That's what has happened lately among local folks who love Bolin Creek and its lovely wooded corridor.

Everyone involved believes passionately in the value of the creek as a precious natural resource. Everyone involved believes in preserving the creek, its surrounding woodlands and its flora and fauna. Everyone involved believes in acting to ensure that the creek remains healthy and protected from development, pollution, erosion and the sundry other misfortunes that can befall important natural areas.

Despite all that consensus, a sharp division has developed. At issue is the nature of a proposed greenway that will run along Bolin Creek between Estes Drive Extension, near the railroad tracks, and Homestead Road.

The disagreement centers on two issues: the exact route the greenway should take, and what it should be made of.

One faction calls for a 10-foot wide paved path. The other calls for an unpaved path.

That simple-sounding disagreement has widened into a split so significant that Dave Otto, founder of the Friends of Bolin Creek, recently stepped down as that influential group's co-chair, in part because he and fellow co-chair Julie McClintock disagree so strongly over the paved-versus-unpaved question.

"I do not think it is in the best interest of the Friends of Bolin Creek for the leadership to be split in this way," Otto said in his announcement. "I am therefore stepping back to permit the group to speak with a more unified voice." He will serve instead as vice-chair.

Proponents of each side have been debating the issue in passionately worded columns and letters in our newspaper and elswhere.

The pro-paving camp has the backing of the report by the consultant Carrboro hired to study the issue. They say that a paved greenway running on the existing OWASA easement would help stabilize erosion-prone areas, require little if any additional clearing and open the path to cyclists, parents with strollers, people in wheelchairs and others who would find it difficult or impossible to navigate a non-paved surface. It would be similar to the very popular greenway that already runs along the Chapel Hill section of Bolin Creek.

Those opposed to paving say that a paved path and the heavy use it would draw would destroy the natural beauty of the creek corridor, disrupt sensitive wetlands and threaten important wildlife habitats.

Why on earth, they ask, would you run a paved transportation corridor right through one of the loveliest and most essential natural wooded areas we have?

Both sides have impassioned advocates, most of whom would be natural allies on almost any other topic.

While that level of dedication is admirable, we would caution everyone against the temptation people often have in these situations to harden positions, close minds and escalate the hyperbole.

This process is a long way from finished. Now that the issue is squarely in the public eye, another public meeting is set to be scheduled soon.

As the discussion proceeds, let's remember that we're all really on same side.