News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC 
(April 9, 2024) 

Carrboro enjoyed taking over Weaver Street for Open Streets and pausing to watch the eclipse all over town. Pictured here is Michael Horton of Carrboro Public Works doing just that. Read the Town Council Update. Sign up to participate in the Greene Tract Community Workshop. Save the Date for Poetry, Popcorn and Pie,  the CD & Record Show, and the Mildred Council Annual Community Dinner. Start off your weekend right with the 2nd Friday Art Walk! 

Carrboro Town Council Update

Meeting agendas and updates are issued from the Town Clerk’s Office. To receive these by email or text, sign up for Carrboro Town News.

Civic involvement is a valued tradition in our community. Reach the Town Council with your ideas, views, and questions at Council@carrboronc.gov

Coming Up

The Carrboro Town Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 9. The agenda will be available here.

Interpretation in English and Spanish will be provided for this meeting. Se proporcionará interpretación en inglés y español para esta reunión.

The Town Council meets at Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or can view the livestream YouTube.com/CarrboroNC  OR at on Legistar.

Recap of Past Meetings  

The Council met on Thursday, March 28, and took the following actions on the agenda posted here.

• Authorized Mayor Barbara Foushee to execute an employment contract with Patrice Toney for the position of Town Manager.

Watch the livestream of the meeting on YouTube.

The Council met on Tuesday, March 19, and took the following actions on the agenda posted here.

• Made various reappointments and appointments to the Planning Board, Stormwater Advisory Commission, Climate Action Team, Affordable Housing Advisory Commission, Economic Sustainability Commission and Arts Committee.
• Set a public hearing for April 23 on text amendments to the Land Use Ordinance relating to Cafes and Residential Density in Certain Zoning Districts.
• Received an update on the status of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
• Received an update on the Crisis Diversion Facility in Orange County. This facility would allow for warm handoff transfers from law enforcement to crisis counselors and medical professionals.
• Approved a request for an extension for a Special Use Permit-A for Veridia Architecturally Integrated Subdivision at 810 Old Fayetteville Road.

Watch the livestream of the meeting on YouTube.

Council Meeting Schedule 

 View the 2024 Council Calendar.

Town Council 

The Town Council, which is the legislative and policy-making body for Carrboro, comprises Mayor Barbara Foushee, Mayor Pro Tempore Danny Nowell, Council Member Catherine Fray, Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, Council Member Jason Merrill, and Council Member Eliazar Posada. More information is available on the Council webpage.

Greene Tract Design Workshop set for April 14

The public is invited to an interactive design workshop for the Greene Tract from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 14 at Morris Grove Elementary School at 215 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill. 

This community workshop is titled "Designing our Shared Vision for Development." 

The Greene Tract is a parcel of land jointly owned by Orange County and the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill. The three entities are creating a long-range plan to guide development and preservation activities on this site. 

Language interpretive services are available upon request.  All are welcome!

More information:

• Register for the April 14 Workshop.
• Learn More about the Greene Tract.

Carrboro Enjoys Open Streets

Community enjoyed taking over Weaver Street to bike, walk, dance, make smoothies, learn CPR and Tai Kwan Do, and so much more.

Thanks to all the hard work from staff and partners to make this year's event such a huge success.

To all who are celebrating...

The Town of Carrboro recognizes our diverse community and the many observances meaningful to our residents this week.

Carrboro looks to the sky

We may have been outside the path of totality, but it was still a memorable sight! From the tennis courts at Wilson Park to the Weaver Street Market lawn and Carrboro Family Vision shop on Weaver Street, Carrboro residents looked up wherever they were (wearing protective eyewear, of course) to view the solar eclipse today (April 8, 2024). 

We got to see more than 80% of the sun eclipsed by the moon. "Pretty cool!" was a common refrain. 

We also made tracks by Balloons & Tunes, Communityworx Thirft Store, the Carrboro Fire Department, Carrboro Town Hall, Pelican's Snowballs, O2 Fitness, the Shetley pathway near Carrboro Elementary, and Lanza's. It was fun to witness communitywide participation in this beautiful event in the sky that brings us all together. 

Join the 2nd Friday Art Walk on April 12

The 2nd Friday Art Walk around downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill returns on Friday, April 12.

Rain or shine, Downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill will showcase The Carrboro-Chapel Hill 2nd Friday Art Walk. 

