Hillsborough Mayor Challenges Citizens to Get Involved

Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens challenged citizens Tuesday night during a State of the Town address to get involved.

“It would be very easy to say this is the year of planning,” Stevens said at the Central Orange Senior Center on Feb. 23. “I’d like to say this is the year of citizenship.”

During the fourth annual address, the mayor noted that major changes in previous years were highly visible construction, buildings and events. In contrast, he said, 2010 would be a year focused on work that much of the public does not see as the town plans for the future.

“We’re laying the groundwork for Hillsborough in the 21st century … for the remaining decades to come,” Stevens said. “This is the time when we need you [to participate].”

He called on citizens to become involved in the planning and to offer their feedback and suggestions. Among the planning projects he mentioned that the town will work on this year were:

• Unified development ordinance — Work is under way on rewriting the town’s zoning and subdivision ordinances. The unified ordinance will consolidate all development ordinances into one easy-to-read document, which will eliminate the difficulty and confusion that can occur at times with the current zoning ordinance. More public input sessions will take place this spring.

• Transportation — The mayor noted that even though the N.C. Department of Transportation has removed plans for the proposed Elizabeth Brady Road bypass as desired by the community, the town’s traffic problems do not go away. He noted that planning for alleviating traffic on Churton Street will take place as well as continued planning for a rail station. A public unveiling of plans made so far for the rail station is to take place March 31.

The mayor also noted that Hillsborough has made much use of its Vision 2010 plan, but now it’s time to create a 2025 plan. Plans also must be made for a new wastewater treatment plant, and the town must work with UNC Hospitals as it plans for a new hospital in the Waterstone development off Old N.C. 86 and Interstate 40.

The town has a lot of neighborhoods, businesses and grassroots volunteers, each contributing to the community, Stevens said.

“But they can’t do it all alone,” he said. “In the 21st century, we’re going to have to come together, particularly if we want to realize our vision. It’s going to take public-private partnership.”