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Chapel Hill, North Carolina (U.S.)

Orange County

image by Zachary Harden, 7 March 2019

Description of the flag
Seal

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Description of the flag

The flag is seen at www.med.unc.edu/pmbb/town.html. It is an inverted chevron pattern, with a wide blue upper field, a white chevron band, and green below. On the white chevron is a silhouette of hilly city.
Dov Gutterman, 19 October 2002

From townhall.townofchapelhill.org/records/minutes/1990/900924.htm:

MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1990
.....
Item 5 Approval of Town Flag Design

Council Member Preston noted that the Flag Design Committee was seeking to find a design which expressed the Town's character and uniqueness. She noted that Louise Oldenburg, Lisa Price, Sue Koenigshoefer, members of the Design Committee, and Spring Davis, the flag's designer were in attendance this evening. Council Member Preston noted that Council Member Herzenberg, Richard Hill, Coolie Monroe, James Goshen and Milton Van Hoy had also served on the Flag Design Committee. Council Member Preston noted that Town residents had been asked to comment on what the Town meant to them. She noted that characteristics were grouped based on these comments. Council Member Preston said that the flag design incorporated the following characteristics: hopefulness, academic environment, diversity, vitality and progressiveness, community oriented, and environmentally-aware.

Council Member Preston said that the Town flag would serve as a rallying point for the community. She noted that although a public forum for the flag design had been well advertised, few people attended the forum. Council Member Preston stated that nine alternative flag designs were presented to the Town for public comment. She noted that one of the designs emerged as a clear favorite.

Spring Davis, flag designer, unveiled the proposed Town flag. Ms. Davis noted that the actual flag would be a moving, live object, placed next to State and National flags. She reviewed the colors and characteristics of the flag, noting that Carolina blue represented the Town and University; green represented environmental awareness; and the townscape provided a sense of home, friends and community. Ms. Davis thanked the members of the Flag Design Committee for their time and dedication.

Council Member Wallace said that the Council would have been well advised to hold a public hearing concerning the design of the proposed Town flag. He added that flag design would be more appropriately adopted by ordinance rather than a resolution. council Member Andresen stated that the main objective of the flag was individual symbolism. Council Member Andresen noted that she did not think that a public hearing was necessary in this matter, since written public comment had been actively sought throughout the Town. Mayor Howes expressed the appreciation of the Council to all involved in the Town Flag design and selection process. Mayor Howes added that there had been many opportunities for public input and comment concerning the flag design. Town Attorney Karpinos stated that a resolution was the most appropriate tool for adopting the flag design.

COUNCIL MEMBER PRESTON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HERZENBERG, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 1. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).

A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A DESIGN FOR A TOWN FLAG (90-9-24/R-1)

WHEREAS, the Flag Design Committee has completed its work and recommends a design as presented tonight;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby approves the design as presented to the Council by the Committee and adopts it as the official flag design of the Town of Chapel Hill.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town of Chapel Hill will have the flag manufactured, with one flag to fly with state and national flags outside the new Town Hall and one to hang with state and national flags in the Council Chamber.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the design of the Town flag will become the property of the Town; further uses of the design will be left to the discretion of the Mayor, the Town Council, and the Manager.

This the 24th day of September, 1990.

And from www.unc.edu/dth/archives/1999/08/082099/loc7.html (no longer available):
Friday, August 20, 1999

Town Flag Showcases University Trademarks
By Bart Wojdynski

In the town of Chapel Hill, residents and students alike rally around venerable institutions like Franklin Street, Tar Heel basketball and the Chapel Hill flag. The Chapel Hill flag? "I didn't know there was one," said Lisa Browning, a sophomore from Winston-Salem. Despite the flag's seeming unpopularity, it features town trademarks such as the silhouettes of the Old Well, Morehead Planetarium and several churches with trees interspersed for good measure. The trees and buildings are set along a bright green hill, topped off by a Carolina blue sky. The flag has officially represented Chapel Hill since 1991.

"I guess it was my idea to have a flag," said former Town Council member Nancy Preston. "I think it was involved with the decision not to add a clock-tower to the Town Hall. We probably thought, Maybe if we had a big flag flying, it would help identify it better.'" In December 1989, Preston, along with former Town Council member Joe Herzenberg and then-mayor Jonathan Howes, proposed a committee to design and adopt a flag for the town. The committee selected graphic artist Spring Davis from a number of applicants. She produced nine different designs, which were displayed in University Mall and other locations throughout town. Residents voted on which design they preferred, and the current design was the clear winner. The flag can now be found flying at the Chapel Hill Town Hall and stitched on the uniform of town police officers.

located by Dov Gutterman, 6 January 2002

Seal

images located by Paul Bassinson, 17 October 2019

Source: https://www.townofchapelhill.org
Paul Bassinson, 17 October 2019