Explore art galleries, artist studios, shops and restaurants. There will also be live music, performances, spoken word poetry and more. Venues are generally open late afternoon and evening hours. Exhibits at Carrboro Town Hall and Carrboro Century Center are open from 6 to 8 p.m. 

Learn more about the participating venues and their exhibitions.

Poetry Month Event: Poetry, Popcorn and Pie

Come enjoy poetry, popcorn and pie in honor of Poetry Month in Carrboro.

Carrboro Poet Laureate Liza Wolff-Francis and Former Carrboro Poet Laureate Fred Joiner will be featured in this fun Open Mic night on Monday, April 15, 2024 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro, NC.

Be sure to arrive 30 minutes early to sign up and share your own poetry. There will be 20 spaces available for Open Mic and poets are limited to one poem with a five-minute maximum.

Save the date for this new poetry event in Carrboro!

Spring Events in Carrboro

Maybe it's because we're coming out from a cold winter, but spring definitely brings out the weird and wonderful in us. Which means it's prime time for you to experience only-in-Carrboro festivals and events. Join us in spring as we play in our public spaces, celebrate Elizabeth Cotten, and feel that small town pride. Who’s ready to play Giant Jenga?

Freight Train Blues Concert Series – Friday night outdoor concerts from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. from May 3 to June 21, 2024 

Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St., Carrboro, NC 27510

This is a free concert series. Food and beer will be available for purchase. 

Freight Train Blues celebrates the life and legacy of Piedmont blues legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2022 Inductee Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten, born in 1893 in Carrboro, NC.  

Sponsored by Town of Carrboro, Carrboro Tourism and Development Authority, Music Maker Foundation, and WUNC 91.5FM. 

More info about Freight Train Blues Concert Series.

Carrboro Day – 1-5 p.m. Sunday, May 5, 2024

Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St., Carrboro, NC 27510 

This free event is about meeting neighbors, learning about the Town, and celebrating Carrboro. It features live music, poetry, art, history, kids’ activities, a walking tour and more. Games such as Giant Jenga and Giant Connect 4. 

More info about Carrboro Day.

For a full list of our events, be sure to check our our Community Events Calendar.

April Community Update for The 203 Project

AT&T will be installing new conduit under Roberson Street and extending across South Greensboro Street. This work will begin April 15 and take about a month to complete. During this work, there will be daily, temporary street closures of Roberson Street between Maple Avenue and South Greensboro Street.  There will also be temporary lane closures of South Greensboro Street. 

Work performed in last 30 days:

Exterior brick is almost complete and has been washed on west side.  Roofing work is still being finished in a few small areas. Drywall installation continues and primer paint is beginning to be applied.  The interior stairs treads have been installed.  Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and sprinkler work is continuing.  

Work upcoming in next 30 days:

Interior mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and sprinkler installation will continue throughout. Interior walls, insulation and drywall will continue east side.  Wear surface slabs will be poured in the parking deck.  Spray foam insulation will be installed on east side. Tile and light fixtures will begin to be installed.

We are currently expecting construction to wrap up late summer. An opening date has not yet been determined. This will be set in coordination between the Town of Carrboro and Orange County, following the completion of construction, and the move-in of furniture and library supplies. 

Traffic impacts due to AT&T conduit installation:

AT&T will be installing new conduit under Roberson Street and extending across South Greensboro Street. This work will begin April 15 and take about a month to complete. During this work there will be daily, temporary street closures of Roberson Street between Maple Avenue and South Greensboro Street.  There will also be temporary lane closures of South Greensboro Street.  A more detailed traffic plan will be released from the contractor and shared with this group soon. 

Read more about the 203 Project.

Doing Business with the Town of Carrboro - Public Input Session

A public input session is set for this April for people doing business or wanting to do business with the Town of Carrboro. All are invited to provide input on their experiences with the Town of Carrboro.

The input session is scheduled as follows via Zoom:

• Wednesday, April 10 – from 6 to 7 p.m.  Join this zoom meeting here.

The public input session is a part of the engagement process to be incorporated in a Disparity Study of the Town’s contracting and procurement practices. The Town of Carrboro is working with Griffin & Strong P.C., a nationally recognized law and public policy consulting firm, to conduct the study.

The study aims to provide insights into the Town's utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses compared to its availability to identify any potential disparities. The study's findings will inform the Town's decision-making process and enable it to develop policies and strategies to promote equitable access to contracting opportunities.

The Disparity Study is a critical step forward in advancing the Town's racial equity goals.

