News Digest for Town of Carrboro, NC 
(March 13, 2025) 

Did you know that volunteers picked up over 1,700 pounds of trash at last year's Creek Week Cleanup? These trash cleanups and inventories tell us what exactly is going to our waterways. Several events are coming  to celebrate the streams, lakes, and rivers that connect our human and non-human communities! Look for more about Creek Week in this issue. If you are interested in participating in Earth Day and Juneteenth celebrations as a vendor or to manage a table, sign up before the slots are filled. The deadline to apply for a Green Neighborhoods Grant has been extended. And it's Countdown 3-2-1 (that's Friday, March 21 at 11 a.m.) to celebrate the opening of the Drakeford Library Complex.  

Come Celebrate Creek Week with Carrboro

Carrboro is proud to be a founding partner of Orange County Creek Week. Each year the town joins partners and stakeholders in celebrating the streams, lakes, and rivers that connect our human and non-human communities. Creek Week is a weeklong series of activities like litter cleanups, a community science BioThon, invasive plant removal, green infrastructure tours, and so much more! Visit the Orange County Creek Week website for more details on activities and resources from all the participating partners. All the Orange County Creek Week activities are open to everyone. 

This year Carrboro Staff is hosting the following activities, and we hope to see you there!

Weeklong Activities:

Orange County Creek Week BioThon
Discover how water connects us by documenting plant and animal species in your community as part of a countywide community science project. During Creek Week observations logged into iNaturalist will become part of the Creek Week BioThon. Join the BioThon online here.

Orange County Community Scavenger Hunt
Join us for a countywide scavenger hunt during Creek Week, where you'll uncover hidden treasures and explore the wonders of our local creeks. Pick up a scavenger hunt card at a Creek Week event or use the option to print your own.  

Events:

Saturday, March 15: Orange County Creek Week Kick-Off
12 - 4 p.m. at The Drakeford Complex (203 S. Greensboro St, Carrboro, NC) 
Kick off 2025 Creek Week with an event at the new Drakeford Complex in Carrboro. Join us for hands on activities, story time in the library, and tour the green infrastructures of the Drakeford Complex. Enjoy information from local municipalities, government agencies, and nonprofits. 

Sunday, March 16: Wetland Buffer Ball Workshop 
12 -3 p.m. at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Park (1120 Hillsborough Road, Carrboro, NC) 
Bring your family by Martin Luther King Jr Park to learn about stream buffers and wetlands. Make buffer balls with native seeds to help vegetate the park’s wetland buffer or your stream at home. Wear clothes that can get messy! For more information contact Heather Holley at hholley@CarrboroNC.gov or 919-918-7426.

March 22: Joint Cleanup with Carrboro and Chapel Hill  
1  - 3 p.m. at 102 Hargraves St., Carrboro, NC 
Clean up trash along the Robertson Bike Path and/or conduct a trash inventory. Last year we cleaned up and inventoried over 1700 pounds of trash! Trash inventories tell us what exactly is going to our waterways and potentially shows us where the trash comes from. Register Online.

March 22: Carrboro Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources Youth Fish Clinic
9  - 11 a.m. at Anderson Park (302 Hwy 54 West, Carrboro, NC)
Parents and children will learn the basics about fishing including different equipment, techniques, sites, and regulations. You may even meet a fishing buddy or two! Located at the Anderson Park pond. Supplies furnished but bring a pole if you have one. Children (participants under the age of 18) must have a parent or guardian to participate. FEE and REGISTRATION REQUIRED! Learn more about our annual  Youth Fishing Clinic.

For more information or if your organization wishes to participate in these events, please contact Heather Holley at hholley@CarrboroNC.gov or 919-918-7426.

View the women in leadership at the Town of Carrboro at https://townofcarrboro.org/2991/Womens-History-Month 

Carrboro Recognizes International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month

The Town of Carrboro recognizes March 2025 as Women’s History Month.

These observances offer an opportunity to celebrate the contributions that women of every race, class, ethnic background and gender identity have made to the social, cultural and economic life of the community.

