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As I read Tom Roche's comment on the new development in Carrboro and the idea of the Developer attempting to get out of building adequate parking by claiming it is the "Green Thing to Do" - Building parking = Less profit. It is nice to see to Progressives and Builders agreeing that more parking is bad, even if it is for different reasons - I am struck by something I had never really thought about - Is Downtown development the problem and not the solution?
I don't know and I don't really have a vested interest in any of this other than being a suburban resident with limited access to services without the use of a car - thanks to zoning and a really big, wide and dangerous street (MLK BLVD) separating me from shopping and services. I am very proud of Chapel Hill and Carrboro and what they are trying to do with their downtowns - better lighting would be my first thought.
But wouldn't it be nice if there was a small development, perhaps with some rental apartments within walking distance of the neighborhoods off Weaver Dairy or if it was less annoying and dangerous to walk to the ones off Homestead?
Carrboro touts its "walkability," and it is more walkable than, say, Cary. Yet one only need hangout downtown for a little while (e.g. on the lawn in front of Weaver Streer) to notice that most folks only walk as far as the parking lot holding their personal smogmobile. Carrboro, like the rest of suburban America, still obeys Kinsella's law of land use: "if you provide parking, they will drive." We seem to be caught in that old vicious circle: we provide parking, which reduces density (since parking actively competes with other uses) and discourages transit (by enabling driving, and most Americans will drive when given the option), which encourages driving, which "requires" more parking. So it was rather discouraging to see the discussion in Kirk Ross' piece in the Carrboro Citizen.
Focus the Nation is a national teach-in on global warming
solutions for America—creating a dialogue at over a thousand colleges,
universities, high schools, middle schools, places of worship, civic
organizations and businesses, and directly engaging millions of
students and citizens with the nation’s decision-makers. The students
at UNC signed onto this initiative in the fall of 2006 and have been
working since then to put together an event that will bring the
community together around this important discussion.
In support of the student effort, Orange County and the Town of
Carrboro have officially proclaimed January 31, 2008 as Climate Change
Awareness Day and the Town of Chapel Hill will be making a similar
proclamation very soon.
Please join the students in the activities they have planned or through private discussions with your family and friends.
ACTIVITIES AT UNC CHAPEL HILL
January 30
Great Hall of the Student Union
6:00 pm: Environmental Social
Meet local governmental leaders, environmental faculty, and other
leaders on and off campus. Beverages and finger food will be served.
I was very distressed to read in the Carrboro Citizen that the town development review administrator is trying to shut down the taco trucks that serve food in the parking lots at Fitch's Lumber, Cliff's Meat Market and Johnny's Sporting Goods -- in response to one anonymous complaint. They have until tomorrow to shut down. They can appeal the decision, but that process will cost $250 a pop. You can read the full article here.
I have loved the taco trucks. I love the food. I love that the food is cheap and quick and fresh. I love their salsa. And what I really love (almost as much as their salsa, and the fact that they serve tripe, which I never have the nerve to try) is that they are some of the most diverse dining establishments in town.
Is there anything hungry citizens can do to save the taco trucks??
There has been a flurry of activity in the Orange County
political blogosphere this month. Changes that interest me as much as who is
wining the presidential primaries. (Go Obama!)
First, the big news is the disappearance of the Squeeze the Pulp
forum. In its place appears to be a site that could have a community, but it isn'y very clear how. The new site is based on software called DokuWiki. It
looks like a bunch of semi-static pages can be created and edited by a
group of people. So people will write rants and others will edit them.
For what, grammar? The two-way communication of a forum has
been lost.
Part of me is sad that all the STP writing is gone. Mainly because
it would help people remember the slander and hateful crap. Why would
we want to remember that? To inform the context of our local political
history. For example, the dirty tactics some supported there. It could also
encourage more long-term responsibility. Politicos won't forget, trust
me. But the new resident to Carrboro may like to know how that
candidate got elected or defeated. I think the blog of record will be
Orange Politics.
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