Citizen Will

Category: Downtown

  • Varsity to Reopen: $3 Seats, $? Parking

    According to this WCHL 1360 story Downtown’s Varsity will reopen in November. The Varsity’ new website VarsityOnFranklin.com advertises all seats are $3 for “recently released and classic movies with excellent service and a customer focused staff to create an enjoyable movie experience at a discounted price.” I’ve seen hundreds of movies at the Varsity over […]

  • IFC Men’s Shelter: Not Until Questions Have Been Answered

    According to today’s Chapel Hill News (IFC may delay new shelter), the Inter-Faith Council is looking at a delay while the questions raised by local residents over the last few weeks are resolved. Inter-Faith Council director Chris Moran said the agency may delay its development permit application amid neighbors’ opposition to a new men’s homeless […]

  • IFC Men’s Shelter: Expand the Heart of Chapel Hill

    After seeing the range of concerns and responses thoughtfully expressed during last night’s citizen presentations, I’m more confident than ever that our community can pull together, find common ground and work to settle on a permanent home for the IFC Men’s Shelter. I’m going to continue to post as much material as I can so […]

  • Feb. 19th: Busy Thursday

    A couple meetings tonight that folks may want to check out. First, a meeting on Northside and the corrosive effect burgeoning development, taxes and shrinking opportunities is having on that traditional community. From today’s Herald-Sun: Local activists united to address what they view as “historic discrimination, rising property taxes, and development that threaten communities of […]

  • Multi-modal Design I Appreciate

    Today’s Chapel Hill News carries an interesting story from Jesse DeConto on concerns circulating around the misfire (not to sugarcoat it) known as East54. The story, which was as much about how the “dense/tall growth at any cost” Council majority’s vision is running up against reality, as it was the anonymous “I could be in […]

  • Preserve Rural Orange: Greensboro Transfer Station Review

    Watching the folks who formed PRO – Preserve Rural Orange – in response to UNC’s foray into airport building and Orange County’s crazy siting of the trash transfer station on Hwy. 54 has been encouraging. From a small group of concerned citizens, they have developed an activist organization that puts the “pro” in PRO. These […]

  • A middle finger to Northside

    I wasn’t able to attend the spoken-word event concerning the corrosive effects of Greenbridge on Northside last evening, but according to the Daily Tar Heel, it stirred some sharp discussion. UNC junior Kane Smego, who performed slam poetry at the event, described the project as two towers, “one 10 stories, the other seven — like […]

  • Raymond, Ready For Service: Formal Application

    Here is my formal application to fill Bill’s seat. I agree with recent Council comments that their new colleague must be “ready to hit the road running”. To do so, an applicant should be prepared, involved and experienced. Council already has a demanding workload. Over the next 7 months two major challenges – troubled finances […]

  • Raymond, Ready For Service: What Have I Done?

    I submitted my formal application to fill Bill’s seat (not his shoes) this afternoon. Along with my application, I provided some examples of my recent activism, a list of advisory boards I would like to represent Council on and some suggestions covering a few of the issues that Chapel Hill faces next year. The additional […]

  • Closing the Door on Diversity

    One of the issues that got short shrift this election cycle was the relationship between Chapel Hill’s fiscal policy, Downtown’s “rah rah” growth plan, taxes and our goal to promote a diverse community. We know longtime residents of moderate means struggle to keep their homes. We know folks just starting out can’t get their foot […]

  • Election 2007: Money on the Street

    X-posted from my campaign website. “Eyes on the street” in one of the key mantras the incumbents substitute for a solid financial analysis of the economic benefits of their publicly underwritten million dollar Downtown condos. Supposedly the $8.5 million tax dollars (so far) and land worth $5-8 million ($13.5-16.5 million) will help increase Downtown’s minuscule […]

  • Election 2007: Friends of Affordable Housing Questionnaire

    X-Posted from my campaign website. I hadn’t heard of this organization prior to this election but they appear to have been active for the last 10 years. Friends of Affordable Housing is a non-partisan Political Action Committee that has been active in selective elections within Orange County during the last 10 year. The organization was […]

  • Election 2007: Chapel Hill News Candidate Questionnaire

    Here’s my answers to the Chapel Hill News candidate questionnaire. If the answers seem a bit terse, it’s because brevity was required. POLITICAL PARTY AND EXPERIENCE: 2005 Candidate for Town Council Town Advisory Boards: Horace-William’s Citizen Comm., Downtown Parking Task Force, Technology Board Other: Community Independent Expansion Comm. , Friends of Lincoln Arts Center While […]

  • Election 2007: Neighborhoods for Responsible Growth

    This year the NRG decided to vet the candidates via email. In 2005 they held interviews and presented the audio responses. Trying to be thorough, I went a bit overboard this year. Figuring no one would want to wade through 10 pages of answers, I tried to boil down this final response to the NRG. […]

  • Election 2007: Chapel Hill’s Diminished Environmental Credibility

    I’ve been clear – our Town’s ability to negotiate with UNC and other developers on environmental standards (or pretty much any other issue) is directly related to how well we practice what we preach. Southern Park is a great example. The Mayor and the incumbents (sans Jim Ward) thought the difficult decision was to authorize […]