Development Progress

History of Weavers Grove

In 2001, the Habitat for Humanity of Orange County Board of Directors conducted a survey of Habitat homeowners asking what they thought was important for the purchase of an “ideal” Habitat home. Key factors included living near their jobs in town, having a yard for families to have space for kids to play, and maintaining Habitat’s 0% interest model.

With most of the stable jobs at the time offered by UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Health Care, and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, it was important to find land in Chapel Hill. With this in mind, the Land Search Committee identified a parcel of 17 acres of land near I-40 off Sunrise Road with the intent to buy more over time. Since then, four additional parcels of land have been purchased, including the final one in February 2020.

In the words of the then Habitat Board Chair Rich Leber, “The 18-year community effort to seek the approval of Weavers Grove has been a remarkable endeavor. The initiative had no one hero. The process of securing approval for the 236 homesites has been a generational effort of hundreds, if not thousands of HHOC advocates. Each advocate added just one weaver’s stitch to a truly remarkable quilt which proves the sustainability of the Habitat for Humanity model of selling safe and affordable homes!”

Weavers Grove has had many iterations, from Sunrise Road with a few dozen homes in 2004, Bradley Green with closer to 50 homes in 2006, a partnership with Carol Woods to provide independent living for seniors in 2018. Today’s plan was approved in 2020, with Market Rate Builder Partners Garman Homes and White Oak Properties announced in 2021.

Current Construction Timeline

STAGE 1: COLLECT INITIAL COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

STATUS: COMPLETE

Throughout the planning and construction of Weavers Grove, our goal is to have an open and transparent communications process. That’s why we began gathering input from neighboring communities in the fall of 2017 — a full year before the first concept plan was submitted to the Town of Chapel Hill.

During this time, we distributed a survey to collect feedback and held a town hall to discuss ideas. We then incorporated this information into Weavers Grove. This helped us develop a master plan that met the needs of the larger Chapel Hill community.

STAGE 2: PLAN REVISIONS AND APPROVAL

STATUS: COMPLETE

The Town of Chapel Hill Town Council approved the plan, unanimously, in June 2020 after several years of planning and public comment. The Housing Advisory Board, Environmental Stewardship Advisory Board, Planning Commission, and Community Design Commission reviewed, amended, and approved the plan through their public application review processes. Community concerns such as zoning, traffic impact, stormwater abatement, and density are addressed in the approved Weavers Grove plan. If future plan changes become necessary, Habitat will continue to work in partnership with the Town Council. Click here to view a list of past meetings.

Notable changes to our initial plan include:

  • More integration between affordable housing and market-rate housing
  • Additional sidewalks to improve walkability
  • Inclusion of a basketball court
  • Increased street width
  • Added bike parking for residential units
  • Provide Electric Vehicle charging stations

STAGE 3: CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING

STATUS: COMPLETE

Philanthropic support of the Weavers Grove Campaign is a critical accelerator for realizing this innovative vision.

Originally a $5 million campaign, fundraising began in the spring of 2020 and was set to continue through December 2024. Due to increased construction costs during the pandemic, the goal was raised to $7.5 million. Organizational leadership announced on Moy 20, 2023 that the campaign raised $8,069,750 from 284 donors, 18 months ahead of schedule.

STAGE 4: INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION

STATUS: COMPLETE

Weavers Grove infrastructure includes sewage lines, stormwater drainage, foundation work, and more.

Habitat has received the Zoning Compliance Permit from the Town of Chapel Hill. Demolition was complete in September 2021 and site preparation and clearing began in October 2021. This work lasted around 18 months.

STAGE 5: WEAVERS GROVE HOME CONSTRUCTION

STATUS: UNDERWAY

The first walls were raised on the Habitat for Humanity built homes in July 2023. Garman Homes also began construction on their single family homes in 2023, and White Oak Properties began in the summer of 2024 building the first of three condominium buildings.

Homes have closed and there are currently residents of Weavers Grove. We anticipate completion of the entire community in 2028.