INC NEWS - Drought puts a hold on water, sewer decision (N&O)

[Melissa Rooney]

Thank you to everyone who weighed in on this issue.
There are more reasons than drought to oppose the
methods of Jordan at Southpoint, and I am very glad
and grateful to see that Mayor Bell and council have
delayed the annexation decision until more information
is garnered. Kudos to all you concerned citizens and
to our gov't officials :) And stay tuned...

Melissa

Melissa Rooney
mmr121570 at Yahoo.com


--- John Schelp <bwatu at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Durham needs to step back and have a broader
> conversation about growth and severe water
> shortages...
> 
> Drought puts a hold on water, sewer decision
> By Matt Dees, News & Observer, 4 Dec 2007
> 
> Drought concerns prompted the City Council to delay
> a
> decision on whether to extend water and sewer
> service
> to a proposed subdivision near Southpoint shopping
> center.
> 
> The move could herald a broader conversation about
> whether the city should call a moratorium on all
> development as Durham grapples with a severe water
> shortage.
> 
> Even if council had approved the extension, Jordan
> at
> Southpointe, a 228-unit subdivision, still would
> need
> approval from the Development Review Board.
> 
> But council members weren't comfortable taking even
> one step toward sanctioning a new large development
> without first getting some sense of what it would
> mean
> to rapidly depleting water supplies.
> 
> "I just can't in good conscience, knowing what we
> know
> now, say 'Let's move forward,' " Mayor Bill Bell
> said.
> 
> He noted that the city's current development laws
> were
> crafted two years ago when water was plentiful. "We
> always assumed we had the resources to supply that
> growth," he said.
> 
> "But we just can't forget we're operating in a
> different environment than we were two years ago, or
> even three months ago."
> 
> City staff will meet with developers in the next two
> weeks to determine how much water the neighborhood
> in
> South Durham would use if built. The matter is
> slated
> to come back to council at their Dec. 17 meeting.
> 
> Council members Diane Catotti and Mike Woodard
> wanted
> to give city staff longer to research the issue.
> 
> But a representative of Jordan at Southpointe LLC
> said
> delays cost the company $45,000 a month, prompting
> the
> council to try to move ahead quickly. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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