INC NEWS - Duke has to wait on rezoning (articles in today's Herald-Sun and N&O)

[John Schelp]

Duke has to wait on rezoning
News & Observer, 12 July 2006

The planning commission delayed consideration of a
Duke University request to rezone 128 acres between
the Gothic-style West Campus and the Georgian-style
East Campus.

Duke officials were encouraged to meet with
neighborhood advocates to discuss their concerns about
the Central Campus plan before the commission
reconsiders the proposal next month.

John Schelp and Tom Miller, neighborhood
representatives, sent a letter Monday to the
commission asking the advisory board for more time to
work on thorny issues about the proposal.

Duke plans to transform the 128-acre tract into a mix
of student housing, academic buildings, restaurants
and stores.

****

Central Campus vote postponed
Herald-Sun, 12 July 2006

The Durham Planning Commission postponed a vote
Tuesday on a rezoning request by Duke University for
its Central Campus redevelopment.

The commission moved the request and a public hearing
to its August meeting.

Several people were prepared Tuesday to speak about
Duke's plan for the 128-acre property. As a
preliminary step, Duke is seeking to change its zoning
designation from residential to university-college.

Residents of the site and surrounding neighborhoods
said they would ask Duke in the interim to specify
more planned features, although they're not expecting
a high level of detail, said John Schelp. They do
want, however, more information about planned retail
operations, he said.

"Duke knows exactly what we want," said Schelp,
president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood
Association, "and we're looking forward to doing what
we did with East and West campus, going in with them
shoulder to shoulder."