety programs. This led to the collaboration with UNC Family Medicine in 2011 to open the Employee Health Clinic, which has since provided comprehensive support services to help town employees achieve their wellness goals. The clinic staff has partnered with the town employee wellness committee to promote healthy lifestyles and integrate wellness into the organizational culture. This evening, with deep appreciation, the town Chapel Hill Town Council wishes to recognize and honor the significant contributions of UNC Family Medicine and Lisa Wackley to the health and wellness of town employees. And before we ask members of the wellness committee to come up front for a photo too late, I believe Ms. Thompson has a gift to bestow. Sorry, this is a thank you from the town employees, specifically one for Liska and one for the family medicine. Thank you. And that's just some thank yous from employees. How much we appreciate what USA Family Medicine has done for us and Lista and her retirement. Thank you so much. Can I say one word? We'll take a photo and then we'll let you make it let you speak at the uh at the mic so everyone out on TV land can bring you some, two, three. Um, thank you. That was so sweet. That was very, very nice. Uh I'm Adam Goldstein, and I've been the medical director for eight years. And uh we have Marnie here who's been uh really the glue that's held uh family medicine and Kevin Tate, who's been here pretty much since the uh beginning, and we the committee that's been here, and this has been a remarkable uh effort. And I just want to say, you know, I I was uh here in the Tapo Hill Town Council with Mayor Jonathan Howells probably 32 years ago, uh, working on smoke-free uh state government at the time, which was radical at the time. Uh and now we take so many things for granted. I think worksite wellness is also something that could be radical at some level, and it's but uh it's been such a pleasure to be involved and engaged with the town and learn from the town. And you know, we went through so many iterations, and COVID was such a difficult time for everyone, but also a difficult time for how to navigate safety for town employees and create the optimal environment. And then I think most recently really expanding what we mean by wellness to uh encompass such a broader array, it's not just physical health, it's spiritual health, mental health, financial health, and what all that means. And so I just want to thank you. It's been a real pleasure for us to serve. I hope that uh the town continues to thrive in all of the things that it means to have a culture of wellness that people engage and take pride in. I want to thank the committee in particular because the partnership was really uh what was unique and important, and I think the relationships that endure from those partnerships are as meaningful as the work itself. So thank you so much. Thank you.
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