Durham City Council rejected an annexation ordinance and unanimously passed the Vision Zero Action Plan during its Monday meeting.
Zoning request
In a 2-5 vote following extensive public comments, the council failed to pass a request to annex 218.5 acres of Sheffield Farms into the City of Durham. The request would have allowed the construction of up to 702 new residential units.
Durham residents and council members voiced concerns over the annexation harming the environment, failing to provide adequate affordable housing and straining Durham Public Schools’ resources.
Nil Ghosh, the attorney with Morningstar Law Group representing developer M/I Homes, refuted several claims and highlighted the environmental commitments of the developer. Durham resident Andrea Quinn, also spoke in favor of the proposal — the sole community member to do so — claiming that if the proposal were to be defeated, her family’s residence may never have access to water and sewer services.
“Please do not close the door on us,” she said.
Other residents, however, raised environmental concerns about the proposal, warning that stormwater runoff from the development could increase pollution in the Morgan Creek flood zone.
The proposal’s wildlife corridor, which intended to mitigate environmental impact, was also met with criticism. Kate Heim, a toxicologist residing near the property to be rezoned, claimed the corridor was insufficient because it did not overlap with high-priority natural habitat areas.
“It’s not benefiting anyone,” she said.
One student from C.E. Jordan High School also raised concerns about how the new development would affect school zoning, questioning how incoming students from the area would be zoned for her already overcrowded school, which is operating at 121.5% capacity.
Although the developer pledged a one-time contribution of $65,500 to DPS, the student argued that the amount was insufficient, noting an estimate that each new student would cost the district $100,000.
One public comment questioned the proposal’s compliance with the Durham Comprehensive Plan, stating that the plan requires 15% of new housing units to be designated as “affordable,” but the Sheffield Farm proposal would only designate 5% of new housing units as such.
Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton, who voted in favor of the annexation, believes eventual development in Sheffield Farms to be inevitable and lauded the developer’s commitment to infrastructure and environmental preservation.
Councilmembers Javiera Caballero and Carl Rist both acknowledged the complexity of the case and shared concern over the stability of the new infrastructure and roads, ultimately voting against the proposal. Councilmember Nate Baker, who also voted in opposition, expressed particular worry over the project’s environmental impact and potential to disrupt wildlife and the forest.
Vision Zero Action Plan
The council voted unanimously in favor of the Vision Zero Action Plan, which will focus on a public health approach to transportation safety.
The Action Plan is a step toward helping the city achieve Vision Zero, a commitment Durham adopted in 2017 to end traffic deaths.
Despite the unanimous vote, Middleton had expressed concern over the Action Plan delaying the city’s adoption of the safe speed strategies plan until 2027.
According to Durham Transportation Department Director Sean Egan, the department is creating a Vision Zero dashboard to share the work of the project publicly. Currently, efforts and data are especially concentrated around a high-injury network of roads.
In other business
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Mayor Leonardo Williams celebrated former state Sen. Mike Woodard, who represented Durham, with a proclamation declaring April 7, 2025 Mike Woodard Day. The celebration also included a jazz band performance and dancers to honor Woodard.
Several council members applauded the hundreds of Durham residents who joined a network of national protests against the actions of the Trump administration this week.
“They are resisting this moment of growing fascism in our country,” Baker said of the protesters.
The council also heard a public comment in favor of a plan to accept certain streets and infrastructure in Courtyards at Southpoint, which passed unanimously.
Annie Eilers is a Trinity first-year and a staff reporter for the news department.