INC NEWS - Fw: Arrowhead Area REZONING hearing on Monday, Feb 26-Durham County Commissioners. Help needed with emails/support at public hearing!

[Wendy Jacobs]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Wendy Jacobs 
To: Erwin Area Neighborhood Group 
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 9:41 AM
Subject: Arrowhead Area REZONING hearing on Monday, Feb 26-Durham County Commissioners. Help needed with emails/support at public hearing!


Dear Neighbors,

Please see email below about upcoming rezoning for the Arrowhead area which is defined by 751- Kerley-Mt Sinai-Cornwallis and Erwin Roads. The rezoning will bring the zoning into compliance with this area's land use designation as Rural Tier in the Durham Comprehensive Plan.

If you would like to see this area, which is the only area in southwest Durham that is designated as Rural Tier, developed as rural then please send emails to Durham County Commissioners by next Monday. Email info is below. It is also important that as many people as possible show their support by coming to the public hearing on Monday night. Info about public hearing below.

Please pass this email on to your neighbors, friends and family.

Thank you for your help,

Wendy Jacobs
Erwin Area Neighborhood Group

______________________________

 
To the Arrowhead community:

 

IMPORTANT REMINDER!!!

 

The County Commissioners will meet next Monday night Feb 26 to vote on the proposed rezoning of the Arrowhead.  This rezoning would change the zoning from RS-20 (2 homes/acre lot size) to RR (1 home/2 acre lot size).  Arrowhead will be at the beginning of the agenda - PLAN TO BE THERE AROUND 7 PM.  200 East Main Street.  Parking garage is next door.

 

Please e-mail or call your County Commissioners to let them know your opinion on Case Z06-54.  Even if you sent comments to the County Commissioners in January (or to the Planning Commission in November), please send your comments again to the County Commissioners.

 

The County Commissioners' general number is 560-0027; their fax is 560-0013.

 

Phillip Cousin - prcousin at earthlink.net 683-1379 (work)

Becky Heron, Vice-Chair - bmheron at durhamcountync.gov

Ellen Reckhow, Chair - ereckhow at aol.com

Lewis Cheek - lcheek at durhamcountync.gov 

Michael Page - mpage at durhamcountync.gov 699-3299 (cell)

 

 

Some background from past e-mails:

 

The County Commissioners requested the rezoning from RS-20 to RR to bring the Arrowhead into compliance with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, which placed the area in a Rural Tier.  The Comp Plan provides in Policy 2.3.1a Rural Tier Development Focus.  Ensure that new development promotes agricultural uses and single-family residential development on large lots to minimize demands for public infrastructure.  Commercial areas shall be small scale and neighborhood oriented.  Please note that the Comprehensive Plan is a guideline for directing responsible growth in Durham; it does not carry the same legal weight as the Unified Development Ordinance, Durham's zoning and development regulations.  That's why the zoning designation for our area would have to be legally changed to match the intent of the Comprehensive Plan.  

 

The Planning Commission voted unanimously in November '06 to recommend the rezoning.  The City/County Planning Dept supports the rezoning as well.  The County Commissioners were scheduled to vote on the rezoning at their January 22 '07 meeting, but it was postponed to Feb 26.

 

Some points to consider:

-        The 2-acre lot size is consistent with the vision in the Comp Plan passed by the County Commissioners and the City Council, after several years of hard work by a large number of people.

-        The Arrowhead is the only Rural Tier area in western Durham; everything to the east and north is suburban - the rezoning will help to preserve the rural nature of the area. 

-        The 2-acre lot size is consistent with the Rural Buffer next to us in Orange County; lots there must be at least 2 acres.

-        We know that our area will always depend on wells and septic - city services cannot be extended into the Rural Tier unless there's a septic tank or well failure.  Two-acre lots will serve to reduce density such that our water supply and septic capabilities will be better protected.  

-        The 2-acre lot size will help to protect our other natural resources - the streams, fields, and forested areas, plus the wildlife that live there.

-        The 2-acre lot size would deter developers from proposing developments that simply will not work in our area.  Developers could propose Conservation Subdivisions that contain lots smaller than 2 acres, as long as the overall project density is not greater than 1 house/2 acres.  Simply put, this provision would allow for responsible development. 

 

THANK YOU FOR CARING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY!   HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT MONDAY!

 

 

Kim B. Gotwals

490-1626

 
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