INC NEWS - Duke's $2 million deal: neighborhood asks Council to proceed with both issues separately

[John Schelp]

Dear City Council,

The Old West Durham Neighborhood Association would
like to go on record requesting that the theater
funding issue be separated from the Duke Central
Campus rezoning issue (including the related
improvements to Anderson Street). 

We agree with the public sentiments expressed by four
of our City Council members -- and the serious
questions raised by both the Durham Herald-Sun and the
News & Observer.

Whether the deal is put into writing or just left
hanging in the air, Duke has told us what it wants. 

Sadly, the "deal" is likely to be made whether
formally or, as would more usually be the case,
informally. The amazing thing about this situation was
that Duke was so brazen the in making the deal formal
(by getting it in writing). 

This deal has the appearance of "contract zoning." 

We certainly don't want to set bad precedents
regarding the transparency of local governance here in
Durham. Will Durham be running to Duke every time we
have a budget shortage.

As the Duke-Durham partnership neighborhood that
stretches along the northern boundary of Central
Campus, we urge Council to proceed with both issues
separately.

Duke contributes less to its host town than Brown,
Princeton, Harvard and Yale. Yet, university officials
now seem to be starting a new strategy: whenever the
university gives something to Durham, it will exact
something in return.

Let's remind ourselves that there would be no Duke
University if it were not for the generosity of the
citizens of Durham. Let's please move away from this
mentality that we have to go hat-in-hand to Duke every
time we're short a few bucks?

Instead, why not address the funding issues directly?
Duke now has systems established to avoid paying sales
taxes and property taxes. 

Let's change that. For instance, you can ask the
university to allow the use of its DukeCard off
campus. This would help local merchants and increase
our sales tax revenues (school officials said DukeCard
can't be used off campus because card sales are
tax-exempt). 

Or you can support neighbors and merchants -- by
opposing Duke's desire to build any number of 1/2 acre
stores that won't pay property taxes (giving them an
unfair advantage over nearby businesses that do pay). 

These two changes alone would generate significantly
more local revenue (year after year) that will support
important City services now facing funding gaps.

warmest regards,

Old West Durham Neighborhood Association Board
John Schelp, President
Kelly Jarrett, Vice President

Diversity, Harmony, Community