For more information, contact carrborostudy@gspclaw.com or visit carrborodisparitystudy.com.

Save the Date: CD & Record Show

The 34th Biannual Carrboro CD and Record Show will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 21  in the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St. in downtown Carrboro. Admission is free. 

The event will feature dozens tables of new and used CDs, vinyl records, and music memorabilia. Although vinyl records will be the majority of the items for sale, there will also be quite a large number of CDs, cassettes, and 45 RPM records.

Save the date to stop by and browse through what the vendors have to offer.  You never know what you may find!   

Learn about community efforts to

restore Bolin Creek

The public is invited to an educational event from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, at the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N Greensboro St.

Come learn how local neighborhoods have worked with partners to better manage stormwater runoff.  The team that implemented the new Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance project in the Bolin Forest and Forest Court neighborhoods will share information about their project and will be available to answer questions.

Mike Dupree from Urban Sustainability Solutions will also provide an update on current grant-supported efforts. 

This is your chance to see how neighborhoods, including yours, can make a difference in watershed protection!

More information on this 319 Grant project is available here. 

Green Neighborhoods Grant Program 

As part of its Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) implementation, the Town of Carrboro announces a call for applications for the 2024 Green Neighborhoods Grant Program!

Residents can receive up to $2,500 to complete a project that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance ecosystem resiliency, or contribute to climate action awareness or engagement.

The Carrboro Town Council accepted the Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) in 2017 to expand the Town’s existing climate action efforts and emphasize measures that community members can implement to help achieve greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. The plan’s goal is to raise the community’s awareness and involvement in climate action and the enhancement of ecosystem resilience. In 2020, the Town updated the CCAP goals to recommend an 80% reduction of 2010 emissions levels by 2030. To achieve this goal, widespread community participation in every aspect of the plan is essential. 

The Green Neighborhoods Grant Program seeks to benefit low-income households and residents of color by bringing neighbors together to pursue projects which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create natural areas that are more resilient to the impacts of climate change, ultimately benefiting the entire community.  

The maximum grant award is $2,500. Applications are due by May 1, 2024 at 3:00 pm. Visit the Green Neighborhoods Grant Program webpage for more information.

For questions, contact Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Laura Janway at ljanway@carrboronc.gov or (919) 918-7326. 

Carrboro’s Community Survey Underway

Consultants working on behalf of the Town of Carrboro are currently reaching out to local residents, selected at random, to solicit their opinions on how well Carrboro’s government works for them. If you have received a survey, please take time to express your views! 

Residents have options to complete the survey in paper or online, and consultants will conduct follow-up outreach by phone. Residents will be asked to spend about 20 minutes answering 40 questions for the scientific survey, which will be conducted through April. Topics will include safety, service, communications, transportation, and recreation.

A second survey is being conducted of residents who live in the town’s Qualified Census Tracts. These tracts have 50 percent of households with incomes below 60 percent of the Area Median Gross Income (AMGI) or have a poverty rate of 25 percent or more. Respondents will be provided interpretation services upon request to answer the survey in their preferred language.  

  “The Town of Carrboro performs this survey every two years so that we can continually gauge how our residents feel about what we are doing, and what is important to them. Your feedback is essential. The survey helps us understand your experience with Carrboro's services and what matters most to you. This valuable information guides our decisions and shapes how we move forward as a community,” said Interim Town Manager Marie Parker. “I hope people will take the time to participate to consider the quality of services they receive in their day-to-day lives as town residents."

Read more about this year's community survey.

2024 Carrboro Music Festival

Performer Application Now Open

The Town of Carrboro is now accepting online applications for the 2024 Carrboro Music Festival. The application deadline for submissions is May 31, 2024. 

The Carrboro Music Festival is a celebration of local musicians throughout Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Orange County.  The festival also includes performers from surrounding counties located between the Triangle and Triad regions of the state. 

For more information, visit: www.carrboromusicfestival.com

Apply now: https://www.carrboronc.gov/321/Application---Performers

Public parking available in downtown Carrboro

It’s easy to find free two-hour public parking in Carrboro, where you can access convenient parking at 10 public lots all over town.

Please remember that the Carr Mill Mall parking area is for mall customers and is not a public parking lot. Leaving the mall premises after parking risks towing. When in doubt, always park in public lots, and enjoy a hassle-free and relaxed shopping and dining experience.

Find more information including an interactive parking map on our Downtown Parking webpage.