Chapel Hill, NC Update: Neighborhood Development Halted, Greenbridge Vandalized (Again)

In a unanimous decision, the Chapel Hill Town Council has just passed a six-month moratorium on all residential development in the Northside area, a neighborhood being gentrified by rising rents, an influx of students, and the nearby development of Greenbridge.
This measure, passed in Tuesday's Town Council meeting, can in part be seen as a response to growing tension and frustration around gentrification in the area. “The current situation in these communities has caused low morale, confusion and distrust among many longtime homeowners and low-income renters. We feel as if we are treated like dirt,” said Keith Edwards, a resident of Northside. “This is not right, and some of this building is downright dishonest.”


The struggle against Greenbridge has been of particular intensity, with years of actions and protest including everything from media work to graffiti and broken windows. Just several days ago, on June 18th, several dozen people invaded the development's lobby in a brief takeover. Three people were arrested and charged with felony riot and misdemeanor property destruction charges.

On the morning of June 23rd, several spray-painted slogans could be seen decorating the front of the building, including “Yuppies Go Home” and “Stilly Empty?”

The development moratorium is designed to limit landlords' ability to break up larger houses into student housing, though it also prohibits households from containing more than four non-related people, a strategy pursued by students but also others in search of cheaper rent. In 2004 the Town Council made similar efforts at “preservation” in the neighborhood with little effect.

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