Over the past few months, there has been a lot of discussion about the pace and style of development in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

The buildings on 54 that now hover over both the road and the golf course got me wondering just who was calling the shots. To my great amazement, a UNC trustee is the developer, and from the advertisements, there will be UNC offices in the new buildings. This seems like a small conflict of interest.

However, I sense a much larger conflict of interest. Chapel Hill and Carrboro are clearly economically dependent upon the university. It blows my mind that a university decision-maker is allowed to take an economic interest in activities within the town, especially on such a grand scale as Meadowmont and East 54. Who is making decisions with respect to Carolina North?

I work in the securities business, and, we voluntarily "restrict" ourselves from getting involved in situations where we can unfairly influence the outcome. One reason we do this is to steer clear of situations that seem even the slightest bit shady. As maligned as Wall Street has been lately, there is a good reason you don't hear about misappropriated influence. We choose which good situation we want to be in and drop out of the other.

I am astonished no one else is talking about this conflict of interest that surrounds us physically and financially. But then, maybe I'm just a guy from Jersey with a nose for the swamp.

Tom Loughrey

Chapel Hill