2 days ago
Downtown Carrboro's future could look taller and denser
The town of Carrboro, long known as a hub for artists, students and creative businesses, is debating how to encourage more density in its downtown as a way to create more housing and boost its economy.
Why it matters: The Carrboro Town Council hopes to adopt a new downtown area plan that guides the growth of its downtown core — home to attractions like Carr Mill, the Drakeford Library and Cat's Cradle — over the next 20 years.
Driving the news: Town staff and consultants have been working on a plan for downtown since 2022, when the town's comprehensive plan called for a new one for the first time since the early 2000s.
That comprehensive plan noted Carrboro lacks commercial space, leading to nearly half of retail spending leaving the town, and that most residents commute to other places for work. The town's tax base is heavily reliant on residential property taxes.
To address this, it called for more mixed-use and higher-density development in its downtown core.
State of play: Many towns across the Triangle are considering how to best position their downtown cores coming out of the pandemic to handle the growth the Triangle is expected to see.
Morrisville is creating a new downtown area from scratch, Cary is plotting a major public-private partnership and Durham and Raleigh continue to look for "big ideas" to bring new energy to their downtowns.
Between the lines: Unlike those other towns across the Triangle, Carrboro was one of the few places in the region to see its population fall since 2020, according to Census estimates. And the town has seen home values increase significantly in recent years.
Zoom in: The drafted vision calls for adding more two- to five-story developments within the downtown core and along Jones Ferry Road, an area that has bigger lots and less existing development.
The town believes these areas could accommodate more development, and the plan floats considering incentives or public-private partnerships to encourage more affordable housing and commercial space in the downtown area.
It also calls for adding green space, discouraging surface parking lots, improving pedestrian and bike infrastructure and protecting the residential and historically Black neighborhoods around downtown.
A town consultant said initial feedback showed many residents have expressed concerns over heights of more than three stories.
What they're saying: But some town council members said they believe concerns about affordability outweigh some of those concerns about height.
"I'm not at all surprised that is what folks are saying, and personally, that three- to six-story spot feels really comfortable and human scale," Town Council Member Catherine Fray said in May. "But as we think about where we step down from that height ... it has a huge impact on affordability and that has been front of mind for me."
What's next: Carrboro is hosting two events this month, including one on Friday, to garner more feedback on the downtown area plan and what priorities residents have.
