Saturday, June 29, 2013
A Saint-Jory, les fruits et légumes sont en libre service sept jours sur sept grâce à un distributeur - France 3 Midi-Pyrénées
Imagine a simple drive through pick up for local produce? That would be serving something really good to the cars that routinely pass by.... no?
Friday, June 28, 2013
All those cars....
Think for a moment of all of the thousands of cars that pass the Obey Creek property each day. Surely, there must be something that Obey Creek could offer that would make their lives better by providing something not available easily elsewhere, by saving time, by improving the environment, by adding pleasure....all sorts of criteria. How could we study those people to determine what it is that Obey Creek could do for them, and consider the issue of whether additional cars might be attracted second?
Other land for commercial development within 2 miles of Obey Creek?
What are all of the other properties within 2 miles of Obey Creek on which commercial development would now be allowed? What are all of the properties in the same space which have not been developed or where structures there could be replaced to make way for commercial development with a change in zoning? For example, what is the situation of the land directly across 15-501 from the proposed Southern Village hotel - to the north of Obey Creek?
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Commerical development in Nice
We should be looking for other models everywhere! Here in Nice, there may be something to learn from this.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Sunday, June 23, 2013
OrangeChat - Town Council member nixes 2nd term | newsobserver.com blogs
Imagine what four new people on the Town Council could mean.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Town of Chapel Hill : Mayor & Council
I'll note the names here of those Council members whose terms expire this year, and who could be replaced by other candidates, whether or not the incumbents choose to run, including the Mayor.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Rechercher un trajet en covoiturage - BlaBlaCar
This is hugely popular in France. How could we incorporate it into the Obey Creek plans? Perhaps we have this already serving the people within two miles of Obey Creek? (There are details, like anything else, that need to be addressed as in France.)
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Push for Speed Cameras Turns to School Zones - NYTimes.com
Why not speed cameras on 15-501 in front of Obey Creek no matter what happens?
Friday, June 14, 2013
Five start-ups get grants from NC IDEA | The Herald-Sun
Shouldn't we be talking with all of these companies about whether they would like to have a home in Chapel Hill, especially on the Obey Creek property?
Town of Chapel Hill : Obey Creek Mixed Use Development
Why does this page still make it look as though this is "on the table"?
People from other countries
I don't think Chapel Hill does anywhere near enough to help welcome people from other countries and cultures. Some of these people come as students, some as faculty, some to work, some to retire, some for family, and for other reasons. How could Obey Creek be fashioned as an international center for Chapel Hill? Wouldn't that distinguish us from many other communities?
Phoenix Academy High School - Homepage
I was not aware of this school, well within the two mile radius of Obey Creek. Heard this today and I see that it is located here.
Has anyone asked this - or any other school - what they think Obey Creek should be?
Has anyone asked this - or any other school - what they think Obey Creek should be?
Microsoft to Open Mini-Stores Inside Best Buy - NYTimes.com
It seems to me that we all ought to be thinking about our lives - in the 2 mile area around Obey Creek - and what we "need" and "want". One way to address this is to imagine a "pie". Slices of it could be labeled "food", "prescription drugs", "clothing", and one sliver could be "computers" or some such label.
The question then becomes for that computer sliver, what do we need or want within 2 miles relating to computers? In an ideal world, what would be find in that circle that might meet a computer need or want?
The question then becomes for that computer sliver, what do we need or want within 2 miles relating to computers? In an ideal world, what would be find in that circle that might meet a computer need or want?
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Green Tango .::. ABOUT US
Earlier, I was under the impression that they were considering a franchisee for the area including Obey Creek.
Culbreth Road meeting scheduled | The Herald-Sun
We should find out the fully allocated cost of building this tunnel. How would it compare to a tunnel under 15-501? Bill WEBSTER should have the answer.
Descriptions by adjoining property owners
I'd love to assemble the stories and perspectives of all those who own property adjoining Obey Creek.
The Daily Tar Heel :: BlueCross BlueShield leaves Chapel Hill
Would Obey Creek have been a good place for this? Big enough? How can we look at the Blue Cross/Blue Shield move as a case study of how to make the most of Obey Creek? Would we have thought that a good thing? If not, why not, and what sort of offices would be good for the Obey Creek land, if any?
O2 Fitness + fitness facilities in general
They used to be in Southern Village, moved to Cole Park Plaza. What do they think of Obey Creek - from every angle? (Note the linked story that reports they have acquired two clubs, one in Chapel Hill and one in Carrboro recently. Are they looking for new locations? What is the community's assessment of the club that replaced them in Southern Village?)
Monday, June 10, 2013
Quimper. Indianapolis (USA) choisit l’Autolib' Bolloré - Quimper - Économie - ouest-france.fr
Will we have electric vehicle recharging at Obey Creek?
Friday, June 7, 2013
Whole Foods CEO: Detroit is a long-term investment | Marketplace.org
How could Obey Creek best enhance the diversity of the area within a two mile radius of the land?
Surveys
I wonder what sorts of surveys we might do among people who live within a two-mile radius of Obey Creek? It seems to me that we have none of that - only the voices of those who choose to speak. That does not seem fair to the community. We should give other people a chance to express their views on some of the core issues ranging from preservation of natural resources to local shopping wishes.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Two-mile meeting and Innovation
Two thoughts raced toward my mind….