The Women’s History Month theme for 2025 is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating and Inspiring Generations.” This theme celebrates the collective strength and influence of women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership.  Through their efforts, they have served as an inspiration for all generations – both past and present..

Women are serving in leadership roles throughout the Town of Carrboro organization, including Town Manager Patrice Toney, Assistant Town Manager Marie Parker, and several department heads. Town Manager Toney is the first African American woman to serve as Town Manager, stepping into the position in May 2024 after Marie Parker served as the Interim Town Manager in 2023. Since the election of Alderman Mary Riggsbee in 1971 and Mayor Ruth West in 1975, the people of Carrboro have been proudly electing women to local office, including currently serving Mayor Barbara Foushee and Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell. 

A great woman poet named Nikki Giovanni once said, “Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect, and make everyone else deal with you the same way.”

More information:

• Full proclamation
• Women of Carrboro

Vision Zero Open House

Join us at the Drakeford Library Complex on March 13, 2025 for a Vision Zero open house, learn about how the draft Vision Zero Action Plan will work to make our streets safer, have any question answered by Triangle West and Town of Carrboro staff, and give your input for the upcoming Orange County Bike and Pedestrian Plan.

Join the 2nd Friday Art Walk on March 14

The 2nd Friday Art Walk around downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill returns on Friday, March 14.

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 about our participating venues and their exhibitions.

March 21: Drakeford Library Complex Grand Opening Celebration

The grand opening celebration of the Drakeford Library Complex located at 203 S. Greensboro St.  is set for 11 a.m. Friday, March 21. A previous date for the grand opening was postponed following a winter storm that created hazardous travel conditions. 

The complex is the new home of the Orange County Southern Branch Library, the Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department, Orange County Skills Development and NCWorks Career Center, WCOM Radio, and public performance and multipurpose spaces. 

The largest public facility in the history of Carrboro, the three-level building was designed by Perkins & Will Architects and built by Barnhill Contracting Company. At about 52,000 square feet, it features a library, workrooms, classrooms, meeting rooms, flex spaces, a radio studio, third-floor terrace, a performance space and more. The building is attached to a parking deck consisting of 171 parking spaces.  

Grand Opening

While the facility has been open to the public , the event to mark its completion is cause for celebration. The grand opening will feature a ribbon cutting, remarks by special guests including members of the Drakeford Family, and tours of the building. Refreshments will be provided by Neal’s Deli and Open Eye Café. 

Officiating the public ceremony will be Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee and Orange County Board of County Commissioners Chair Jamezetta Bedford, joined by U.S. Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, Town Manager Patrice Toney,  and members of the Drakeford family, including Derrick Drakeford and Bobby Drakeford, sons of the late Dr. Robert Drakeford. 

More information:

• The Town of Carrboro posts regular updates to the community on the Town website and through social media. Sign up to receive Carrboro Town News updates.
• Read the full news release about the Drakeford Library Complex Grand Opening.
• Find more information about the project history and construction.

Carrboro to Celebrate Combined Earth Day and Open Streets!

Celebrate Earth Day with an event that brings people together for an afternoon of eco-friendly activities and outdoor fun. Enjoy a car-free Weaver Street on Sunday, April 6 from noon to 4 p.m. as downtown Carrboro transforms into vibrant spaces for cycling, walking, and exploring green initiatives. Let’s make Earth Day a celebration of nature, sustainability, and collective action toward a greener future!  

This fun event will feature a variety of interactive activities to help you take action to create a cleaner, greener Carrboro. Learn more about climate action and environmental issues in our community and enjoy activities for children of all ages, including a bicycle obstacle course, Earth Day themed arts, crafts, and games, sing-a-longs, an EV Rodeo, and a rock-climbing wall. 

There will be planet-friendly vegan and vegetarian food for purchase and great local bands on the Earth Day stage. The event will end with a parade down Weaver Street. 

This year’s Earth Day theme is: Our Power, Our Planet. Grassroots people-power has always been at the heart of Earth Day. As Earth Day turns 55 this year, the Town of Carrboro’s Earth Day Celebration is all about encouraging everyone to take action on Earth Day and every day.   

