[Durham INC] latest update Colony Park and our area of southwest Durham needs your help

[don lebkes]

> Hi All
> 
> I invite you all to come to the next Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday Feb. the 9th, 2016, starting at 5:30PM.  The Planning Commission meeting is held at City Hall in the City Council Chamber.   At this meeting, there will be a public hearing on cases A1500012 and Z1500031.   This is a revision of the plan that failed at the Planning Commission in July of 2015 and was withdrawn by the developer.  I live in the subdivision of Colony Park, us and the neighborhoods around us will be impacted negatively by this plan.   Colony Park is located  by W Cornwallis Rd. and Welcome Rd. near the 15-501 intersection.

> The new plan, like the old(submitted in 7/2015 and withdrawn after an unfavorable vote by the Planning Commission,) doesn’t improve, enhance or fit into our area of Southwest Durham.  The plan isn’t compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods and undervalues our neighborhoods with it’s lack of design.  This area to the east of Colony Park and north of Colony Hill can be designed so much better than the present plan.  The present plan is a cookie cutter plan that you would expect to see at Brier Creek.  

> The developer told us to look at their Pulte Park South Station development in Charlotte, NC, as a guide to what they plan to do to our area of Durham.  That development is on line at http://www.pulte.com/communities/nc/charlotte/park-south-station/103569/index1.aspx  There will be no town homes here but they tout four different types of single family home designs.  Their style is called snout houses.   Basically the different design is the entrance to the homes.  The rear of the homes are a row of  sameness.
> 
> When you look at Pulte Park South Station development that is planned in our neighborhood and compare it to Colony Park, Colony Hill, Duke Forest, Welcome Circle, you can understand the concept of  Comprehensive Plan Policy 4.2.2a.    Our homes are a variety of ranch and split level with many different design elements and located on different areas of the lot.  This policy calls for a variability of lot sizes, housing types, and styles in new residential development to avoid monotony.  

> Policy 4.3.2a calls for infill development to be compatible with surrounding existing development. Policy 4.3.3 expects that the design of a new development will be appropriate and compatible with its surroundings, and ”acting as a visual and functional asset to the nearby residential areas, and reinforcing the existing community character.”
> 
> The Planning Department  approved the plan as it follows the regulations in the UDO but not most of the polices.  It violates the policies as stated above, and many others also found in the UDO.  Why Policies have to take a second seat to regulations is hard to understand,  when Policies should drive the regulations.  
> 
> A new development  should be an asset to the neighborhoods, the City, and the County of Durham.  We are proud to live in this area of Durham and want the new development to make the neighborhood Durham proud.  The new proposal won’t make our area proud.

There are many other issues; storm water, traffic congestion, safety of the fire trucks from station #11, driving on W. Cornwallis, poor transition to neighboring communities, increased water, air and noise pollution, clear cutting and mass grading. 

The planning staff have found polices to approve this plan.    They site policies  2.3.1 which deals with orderly growth this will allow the developer to actually build 8-10 homes per acre next to homes that are actually 2 to an acre. Policy 2.3.2a deals with existing infrastructure and 2.5.2e is concerned with the future need for homes in Durham by the year 2045 to approve the plan.  We site policies 4.2.2a, 4.3.2a and 4.3.3. to turn the plan down.  The developer must change the future land use map(flum) to get the zoning change. It is a two step process.  No flum change no zoning change.

> Please write the Planning Commissioners saying that Durham deserves a better plan.  One that follows the policies of the UDO and it’s spirt.  Please come to this meeting, bring your family, friends and neighbors.  The last time Colony Park was at the Planning Commission over 200 people came with us.   We need this kind of turn out again.  You can make a difference and have in the past.  Let’s do it again.  See you all at the Planning Commission meeting!  

> 
> Don Lebkes
> Colony Park
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