There was a time not long ago when stressed-out parents, to take the edge off, abused benzodiazepines. Then, someone launched NextDoor. Early evidence suggests that mother’s little helpers were less harmful to society than NextDoor, a platform that says to the worst people in your neighborhood – the busy body, the power-hungry HOA president, the […]
Posted inPickleball, Parks and Rec
Pickleball showdown at the Chapel Hill Public Library
This piece has been updated to reflect the spaces in Chapel Hill and Carrboro that have dedicated pickleball facilities or facilities that can convert to pickleball courts. Last night, approximately 80-100 pickleball players – dressed in white and holding their paddles – descended on the Chapel Hill Town Council session at the library. One carried […]
Posted inChapel Hill, Housing
Thinking of housing as a regional good
I moved to Chapel Hill in 2017 from Pittsburgh after receiving a great new job offer. My family and I rented for two years and then we bought a house. We chose to live in Chapel Hill because of the amenities. The schools are great for our kids, the library is amazing, the park system […]
Posted inChapel Hill Town Council, Carrboro Town Council
Civic Meetings: Week of October 2, 2022
We’re coming down from our Carrboro Music Festival bender, and are excited for a full week of civic engagements on the calendar. Let’s take a look, shall we? via GIPHY Monday 10/3 Chapel Hill Town Council Work Session 6:30 PM, Chapel Hill Public Library Agenda and meeting notes This was supposed to be the meeting […]
Posted inChapel Hill Town Council, Chapel Hill
Make a new plan, Stan? And other takeaways from the 9/28 Chapel Hill Town Council meeting.
Last Wednesday’s Chapel Hill Town Council meeting featured a real humdinger of a presentation from Rod Stevens and Jen Keesmaat. First, some background: Stevens and Keesmaat are both planners; Stevens, of Bainbridge Island, Washington, wrote the 2021 Housing Report that said we need more housing, and Keesmaat, formerly Toronto’s chief planner, is currently leading our […]
Posted inChapel Hill, Housing
Chapel Hill’s getting ready to make it hugely easier to build “missing middle” housing!
Ok, now THIS is a big deal. Chapel Hill is getting ready to make it hugely easier to build “missing middle” housing. What is missing middle housing? It’s all the housing between single-family homes and big multi-family apartments like: Duplexes Triplexes, and Cottage apartments. For years, like many other communities, most land in Chapel Hill […]