INC NEWS - Request that INC address questionable City Council protocols for approving urbanization projects that affect our neighborhoods

[Jim Ellenson]

At last week's City Council meeting, the Old North Durham Neighborhood
Association and Old Five points Neighborhood Association presented their
concerns regarding UDI and United Baptist Church projects that the Council
appears to be supporting without adequate regard to input from the Durham
neighborhoods that are directly impacted by their (the Council's) decisions.
A summary of the concerns is listed below, and the entire document that was
presented to the Council is attached.  

 

The nature of the decisions that elicited the concern of these two
neighborhoods should be of concern to ALL neighborhoods of Durham, as it
relates to the transparency of governmental processes undertaken by elected
officials who supposedly represent the taxpaying citizens of Durham. I would
like to see the issues presented below to be addressed by the
Interneighborhood Council of Durham.  Is it possible to have this issue
included in the INC meeting tomorrow, Sept. 26, (even as new business), or
at least placed on the earliest possible future agenda?

 

Respectfully, 

 

Jim Ellenson

INC representative from the Old North Durham Neighborhood Association

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A summary of the issues presented to Council, Monday, Sept. 18: (a complete
transcript is attached)

 

The Old North Durham Neighborhood Association, in conjunction with Old Five
Points Neighborhood Association, asked that the city defer voting on
approving Neighborhood Revitalization Funds to projects for UDI and The
United Baptist Church in the Old Five Points Neighborhood.  Our reasons
were:

*      Lack of neighborhood notification and effort to engage neighborhood
support.

*      The fact that the UDI proposal does not concern property it owns or
is in contract to own.

*      The fact that the UDI proposal concerns demolition and rebuilding,
rather than rehabbing properties that are listed on the North Durham Duke
Park National Register.  Rehabbing is more economically viable.

*      The fact that the Union Baptist Church tore down a city block,
including the site of the first North Carolina sit-in, without neighborhood
consent and/or involvement.

*      There are no private partners.

*      There is no provision for job training and/or long-term employment
for local workers.

 

 

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