Celebrate the Earth with Carrboro! 

For more information: 

• Contact Galen Poythress at 919-918-7392 or jpoythress@carrboronc.gov
• Carrboro's Earth Day Celebration website
• Organizations and vendors who wish to participate in the event may apply online (Deadline: March 17) 
• Sign up online to volunteer at Earth Day
• Learn more about Carrboro’s efforts to reduce carbon pollution and fight climate change.

Help Develop Carrboro's New Unified Development Ordinance

The Town of Carrboro is hosting its first series of public events to replace the Carrboro Land Use Ordinance with a new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The adoption of new land use regulations is a key part of implementing the visioning spelled out in the Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan. 

You’re Invited! Join the Public Forum Thursday, Mar. 27 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., or Saturday, Mar. 29 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. Carrboro, NC 27510.

How does this affect you?

While the UDO in concerned with land use, it’s more than a tool for homeowners and developers. We want to hear from you about how this tool can realize the various climate, race and equity, stormwater, and sustainable development goals of the Comprehensive Plan.

The UDO will … 

• contain local zoning and subdivision regulations and associated permitting procedures
• govern everything from what kind of new housing developments are easiest to build in Carrboro to how simple it is to add a shed behind your house.
• include provisions designed to incentivize the creation of attainable and affordable housing options
• dictate what kind of stormwater and flooding protections will be installed with new and infill developments
• prescribe standards for the preservation of trees, planting of new ones, and how much shade and canopy coverage lots and developments will need.
• The UDO may update street standards, including the establishment of sidewalks, bike infrastructure, and traffic calming throughout town.

How can you get involved?

Visit engage.carrboronc.gov/udo to learn more about the project, sign up for updates, and stay up to date with future engagement opportunities.

Call the project information line at 919-913-3181 to leave a comment by voicemail, learn about upcoming events, or connect with planning staff if you have a question.

Find us at Carrboro in Motion on March 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Estes Park Apartments

Join us at one of our many opportunities to get involved over the course of this 18-month project. The schedule of these can be found on the project webpage at engage.carrboronc.gov/udo

Deadline Extended: Carrboro's Green Neighborhoods Grant Program

Apply now for the Town of Carrboro’s Green Neighborhoods Grant Program to fund a project in your neighborhood!  

DEADLINE EXTENDED: March 12, 2025 at 5:00PM.

GRANT PROGRAM GOALS: 

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

Grant Program Goals: 

• Educate and empower neighborhoods to address climate change. 
• Build neighborhood capacity to engage in climate action. 
• Develop and enhance community and Town partnerships. 
• Leverage Town and neighborhood involvement and resources
• Distribute resources to low-income communities and communities of color who are disproportionately affected by climate change. 

Maximum grant amount: $2,500.00 

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

All projects must: 

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance ecosystem resiliency, or contribute to climate action awareness or engagement. 
• Be completed within eleven months of grant award. 
• Be initiated, planned, and implemented by community members. 
• Obtain Town permits required for construction, if applicable. 
• Designate a fiscal agent with Federal Tax ID number, also known as an EIN.
• Group/fiscal agent must obtain insurance for project (See Forms of Liability Insurance and Minimum Policy Amounts Required, page 7)
• Any contractors must carry required insurance.
• Commit to completing a final report detailing project impact.

HOW TO APPLY

This year, applicants can now submit online with our new application form. 

APPLY NOW: 2025 Green Neighborhoods Grant Application

The information session presentation and recording, application guidelines, required application documents/attachments, and the full scoring rubric are posted online.  

Learn more and apply for the Green Neighborhoods Grant Program here.

To all who are celebrating...

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

Town Council Update

CARRBORO, NC -- The Town Council is scheduled to meet next at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 18.

