By Ann Ansley
Carrboro Commons Writer

Dorothy had it right. There really is no place like home.

Especially if you’re required to pay a significant tax if you ever decide to sell your home.

Bronwyn Merritt, a broker with Community Realty, finishes up some work on her laptop before meeting with clients. Merritt opposes the land transfer tax, which will be on the May 6 ballot in Orange County, because she believes it is bad timing to increase taxes for those selling their homes, given the poor state of the real estate market.
Staff photo by Ann Ansley

On the May 6 ballot, Orange County residents will vote in a referendum on whether or not to approve a land transfer tax of 0.4 percent. If passed, residents selling their homes will be required to pay 0.4 percent of the total sale price of their home to the county.

The Orange County Board of Commissions voted Feb. 19 to put the transfer tax on a referendum for the May 6 ballot. The General Assembly voted in 2007 to transfer the burden of acquiring revenue sources from the state level to the county level, so that the counties will now be more responsible for coming up with their own spending money for use within the county, according to the board’s Feb. 19 agenda abstract.

As a result, county boards are required to hold a referendum within their county to see if the public wishes to raise taxes through an increase in the sales tax or an increase in the land transfer tax.

Carrboro residents are hardly at a consensus on the issue.

“I do oppose it, the main reason being that now is the worst sales market and a lot of people are close to foreclosure,” said Bronwyn Merritt, a real estate broker with Community Realty, who lives on Creekview Circle. “Just because you have a nice house doesn’t mean you can afford this tax.”

Merritt says that if people aren’t forced to pay property taxes, they can find better uses for the money they save.
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By Lindsay Ash
Carrboro Commons Writer

Ellie Kinnaird, right, and Janet Cowell discuss the day’s events at Ellie Fest 2008. Cowell spoke on behalf of Kinnaird’s campaign for re-election to the N.C. Senate District 23 seat at the Carrboro Town Commons on Sunday.
Staff photo by Lindsay Ash

At least 50 local citizens had the opportunity to meet incumbent N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird at “Ellie Fest” 2008 Sunday at the Carrboro Town Commons.

Kinnaird, who lives in Carrboro, is one of two candidates running for the District 23 N.C. Senate seat in the Democratic primary, which will be decided on May 6. The other candidate, Moses Carey Jr., of Chapel Hill has served six terms on the Orange County Board of Commissioners.

“Here in this community, people care a lot,” said Jimmy Magoo, one of the artists who played the guitar and sang at Ellie Fest. “And this caring turns into action, that is why we are all here today.”

Ellie Fest, organized by Carrboro Board of Alderman member Dan Coleman, was one of a series of events in Kinnaird’s campaign efforts. The three-hour Ellie Fest was open to the public and was filled with music from local artists, guest speakers, and coffee from Open Eye Café. All of the electricity for the event, which was used mostly to power the bands, was generated from solar power system from Carrboro Solar Works.

“This is the first time we have ever done something like this for the campaign,” said Kinnaird. “It is very Carrboro-like.”

The guest speaker, State Sen. Janet Cowell, talked about Kinnaird’s role as a persistent women’s voice in a mostly-male senate. In the 2007-2008 session, there were only seven women state senators.
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By Ann Ansley
Carrboro Commons Writer

Carrboro no sooner wants a bar or restaurant in its residential areas than it wants high rises in its downtown.

At a March 25 public hearing, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen unanimously voted for conditional use rezoning for the property located at 102 Center St., a move intended to restrict the potential commercial uses for this historic mill house.

This house at 102 Center St. could be the first of many to be rezoned for conditional commercial use. As a result, the house will only be able to serve specific commercial uses in order to maintain the historic and residential aura of the neighborhood.
Staff photo by Ann Ansley

The decision comes on the heels of a Feb. 19 board meeting in which Jane Hamborsky, founder of Center Street Preservation and owner of 102 Center St., requested that the property’s zoning classification be changed from residential, or an R-7.5 zoning district, to fringe commercial, or a B-2 zoning district.

At the hearing, many Carrboro residents and board members expressed their concern not only for this specific rezoning of 102 Center St., but for what could become an increasingly “slippery slope” for the looming commercialization of Carrboro.

“My main concern is creep,” said board member Jacquelyn Gist. “Every time you change something, then what’s next to it becomes more susceptible to commercialization.”

