Parking Problems In Chapel Hill Soon Could Get Worse

As part of a downtown economic development initiative, Chapel Hill may take away a parking lot near the intersection of Rosemary Street and Columbia Street and a parking lot near Franklin and Church Streets.

There are several options for the land, but the problem is while some of the options include a proposed parking deck, some do not address how the town is going to replace the lost parking.

"Well, I think they shouldn't take any parking away. They should enhance what's here and make it better," driver Kim Costello said.

"Parking is one of the biggest problems I've had since I've been here in the past four years," driver Matt Musselwhite said. "First of all, there's no parking for students and as you can see there's not much parking doing their business around town."

Planners said they will push to at least maintain the current number of parking spaces. An informational meeting on the development plan is set for next Thursday at the Post Office on Franklin Street.