INC NEWS - "The Park at Southpoint" # A07-15 -- PC recommended denial (11-2)

[Melissa Rooney]

Hello again.

Just wanted to inform you that, after lengthy (>1 hour
total) discussion, the planning commission voted to
recommend denial for "The Park at Southpoint" planning
amendment case that would change an important 'mixed
use' area in South Durham to 'commercial.' 

It would be great if those of you who wrote the PC
with your concerns over this case, would write them
once again to thank them for listening and acting upon
these concerns: durhamplanningcommission at durhamnc.gov

A couple of things noted tonight that are worth
bringing to concerned citizens' attention:

1) I am disturbed of the mention (by planning staff, I
believe?) that, if the planning commission were to
recommend denial of this plan, the developer could
take both the plan amendment and the rezoning
applications to the city council simultaneously,
thereby bypassing planning commission approval. In
addition to having the feeling of a threat, the
developer should have to figure these sort of
loopholes out for himself, since we citizens certainly
have to figure things out as we go along (or, more
often, after the damage is done). 

* I hope that this situation will be amended such that
the planning commission can request that the amendment
application be resubmitted with the rezoning
application (they cannot currently do this). In the
case of a plan amendment change that is approved, this
would prevent both 1) pressure to subsequently pass
the rezoning in order to ensure the newly designated
area is used as initially intended and 2) the
developer from 'flipping' the land, once it is
redesignated in the comprehensive plan, thereby
allowing unanticipated and controversial commercial
interests to move in.

2) Furthermore, MANY planning commissioners explicitly
voiced their wishes that the rezoning plan had
accompanied this comprehensive plan amendment, in
order to provide the most complete information to the
PC (and, thus, give them the ability to better tailor
development intentions to Durham citizens' needs and
desires). 

* I hope that the planning commission (as well as
Durham citizens, at large) will request that such
simultaneous submission be encouraged, perhaps even
required, of any future amendment applicant at the
onset.

Because such simultaneous submission was an
impossibility in this case, according to both planning
staff and the applicant, I applaud the planning
commission for recommending denial of the "Park at
Southpoint" comprehensive plan amendment under the
present circumstances. 

It is good to know that our city/county does, indeed,
learn from history. Durham needs some guarantees
regarding long-term planning allocations and private
development plans. I am thrilled to see that our PC is
taking action toward this end.

Sincerely,
Melissa Rooney



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melissa Rooney, Ph.D.
Fairfield Community Awareness, 
Communications and INC representative

Durham, NC 27713
mmr121570 at yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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