Durham City Council heard two controversial rezoning requests and the Moriah Ridge land annexation proposal during its Monday meeting.
Rezoning requests
Council members heard from approximately 80 speakers, a majority of whom disapproved of the requested housing projects.
The first rezoning request — which would convert 6.12 acres of land from “residential suburban” to “development residential,” allowing the construction of up to 140 apartments on the land — was postponed to the council’s March 17 meeting.
In an 8-2 decision following a November review of the Pickett Apartments project, the Durham Planning Commission recommended that the council deny the rezoning request. DPC Vice Chair Sarah Chagaris argued its proximity to the Sandy Creek floodplains could worsen flooding in surrounding areas.
Durham citizens voiced similar worries.
“This wetland is such an important ecosystem for birds and for wildlife,” said Brigid Hogan, professor of cell biology and pediatrics at the Duke School of Medicine. “We need to preserve it for your two-year-old child to come and enjoy in the future.”
However, Nil Ghosh, an attorney with Morningstar Law Group representing the developer Ascension, argued that the development does not threaten the natural environment, as the apartment building would be situated away from the floodplain’s boundaries.
Amare Burrus, Durham Academy upper school’s student body president, outlined student concerns about the project interfering with school parking and increasing traffic at the end of the school day. He also raised safety concerns about the proximity of the proposed apartment complex to the school.
Despite praising the project, Councilmember Javiera Caballero proposed that the vote on rezoning be delayed to a future meeting, following a conversation about bird-friendly lights and other issues. She referenced the need to install lights that produce less light pollution, a move which would protect migratory birds.
While Ghosh shared the developer’s intention to implement bird-friendly design features like window treatments, no concrete proposal was presented on the issue.
The council unanimously agreed with Caballero’s request. Ghosh said the developer would try to incorporate community and council feedback before bringing the rezoning request back to the council March 17.
Moriah Ridge land annexation request
The council unanimously rejected a 168.31 acre annexation request that would have incorporated 15 parcels of land between Erwin Road and Mount Moriah Road — which crosses Durham and Orange County lines — into the City of Durham.
The annexation was tied to a rezoning request on 155.98 acres which would have redesignated the land from “residential suburban-20” in Durham County and “rural transition” in Orange County to “planned development residential,” allowing for the construction of up to 1,000 apartments, townhouses and single-family units.
Several homeowners neighboring the area attended the meeting to express their opposition to the annexation, hoping to maintain the land’s rural character and abundance of wildlife.
“We could not have anticipated the feelings of displacement, loss and grief with this proposal. This development proposal does not align with the social fabric of this area,” said Alice G., who grew up in the area, noting that she felt “pressured” to move out.
Some Orange County citizens expressed concerns that the annexation would cause them to pay additional city taxes on their property.
The DPC recommended against the annexation request in a 6-2 vote, disapproving the development of Mount Moriah Road in Orange County, which is outside of Durham’s Urban Growth Boundary. The UGB limits where the city can extend development, as outlined in the Durham Comprehensive Plan.
“I can envision a day where we … decide to extend the urban growth boundary, but I am not prepared to right now,” Councilmember Carl Rist said.
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In other business
Multiple members of the council expressed concerns about policies enacted by President Donald Trump. Caballero encouraged Durhamites to support their fellow citizens with refugee status, following a slew of executive actions that have withheld federal funding for local refugee resettlement programs.
Williams also recognized Rebecca Lobach, a Durham native and army captain, who was one of three soldiers to die when their helicopter collided with a commercial airplane in Washington, D.C., Thursday.
Another 18.29 acre parcel of land was annexed into Durham city limits and subsequently rezoned to “planned development residential,” allowing the construction of up to 98 townhomes, including five affordable housing units. The request passed unanimously.
Baker also acknowledged the ongoing gun violence issue in Durham following a non-fatal shooting of a Durham two-year-old Monday.
Nikhil Sethi is a Pratt first-year and a staff reporter for the news department.