Allow sale of Duke Forest land

The County Commissioners should permit Crosland Properties to purchase and develop a section of University-owned land

The County Commissioners should permit Crosland Properties to purchase and develop a section of University-owned land, as complaints that the plans are environmentally unfriendly are unfounded. In fact, the development will promote Durham’s growth.

In the late 1980s Duke’s Board of Trustees commissioned a study of the Duke Forest, found certain tracts of land to have minimal academic use and decided these areas had the potential to be sold in the future. The University is now trying to sell 42 acres of that land to Crosland, which plans to build 49 upscale houses there.

Problem is, the Erwin Area Neighborhood Group, a coalition of 19 neighborhoods in the area, does not want the land developed and is trying to prevent the sale by blocking necessary county and city approvals Crosland needs to proceed. The Durham County Commissioners have exercised their right to reserve land being considered for purchase, and the coalition has 120 days in which to raise the money necessary to buy the land.

For the University, who buys the land is really a non-issue, since it will get paid either way. The county, however, should not block land sales without any justifiable reason, and the bigger issue is that preventing the land sale to Crosland will be detrimental to Durham’s growth.

The Erwin Area Neighborhood Group objects to the sale because it fears development will be harmful to the environment and may threaten New Hope Creek Corridor, a walking trail between the Forest and Jordan Lake. As part of the purchase agreement, however, Duke required Crosland to preserve some of the land as park-like space. Thus, 21 of the 42 acres will remain undeveloped—the developers are being environmentally conscious even without the intervention of outside groups. Although the walking trail may have to be altered some, any changes will be minor.

Furthermore, Durham will benefit from the development of this land. Durham is in need of new upscale housing. Right now, the city lacks that type of housing and is losing potential taxpayers to places like Cary or Chapel Hill. If Durham hopes to attract residents to the city, it needs housing developments such as the one Crosland is planning.

Crosland has already sunk money into developing the land, and there is no legitimate reason why it should not be allowed to continue. The reaction from the Erwin Area Neighborhood Group is extreme—Crosland is being environmentally conscious, half of the land will remain open space and the walking trail will not be significantly affected.