Several other community members voiced their worries about maintaining the historical value of the neighborhood if the property were rezoned to allow commercial use.

“Once you have a B, then what will you have next?” said Jeff Herrick, who has lived since 2000 at 109 Center St. in what was originally Carrboro’s first schoolhouse. “I’m here to say this is a residential neighborhood and we really like living here, and we’d like to keep it residential at all costs.”
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En Espanol

by Ann Ansley
Carrboro Commons Writer

Most young athletes dream of playing on soccer fields that professionals like David Beckham and Christie Rampone practice and compete on every day.

Carrboro resident and state soccer referee William Madden stands at the lectern where he asked the Board of Aldermen to consider resurfacing the Smith Soccer Fields. The resurfacing would cost an estimated $1.62 million.
Staff photo by Ann Ansley

Carrboro’s youth might have to dream a little longer.

The Carrboro Board of Aldermen decided at its meeting on Feb. 19 that there was not enough funding available for the town to waive rental fees or to help fund resurfacing the soccer fields at Smith Middle School with artificial turf, a project that would cost $1.62 million.

On Jan. 15, Orange County presented the proposal to the Board of Aldermen to investigate the feasibility of several ways that the town could contribute to the project.

The Board of Aldermen concurred that the artificial turf would be too expensive, even if several local soccer clubs, including Triangle United Soccer Association, Triangle Futbol Club and Chapel Hill and Carrboro Soccer League, would be willing to offer almost $600,000 to help pay for the turf. The price of artificial turf is about $8 per square foot, according to the commissioners’ report.

That total cost, however, does not include any potential costs for design, engineering, permits or environmental studies.
The board acknowledged the importance of soccer to the community but decided that the town could not afford the fields.

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by Katie Spencer
Carrboro Commons Writer

Things seemed pretty normal Saturday evening at Gerardo Martinez’s taquería; there was little sign of recent controversy. Martinez’s truck, along with two others that operate from parking lots in Carrboro, have become familiar parts of the local scene, but in mid-January an anonymous complaint led town officials to ask that they shut down.

Abi Ambriz, 17, helps a customer at her uncle’s taquería outside of Cliff’s Meat Market as Cliff Collins looks on. Ambriz said she thinks “there should be more things like this here, not Wendy’s or McDonalds.”
Photo by Katie Spencer

Mobile food stands are in violation of a Carrboro zoning regulation, according to a memo posted by Mayor Mark Chilton on OrangePolitics.org on Jan. 26. The town sent notification to property owners of Fitch Lumber, Cliff’s Meat Market and Johnny’s Sporting Goods, the businesses who allow the use of their parking lots.

The taquerías’ apparent doom threw loyal customers into action that weekend. Martinez said he usually stays open from 6 to 11 p.m. but, “that (Saturday) we closed at like 8:30 because I ran out of food,” estimating 400-600 taco sales that night.

Martinez, 30, said he moved to the area from Guanajuato, Mexico, at age 17 and has been an employee at Cliff’s Meat Market ever since. About a year and a half ago, he opened his taquería and began selling tacos and quesadillas filled with pork, chicken, beef or tongue, for the adventuresome.

Martinez has three children, ages 9, 8 and 1, and said he started the venture to make some extra money.

“I want to save money for my kids, for them to go to college,” he said.

The trucks have been a success. Carrboro customer Frank Desaix likened them to gourmet street vendors of New York City. He said he wouldn’t go anywhere else to get a taco.

“If you want Mexican food, you go to Mexican people,” he said.

Bill Fairbanks, 54, owner of Carrburritos, said he did not think the taco trucks were hurting his business.

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by Kennedy Carruthers
Carrboro Commons Writer

At Tuesday’s business meeting, the Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution submitted by the Planning Committee to modify maximum light levels in two downtown zoning districts.

The Board of Aldermen discuss the Planning Committee’s proposal to increase light intensity in two downtown zoning districts at Tuesday’s business meeting. The resolution passed despite concerns about light invading residents’ privacy.
Photo by Jenny Tenney

The modification will mean foot candles in the residential properties in the B-1(c) and B-1(g) zoning districts will increase in light intensity from the current 0.2 foot cap to 2.0 feet.

The zones include Carrboro locales such as Carr Mill Mall and Carrboro Town Hall.

