The Town of Carrboro hosted a question-and-answer session for residents interested in learning more about the report on Town properties under consideration for possible affordable housing use, which was presented to Town Council earlier this year.

William Wirt of Summit Design and Engineering Services made a brief presentation and answered questions, alongside Housing & Community Services Director Anne-Marie Vanaman. This community engagement session was held Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at the Carrboro Century Center.

Please note that the report is still under review. No decisions about potential development have been made.

The Town of Carrboro began exploring the possibility of facilitating development of affordable housing on publicly-owned land in 2016. This work began in partnership with Orange County and the Town of Chapel Hill through a regional workgroup. This workgroup established a standard set of criteria for evaluating publicly owned land to assist in determining viability of development on existing parcels.

Town staff was then able to identify town-owned land that were potentially feasible sites for affordable housing development. Staff worked with the Affordable Housing Task Force to further analyze sites and explore possibilities for facilitating development. This work culminated in the identification of three sites in town that appear to be feasible for affordable housing development. These three sites are located on Crest Street, Hill Street, and Pathway Drive.

The first step in this process is to conduct a comprehensive site analysis of the identified parcels to determine what is (and isn’t) possible on the property. This information will inform community engagement discussions and workshops, which will be scheduled as a possible future step in the process.

Since the Town of Carrboro began this process, the Town Council has not approved a development plan on either the Crest Street or the Pathway Drive parcels.

June 18, 2024 -- Summit Design and Engineering Services presented its site assessment report of Town of Carrboro properties under consideration for possible affordable housing use to the Carrboro Town Council. This report includes map/site plan, executive summary, backup documentation, calculations, and stormwater models, opinion of development potential for review by the public and elected officials.

May 2024 -- Stormwater analysis completed. This study determines possible development impact within the context of the existing neighborhoods. Required in this assessment are hydrologic and hydraulic studies, including possible stormwater control measures, as indicated by Town Ordinance.

April 2024 – The environmental and natural resources assessment portion of the overall site assessment occurred the first week of April. A team inspected the properties, including activities of taking soil samples and identifying and marking vegetation and trees. Geotechnical work and environmental assessment were also completed.

March 2024 -- Geotechnical work began, which includes boring into the ground and some clearing to make room for equipment. Smaller parcels investigated by using a hand auger. This work provided information on soil erosion and soil-bearing strengths. An environmental assessment was also undertaken. This assessment provides a comprehensive inspection of the property, vegetation, unusual or unnatural soil or ground conditions, soil and land discoloration, property history including presence of historical and/or cultural resources. Includes wetland, stream, and buffer delineations and protected species surveys, including habitat evaluation.

February 2024 -- Property Survey completed.

Fall 2023 to February 2024 -- Summit Design and Engineering was selected to conduct the site assessment and survey of the Town’s Pathway Drive and Crest Street parcels. The work began in fall 2023 and the survey was completed in February 2024.

February 2022 - The Town Council approved on Feb. 22, 2022, a multi-step, sequential process to create affordable housing on selected town-owned parcels.