INC NEWS - Ninth Street 2B Discussed at Charrette September 15-16

[RW Pickle]

>From the City PR Dept.
RWP
27 Beverly

Opportunity for Durham Citizens to Provide Input on Future Design and
Vision for Area
 
Durham, N.C. – Durham residents interested in providing input and learning
more about the future development and design of Ninth Street will get
their chance this week at the Ninth Street Charrette.
 
Hosted by the Durham City-County Planning Department and Durham Area
Designers, a group of architects, landscape architects and planners who
provide pro bono design services on community projects, residents will
have an opportunity to participate in an intensive design workshop to
encourage an open discussion on future development for Ninth Street and
the surrounding area.  The charrette is scheduled for Friday, September
15, beginning at 5 p.m., and Saturday, September 16 beginning at 9 a.m.,
and will be held at Asbury United Methodist Church, located at 806
Clarendon Street, Durham. 
 
According to Frank Duke, director for the Durham City-County Planning
Department, the charrette is an opportunity for citizens to get involved
in Ninth Street’s future.  “The Ninth Street Charrette will be a great
opportunity for our citizens to provide insight and information on issues
that face the Ninth Street community as well as share their vision for
future development in this area,” Duke said.  “We hope that citizens will
take advantage of this opportunity to provide us with useful input for
such an important area of Durham.”
 
The Friday session will provide citizens with an orientation to the
charrette process, define the study area and include an introduction to
form-based development codes.  The Saturday session will concentrate on
exploring best practices for potential development in the Ninth Street
area.  According to Duke, the Saturday session will likely last the entire
day, though attendance for the entire session is not mandatory. 
 
Following the Ninth Street Charrette, citizens will be invited to a review
session of the design team’s work, scheduled for Thursday, November 2,
2006, at 6 p.m. at Asbury United Methodist Church.  The design team will
also present its findings from all of the citizen input collected at the
Ninth Street Charrette.  In addition, City-County Planning staff will
discuss how they will use citizen suggestions to develop a clear, detailed
and realistic vision for this area.
 
For further inquiries, or to register to attend the Ninth Street
Charrette, citizens may contact Aaron Cain, senior planner with the Durham
City-County Planning Department, at (919) 560-4137, extension 226 or via
e-mail at aaron.cain at durhamnc.gov.
 
About the Durham City-County Planning Department
The Durham City-County Planning Department is involved in many aspects of
community growth, including reviewing development plans and protecting
Durham’s natural and cultural resources.  Planners meet regularly with
citizen groups to discuss specific issues and to talk generally about
Durham’s future.  The department is charged with implementing Durham’s
Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Ordinance to direct future
growth.  To learn more about this department, visit the City’s website at
http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/planning/.