INC NEWS - May OWDNA website updates

[Tom Clark]

Friends and neighbors,

It is with great pleasure that I report in this month's update on the recent
resolution of the Central Campus zoning issue.

On May 5, 2005, after years of heming, hawing, promising, retracting,
whining and lashing out, Duke officials have finally committed to
University/College zoning for Central Campus, the essence of what we in the
neighborhoods have been asking for all along.  From now on the question is
simple:  Does any construction proposed by Duke reflect the academic mission
of the university?

It has been proved once again that David can beat Goliath; that with enough
persistence and sticking to the principles of community building and
inclusiveness, the 800-pound gorilla can be made to play nicely.  Many, many
people played critical roles throughout this saga and for all those efforts
we will always be grateful!  These thanks are to include the Duke officials
who made a difference in the end.

We will continue to keep a watchful eye on Duke's retail plans and will work
with Planning officials to ensure any campus retail reflects the
University/College ordinance -- which limits retail to that which supports
the academic mission of the university.

For now, we celebrate a victory for common sense.

Our view of this issue, including this update, can be found at
http://www.owdna.org/duke.htm

An updated timeline can be seen at

http://www.owdna.org/Duke-NhoodTimeline.htm

Updates on other issues, and some more on this one, at
http://www.owdna.org/OWD_in_news.htm

Tom Clark
Webmaster, www.owdna.org

Tom C.
905 Alabama Ave.
Durham, NC  27705
919-286-5510 (h)
919-274-7463 (m)