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 www.YouTube.com/CarrboroNC  OR at https://carrboro.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx   

• The agenda for this meeting is available at https://carrboro.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
• Access the livestream direct link to view the meeting at https://www.youtube.com/live/g929rXk1zLM?si=nYIgppimiy8uwczA

Past Meeting Recap 

The Carrboro Town Council met on Tuesday, March 4 and took the following actions on the agenda available at https://ecs.page.link/a6LFt 

• Received the Women’s History Month, Creek Week, and Femicide Awareness proclamations, and approved a resolution calling for the immediate lifting of the stop work order on foreign assistance programs and the reopening of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID.) Read Proclamations and Resolutions here.
• Approved a request for a street closing permit for the Volunteers for Youth Inaugural Annual 5k Run.
• Authorized staff to apply for the 2025 Clean Fuels Advanced Technology Grant.
• Received an update on Draft 2028-2037 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) - Consideration of Transportation Projects for SPOT Prioritization.

Watch the livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/K82SsPN5a-s?si=cbUVsNmdKYmvxXWM

ABOUT CARRBORO CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: Civic involvement is a valued tradition in our community. You can reach the Town Council with your ideas, views and questions anytime at Council@carrboronc.gov  Meetings are open to the public to join in person at Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W. Main St. OR via Livestreaming at YouTube.com/CarrboroNC     

• Regular business meetings are generally held the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Work sessions are generally held the second Tuesdays of the month. Public comment is not accepted during work sessions, and votes are not taken.
• Agendas (and meeting videos) are posted at https://carrboro.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
• The Town of Carrboro offers free language translation and interpretation services to residents. Information: 919-918-7391 or info@carrboronc.gov 
• Sign up to receive Council Updates with meeting agendas and post-meeting recaps at www.carrboronc.gov/signup (choose Carrboro Town News)
• Learn more about your Town Council.
• Questions? Reach Town Clerk Lamar Joyner at 919-918-7309 or townclerk@carrboronc.gov 

Save the Dates for Spring Festivals in Carrboro 

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

Carrboro Earth Day Celebration & Open Streets: Sunday, April 6

Celebrate Earth Day from noon to 4 p.m. with an event that brings people together for an afternoon of eco-friendly activities and outdoor fun. Enjoy a car-free East and West Weaver St in downtown Carrboro transformed into vibrant spaces for cycling, walking, and exploring green initiatives. Let’s make Earth Day a celebration of nature, sustainability, and collective action towards a greener future!  

Freight Train Blues: May 16, 23, 30, and June 6 

Join the Music Maker Foundation at the Carrboro Town Commons on Fridays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for the 11thannual celebration of Carrboro blues legend Elizabeth Cotten. The series honors her contributions to the American roots genre by highlighting the cultural significance of the Carolina Piedmont style and its connections to current artists like Diana Tuffin bringing Blues & Jazz, to Conjunto Breve bringing in the Salsa night. 

Carrboro Day Celebration: May 4

Grab a blanket and a friend and head to Carrboro Town Commons from 1-5 p.m. to celebrate Carrboro Day, an annual celebration on the first Sunday in May. Meet your neighbors and learn about the town’s history as well as the occupants of the new Drakeford Library Complex, while enjoying live music, crafts, food and more. 

Seeking Vendors for Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth Celebration returns with food, fun, music, and more! We need vendors, nonprofits, and food trucks to participate in our 4th annual edition of this event.

Please note the new location of this year’s event at Carrboro Town Commons.

Note: No ads. No entries are permitted for strictly advertising or recruitment activities. No political campaigning or electioneering. Local vendors, nonprofits, and food trucks will be prioritized.

Apply Online. Application deadline: Friday, April 4, 2025 at 5 p.m.

2025 Winter-Spring Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Program Guide Now Available

The 2025 Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Winter-Spring Program Guide is now available!  This guide covers programs and events from January through April, including Spring Athletic Leagues, and registration for 2025 Summer Camps.

Register at the Drakeford Library Complex at 203 S. Greensboro St. during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and online via RecConnect at www.carrbororec.org  

If you are a new participant who wishes to register online, please be sure to set up via our online registration site (linked below).  Please allow at least 3 business days for account review and approval.

If you have any questions, please contact the Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department at 919-918-7364.

Learn more about the Program Guide and How to Register.

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 11 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.