Cleanliness Audit Declares Chapel Hill “Dirty”

Town officials gave Chapel Hill its first clean-and-safe audit last week, and the results surprised them. The mayor and town council members walked through downtown Chapel Hill to evaluate the area on its cleanliness and safety, but the town didn’t fare well.

On the tour officials found garbage, graffiti and gaps in the sidewalks.

Shelton Henderson owns a store on Franklin Street. He says he doesn’t think trash is a big problem in his part of town.

“I see them cleaning up every night, cleaning up at their store,” Henderson said.

The Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership plans to send letters to businesses that need to clean up their act. They also want to start holding the cleanliness audits twice a year and organize a town clean-up day.