INC NEWS - Meridian Parkway Rezoning -- Filling more floodplain??

[Melissa Rooney]

Please lend your consideration to the following rezoning case:

** The Meridian Parkway Exchange Place: case #Z08-00024, to rezone from Light Industrial (IL) to Office and Institutional (OI). The geographic map is attached, so you can see for yourself the environmental sensitivity of this area. The planning department currently has no map showing the development plans for this land parcel. 

For more (very limited) info, see http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/planning/pdf/current_submittals_0608.pdf

IN A NUTSHELL:

* The PC will hold a public hearing on this development on Aug 12, which I cannot attend (bummer). 

* At least 60% of the land parcel for this rezoning is IN THE FLOOD PLAIN.

* Another 20% is designated Open Space and Recreation by the Future Land Use Map (Comprehensive Plan), and this is Flood WAY (more sensitive than Flood Plain)

* Even if these guys plan to keep their building/development to the 20% non-floodplain/way land that remains, this most likely means clear-cutting and mass-grading the only LAND that is adjacent to the flood plain and the flood way....at the expense of further run off and damage to our waterways. And you'll see from the attached map that there is already a neighborhood/subdivision adjacent to this portion of the floodplain.

* At the JCCPC meeting today several people (including gov't/planning officials) communicated to me their belief that this land should not be built upon at all...it should be protected.

** How on earth can Durham continue to consider, much less ALLOW, filling of our floodplains when EVERY stream and lake in the triangle is currently impaired (according to the division of Water Quality)??

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 
1) If you could weigh in with your opposition to any building on this extremely environmentally sensitive area (Meridian Parkway and other Floodplain areas), it might make some difference:

Planning Commission: durhamplanningcommission at durhamnc.gov
City Council: council at ci.durham.nc.us
Board of County Commissioners: commissioners at durhamcountync.gov

2) And if you know anyone who lives in the nearby neighborhoods, please notify them of this situation. (I've been told that these neighbors don't even know what's in the pipeline.)

Melissa (Rooney) -- p.s. My take is below

MY TAKE:

1) Perhaps we should have a moratorium on permits for flood plain filling until we sort out the Jordan Lake Rules and other plans to protect our water resources.

2) At the very least, our gov't officials should have some idea of the development plans before making any decisions, so that they can ensure there are committed elements and safeguards, i.e.:

a) that this development does not involve filling the floodplain with impervious surface of any type. 

b) There should also be substantial protection/saving of any mature trees in this area, since they are required to consume all the water that would (should) accumulate here.



      
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