Lauren Van Sant of Main Street Properties originally requested the modification to the light ordinance. According to Alderman Lydia Lavelle, Van Sant is part of the team heading the 300 E. Main St. project, a mixed use building that will sit within the zones affected by the resolution (where the ArtsCenter is currently located).

But despite the approval for the resolution, board members expressed concern about the future impact of the increased light intensity.

“I can think of all sorts of concerns,” Alderman Jacquelyn Gist said. Gist predicted residents of mixed use buildings to be concerned with the foot candle’s increased light level.

Aldermen Dan Coleman and Randee Haven-O’Donnell also expressed concern with future repercussions. Coleman suggested that the higher light levels could reach residents’ windows and therefore be seen as intrusive.

“I think Jacquie is right,” Haven-O’Donnell said of Gist’s concerns, “that, sooner or later, this may come around again.”

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Carrie Crespo
Staff Writer

There is too much trash in Carrboro and no place to put it. One option to option to lesson the amount of trash, called “Pay-As-You-Throw,” was not met with positive reviews. The Carrboro Board of Alderman and citizens sounded hesitant to this idea.

Fees already are charged for picking up large items, extra yard waste and for commercial items. Property taxes are the only funding for door-to-door pickup.

Through PAYT, residents either would pay by a specific volume using varying sized carts- 30-gallon, 60-gallon or 95-gallon - or pay by the bag using a sticker method.
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Carrie Crespo
Staff Writer

Taking an extra minute to get to work isn’t such a bad thing — at least not to the Carrboro Board of Aldermen.
When presented the 2005 Carrboro Mobility Report Card, Board members felt that the slight increase in traffic since the previous study in 2003 was positive for the town because it might convince more people to walk, bike or use public transportation to get to their destinations.
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By Ashley Christian

Former Carrboro Mayor Mike Nelson is scheduled to be sworn in on Dec. 4 as the latest addition to the Orange County Board of Commissioners.

This latest title comes after a lifelong interest in politics and a dedication to making change. His campaign platform included such goals as valuing diversity, balancing human needs with environmental responsibility and ensuring that people of all walks of life can achieve their dreams and goals.

Nelson said he was attracted to his new position because it would present a new set of challenges. “There’s a whole new set of issues to dig into – social services, education, law enforcement,” he said.

He said the transition will not be too difficult because the day-to-day activities, such as meetings, would be similar.

However, he said that he will have to learn a lot quickly and that he is in “education mode” now. “I can predict that my first year will be a learning experience.”

On the Board, Nelson said that he will be dedicated to environmental issues, along with attempting to create a community that will be affordable for all residents. “The county has experienced 18 straight years of tax increases, [which present] affordability problems for people living in the county,” he said.

His new position is just the next level of achievement in a life devoted to public service and politics. The 1989 UNC graduate stayed very involved in campus life. He participated in student congress and the organization that is now the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) association.

His most memorable moment on campus, however, came as a result of his involvement in Carolina’s anti-apartheid movement. “I was arrested on campus [along with other students] for trespassing,” he said. He added that he was acquitted when the judge laughed at their story in the courtroom, finding it ironic that the students were charged with trespassing on their own campus.

After college, Nelson worked for NARAL and the National AIDS Hotline, along with becoming the founding executive director of NC Pride PAC (now Equality NC), the state’s first political action committee to focus exclusively on issues of importance to the lesbian and gay community. In the early 1990s, he served as vice-chair of the Orange County Democratic Party.

In 1995, Nelson defeated two veteran candidates, earning as many votes as the other two put together, to become Carrboro’s youngest mayor. He served a total of five terms before retiring in December 2005 as the longest serving mayor in Carrboro’s history.

Aside from founding the Carrboro Art Committee and Carrboro Music Festival as mayor, he made Carrboro the first stop in the nationwide “Out & Elected in the U.S.A” tour in 2002. The tour promotes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans who have served or are currently serving in an elected office.

Though some politicians hesitate to make their private lives public knowledge, Nelson said he would find it self-defeating to hide his personal life as a gay man from his constituents. “Never give others the power to hold something over your head,” he said.

Nelson maintains that the timing was right to relieve himself of his mayoral position. “It felt right,” he said, “I was burnt out as mayor.” For young individuals interested in pursuing a career in politics, he said he suggests getting involved in public service. “If you’re interested in public service, do it,” he said. He warns that, “you might give up a lot personally,” but said that the results can be extremely rewarding.