Coal Ash at 828 Site

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POLICE HEADQUARTERS

Address: 828 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd

Current use: Chapel Hill Police Headquarters

Site conditions: coal ash and construction debris buried and exposed on the property (see below for more information)

 

The Town of Chapel Hill is considering a redevelopment plan for Town-owned land at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., the current site of the Chapel Hill Police Department headquarters.

This was the site of coal ash and construction debris infill that dates from the 1960s and 1970s, before the Town took ownership of the property through eminent domain. When the Town discovered the materials in late 2013, we acted quickly to notify the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ--named NC DENR at the time). We are committed to following all environmental laws and standards to ensure the health and safety of our community.

Current Updates

On September 18, you can attend a NC Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) public meeting at the Chapel Hill Public Library to comment on a draft Brownfields Agreement addressing coal ash at Town property at 828 Martin Luther King  Jr. Blvd. The meeting will also stream online for those who want to listen.

  • When: 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 
  • Where: Chapel Hill Public Library, Room B 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill, NC  
  • To listen to the meeting online: https://bit.ly/3YSigjS  
  • Webinar Number 2420 264 2134   
  • Webinar Password: NCDEQ (62337 when dialing from a phone or video system)

Read the full NC DEQ news release about the public meeting here.

The Brownfields Agreement outlines what future uses NCDEQ will allow on the property, as well as remediation measures for those uses. The draft agreement doesn’t make any decisions about the future of the property – that’s what Council, staff, and community will do together once the agreement is finalized.

Here’s what the draft agreement says we can and can’t do there:

  • We can’t put housing on the property.
  • We could put a municipal services center, recreational space, transit access, and parking – all with NCDEQ-approved coal ash remediation.

Here are ways to view the draft agreement:

  • You can access it online via NCDEQ by entering the project number 23022-19-068 into the search bar at https://edocs.deq.nc.gov/WasteManagement/.
  • You can access it via hard copy at the Chapel Hill Public Library (100 Library Drive) by asking at the service desk on the main level.

Since the discovery of coal ash at this site in 2013, the Town has taken numerous steps, including site assessments and environmental studies.  All of those, and many other associated documents, can be found on the 828 Site page on the Town’s website. 

Past Updates

  • On September 13, 2023, Council adopted a resolution authorizing the Town Manager to proceed with leasing space for the Police Department while staff continues working with the State Brownfields program for 828 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
  • As of August 2023, staff continues to work with NC DEQ on a potential Brownfields agreement.  Once a draft agreement is finalized, more information about timing of next steps will be available. 

Recent Steps

At its March 8, 2023, meeting, Chapel Hill Town Council authorized Town staff to have a concept plan developed for the site and to fund any current costs with general funds, which will be later reimbursed by bond funds.  A concept plan is a first draft of a development that could be built on the site.

***The following video has been edited for time and is not the official record. The full, unedited video--including public comment--can be viewed at chapelhill.granicus.com/player/clip/6314?meta_id=277452.

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