INC NEWS - Letter: Water an important part of development debate (Herald-Sun)

[John Schelp]

Letter: Water an important part of development debate
Herald-Sun, 14 Dec 2007
 
Regarding the Dec. 5 Herald-Sun article, "Drought may
affect growth": I disagree with the statement "... the
water shortage appears to be a convenient issue that
critics of a few projects controversial for other
reasons are latching onto as applications reach the
council." The current water crisis is hardly
incongruent with opponents' long-term concerns
regarding the developments in question. The issue is
about water levels and water quality, which continue
to be degraded by clear-cutting, mass-grading and lack
of sufficient buffers -- all of which characterize the
precedent-setting "conservation subdivision" plans of
Jordan at Southpoint. 

Durham citizens were concerned about these issues long
before the drought got everyone's attention: On March
10, 2002, the News & Observer reported that Mayor Bill
Bell would "like to preserve the remaining rural
character of South Durham as much as possible. Bell
said the city and county must send a stronger signal
to developers and landowners that they're going to
stick with their long-term goals for the area." 

Meanwhile, in the Independent Weekly (Feb. 20, 2002),
George Stanziale (the applicant for Jordan at
Southpoint) says of the planning staff: "Their job is
to protect and legislate the [zoning] ordinance. But
when someone wants to get something done on a piece of
property, and it doesn't meet the ordinance or a
particular plan, say, a small-area plan, they're going
to always work with us to see how we can get it done."


For the sake of our water resources and Durham in
general, change has to start somewhere. Why not with
Jordan at Southpoint? 

Melissa Rooney
Durham