District Engineer, Orange - Alamance Counties

North Carolina Department of Transportation

Hello Mr. Edwards,

I hope that you are doing well.

The last time we communicated was about traffic planning for the Chapel Hill High School expansion a few years back. Since the school renovations are nearly complete and students may be going back to school soon, we will soon have the opportunity to see how well the school traffic plan works.

I am writing today representing an organization called "Estes Neighbors” consisting of neighborhoods located near Estes Drive — a state owned and maintained major east west corridor for Chapel Hill and Carrboro. You are familiar I am sure with the fact that Phillips Middle and Estes Elementary schools, 13 + immediate area neighborhoods, the Town public library users and all the commuters going to the east and west rely on this artery remaining mobile. The particular area of concern is the section of Estes Drive between MLK Jr and Franklin Street shown on this page. www.estesneighbors.org.  Adding additional traffic and turning movements to this section of Estes Drive to the existing intensity of uses raises very serious public safety concerns for students walking to school, commuters, and residents driving the many connecting neighborhood streets feeding Estes Drive. 

As you likely know, Aura is a major housing development proposed by Trinsic Residential Group, a Texas based developer, for the clear-cut land (15 acres) on the northeast corner of the Estes Drive and MLK Jr. Blvd. intersection. 

 

1. The Central West Small Area Plan (part of the Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan) laid out densities and parking spaces for area properties near the busy MLK/Estes intersection.  The Aura proposal triples the density allocated for that parcel.  If this permit is approved with the proposed density, there will not be any Estes road capacity remaining for developments in the remaining properties.  See map below. The undeveloped parcels, including Aura, are in red. The YMCA in green has expansion plans. Azalea Gardens is in blue and is already built. 

2.  According to the latest proposed plan for Aura, the Estes entrance is located only 800 feet from the MLK/Estes Intersection. The updated TIA says that vehicles leaving this Aura exit onto Estes Drive will deal with a failing intersection at peak afternoon hours, with the worst possible traffic rating of “F", even after suggested improvements. In addition, we are concerned about the sight distances from this entrance and would like to know if DOT has conducted an on-site visit to ascertain how many feet away a car is visible from the proposed Estes Aura entrance and exit.