One, I’d still like to see a 2 mile meeting convened for an
update on everything within that circle. It would NOT be a Town meeting, but a
people meeting instead. I will think more about that. It could play into your
hopes. Doing briefings piecemeal misses your point and many many people. One
session, with open discussion, dealing with all of the issues – I’d like a
briefing from the principal at Scroggs, for example, and one from the NC Botanical Garden, The Triangle Land Conservancy, and UNC! – might
be really attractive especially if the focus is on keeping it a non-Town event.
They can come and I hope they would.
Second, I still think we need to get innovation into the mix. I
thought of this imagining a Target or a Kroger or any big store you might name.
How do we focus on innovation as the highest and best use – what could go into
Obey Creek that might really turn heads and make a difference either here in
the overall community or in the world, or somewhere inbetween? When I see the
passion of the people at Ipas and then compare it with a walk around a Target store,
something really seems unnecessarily wrong. We ought to be able to extend
passion to success in meeting important needs, from groceries to lives saved.
WSM does a bit of that, and maybe we need to have a sit-down with Ruffin to see
what he could do with bigger space at Obey Creek? How could WSM be even more
innovative? I have some ideas as always!
Bus routes
I sure think that the review of Obey Creek by the “compass” committee
ought to include a full-scale briefing and review of bus service within 2 miles
of Obey Creek. It is so much more than whether or not there is a bus stop on
15-501 in front of Obey Creek.
Price history
What is the full history of prices paid (and taxes paid, too) for the Obey Creek property (ies)?
Political contributions
Have any of the people who get to decide "stuff" for Obey Creek received anything of value from any party with an interest in the proceeding? This includes both elected and non-elected people.
Players
We need a careful rundown of who all of the "players" are with respect to Obey Creek. That includes everyone from the Chapel Hill Mayor and the purported developer to the land owners, supposedly in Baltimore. What does their site say about Obey Creek?
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Guns
I worry about Wal-Mart possibly selling guns at its new Chatham store. How can we insure that whatever happens at Obey Creek, no guns are ever sold there?
Schools
It seems to me that for every possible iteration for Obey Creek, we need to see exactly the expected impact on schools.
Rentals replaced by Southern Village Hotel?
Will the rental houses - at least I am pretty sure that they are rentals - that will be replaced by the Southern Village Hotel, if it comes to pass, be themselves replaced elsewhere so that affordable property options are not lost to Chapel Hill?
Cut speed to 35?
Shouldn't we be demanding that the State reduce the speed limit on 15-501 be to a maximum of 35 MPH from Dogwood Acres north should any development beyond current rules be permitted there?
A Streetcorner Serenade for the Public Plaza - NYTimes.com
We need a lot more use of graphics to help us think through all possibilities for Obey Creek. As much as possible, this should be in 3-D. Surely, there are people at UNC who could help us do a lot of this?
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Document #1
I hope the “compass” committee produces a final draft of
this document as its first work product:
“Obey Creek Document #1
Current zoning of the XXX acres of Obey Creek allows for one
home to be built on XXX of those acres for a total of XXX homes. Consistent
with current Chapel Hill property values and family sizes, the homes would
likely be worth an average of XXX,XXX
each, pay a total of X,XXX,XXX in property taxes annually, and add XXX residents
to the community.
The cost to all government entities resulting from this
development would be XXX,XXX up front, and X,XXX per year after that. This
includes all needed highway work, including crosswalks and full allocated
governmental costs associated with inspections and improvements of any kind.”
There are lots of possibilities for Document #2.
"Public" participation
Sent to Ms. NIRDLINGER today at the Town of Chapel Hill:
Dear. Ms. NIRDLINGER,
I did not attend the Council meeting Wednesday night, but I
watched part of it on television.
You made a comment toward the end about how non-members of
what I think is being oddly called the “compass” committee could express their
views. If I heard you correctly, someone who attends one of the meetings will
have an “opportunity” to say something “before” and “after” the meeting.
It probably stems from my career as a media lawyer
advocating on behalf of the First Amendment….something stuck in my “craw” about
your comments that suggested to me that the whole effort is far more about show
and procedure than it is about discussion and debate.
My presumption – only that – is that what you meant is that
the unwashed non-members of the “compass” committee will have a 3 minute
opportunity at each meeting to spout off if they choose to do so. No
discussion, no debate, just spouting.
I don’t know how you see things, but for me this is just
fundamentally contrary to any reasonable commitment to discussion and debate as
the tool that usually results in the best outcomes.
So I am writing to you before taking this to the Council to
ask you to reconsider if it is indeed you who gets to decide this. You should
allow anyone who attends one of these meetings to speak up and be recognized at
any time and to fully participate in the discussion. If it results in an unruly
meeting, or a longer one, so be it. Otherwise, this all looks like a production
designed to deliver the developer what he wants rather than a good faith effort
to express to the Town Council the many different and often competing views of
the people who elect that Council and who hire you.
Thanks for considering this. Let me know what you decide to
do.
Cheers,
Terry MAGUIRE
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