| Carrboro
to Decide Tuesday on Annexation Plan
by R.J. Weber
The Carrboro Board of Alderman will vote
Tuesday on a proposed annexation of more
than 300 acres northeast of the existing
town limits.
Carolina Week visited some of the residents
who’ll be affected by this vote. They’re
all residents in the Highlands subdivision
near Homestead Road. More than 90 families
live in the neighborhood, and most say they
don’t want a Carrboro
address.
A stroll through the neighborhood
might soon be a little different for residents
in the Highlands neighborhood. That’s
if the Carrboro Board of Alderman passes
a proposed annexation plan that will
make property west of Rogers Road and north
of Homestead Road a part of Carrboro city
limits.
Although Carrboro officials say the annexation
is crucial for town growth and expansion,
residents in the affected neighborhoods are
outraged and say they have no voice on the
issue.
“To me, having a voice as a citizen
is fundamental to government in our country,” said
Highlands resident Dr. Melissa Clepper-Faith. “And
to deny people that right is a form of tyranny.”
Currently, these residents pay only Orange
County property taxes. But if the annexation
passes, they’d be forced to pay thousands
of dollars to cover the new town taxes. This
would put a financial strain on a number
of households, but more important to Highlands
residents like Katrina Ryan, they say Chapel
Hill is simply more their home.
“We use the roads in Chapel Hill.
We do our shopping in Chapel Hill. We’re
on their public byways,” Ryan said. “So
we don’t mind contributing to a community
that we use—that we’re a part
of.”
That’s why residents in the neighborhood
wrote letters and presented a petition last
October to the Chapel Hill Town Council,
hoping Chapel Hill would annex their subdivision.
Chapel Hill officials agreed to review the
petition, but they still haven’t acted.
Meanwhile, these residents say the annexed
roads aren’t fit for higher traffic
volume. Likewise, they say their neighborhoods
lack sidewalks and bike paths, posing a serious
threat to public safety.
“The single most important service
that that community renders is public safety
services,” said Highlands resident
Dr. Randolph Ryan. “And nothing is
more important than fire and medical response,
which is a very critical piece of the puzzle.”
The Board of Aldermen meets Tuesday night
at 7:30 to decide whether this annexation
will occur. Mayor Mike Nelson says he realizes
that annexations in any town cause an uproar,
but he says that Carrboro has simply grown
out to the annexation area and that it just
makes sense for the affected neighborhoods
to become part of Carrboro.
Tune in to Carolina Week on Wednesday to
find out what happens at Tuesday night’s
meeting.
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