INC NEWS - INC-list Digest, Vol 36, Issue 2

[Melissa Rooney]

I totally agree with Ken (and Jim). But as I live in
suburban South Durham, re-development/renovation
doesn't really help us down here. 

Clearly there are a lot of people who want to live in
suburban Durham, as evidenced by all the new
development down here and on other outskirts of the
city (Brier Creek comes to mind). 

Unfortunately, there aren't many homes down here to
renovate....plus there is little stopping developers
from buying up land, clear-cutting and mass-grading,
an option which is clearly less-expensive and thus
preferred, both by developers and future home buyers.
Our schools down here are already overcrowded
(Creekside Elementary has 8 Kindergarten classes with
over 20 students a piece!). There is talk/fear of
redistricting, and this school is only 3 years old! A
lot of people moved to my neighborhood BECAUSE they
want their kids to go to Creekside. They're gonna be
pretty upset if we go the way of Wake County.

In addition, the water quality of Jordan lake is
suffering more and more, and we're being required to
cut our water usage to the extreme. We cannot support
MORE new homes down here.

Infrastructure, environmental requirements and water
should come BEFORE development, not the other way
around.

It's apparent that we have to use every angle we can
to get the gov't to eliminate the loopholes, ammend
the UDO and require truly responsible (environmentally
and infrastructural-ly) development in rural/suburban
Durham. We are running out of land...and options.

It's already working, as the JCCPC has sent back the
UDO for amendments to remove loopholes currently
available to developers (to avoid accommodating
citizen input and concerns) via the conservation
subdivision and within the rural/suburban tier. It's
slow going, but hopefully with everyone's input and
involvement, it will be fast enough to have some
impact on what little remains of rural/suburban Durham
to develop.

As always, I welcome anyone's input -- I learn so much
from INC members. But active INC members are
predominantly city-folk, and we need some support here
in the suburbs.

Sincerely,

Melissa (Rooney)


--- Jim Tuttle <jim at braggtown.com> wrote:

> That's the Durham I want to live in.
> 
> Jim
> 
> > Melissa,
> > 
> > I have a thought on topic of curbing development,
> but not on current water
> > crisis.
> > 
> > There may be a better and much more effective way
> to slow new development?
> > 
> > What if folks were encouraged to, and then
> applauded for, re-developing
> > disadvantaged parts of our city? We already have
> roads, sewer, utilities,
> > etc in these areas. In other words, re-developing
> does not require the
> > infrastructure that developing does.
> > 
> > Demand drives supply. If boarded-up homes were
> fixed up, perceptions of
> > public safety were brought in line with reality
> and folks just simply
> > believed in our older neighborhoods, folks would
> fill them back up. With
> > folks filling up these homes, they will not buy
> new homes and the developers
> > will slow their building. And,... instead of
> building new homes, they could
> > turn their resources toward re-developing?
> > 
> > Respectfully,
> > 
> > Ken Gasch
> > 
> > 
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> 



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