To Mayor Hemminger and Town Council,
Following is a longer version of what I just now tried to send our Town Manager, but was blocked by a 2000 character limit. This version expresses what I wished to send, but was prevented from sending to Mr. Jones.
Best regards to all,
Stephen Fleck
102 Symcamore Drive
Chapel Hill 27514
Dear Mr. Jones,
Last Wednesday, while turning left onto MLK south from Estes, my car was nearly demolished by a car turning left from MLK southbound onto Estes, with a driver at the wheel who ran a red light at about 30-35 mph as I was starting
to proceed on a green left turn-only light. The driver had her phone glued to her ear and her eyes pointed straight ahead, completely oblivious of the fact that she had broken the law by running the red light and had furthermore endangered others on the road.
We know that Estes-MLK is one of the most heavily traveled intersections in town and a source of many traffic accidents; we know in addition that if the Aura project proceeds as currently proposed, it will add a large number of cars to the traffic
picture around that intersection; and we know that the project's traffic projection rests on an absurdly understated view based on
not even one full day's traffic, much less a realistic view of the situation if hundreds of cars are added daily to an already notoriously congested stretch of road. And children's, as well as others' lives are at stake.
In view of Trinsic's new billboards at the corner offering leases for their not-yet-approved project, I would like to know whether anyone representing the Town in any capacity has offered assurances to Trinsic that their project is going to be
approved. If you are unsure as to how to answer this, I would deeply appreciate your looking into the matter. I find it very disturbing that a business proposing a major development that has not yet had even a traffic plan approved would present itself to
the public as cocksure that the project will proceed as it desires.
You are surely aware that many residents of adjoining neighborhoods are deeply disturbed, on various grounds, at the implications of Trinsic's project: added traffic congestion and potential dangers to schoolchildren,
water runoff increase, access of emergency fire and police vehicles (already a problem), among others.
I would appreciate your swift attention to these issues, which are rapidly proceeding to official decisions. Many questions asked of the Town over the last 4-5 months have never been answered, and Trinsic's billboards only add to the urgency
of hearing the Town's responses.
Yours sincerely,
Stephen Fleck
102 Sycamore Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514