[Durham INC] Sat, 24 Oct, HS Guest Column wrt J Lake Rezoning

[Melissa Rooney]

FYI --
a response to Avitabile's unfounded accusations against opponents of the
J Lake Watershed rezoning at the 12 Oct Public Hearing. -- Melissa

http://www.heraldsu
n.com/pages/ full_story/ push?article- Hearing+was+ about+watershed+
rezoning- +not+751+ development% 20&id=4122077-Hearing+ was+about+
watershed+ rezoning- +not+751+ development&instance=columnists

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

Hearing was about watershed rezoning, not 751 development
		
			
			
  

    
  



		
                
	
	
      
				
       	  


           
	
           
	
        

	BY MELISSA ROONEY

Guest columnist (Herald Sun, October 24, 2009)

Like Mark
Avitabile, Herald-Sun guest columnist of Oct. 15, an avid supporter of
the not-yet-determined 751 Assemblage development rezoning, I was
present throughout the Jordan Lake rezoning public hearing on Oct. 12.

Despite his subjective and insubstantial arguments, I feel I must correct several statements.

First,
Avitabile directs his article at opponents of the "proposed
development. " The hearing concerned the watershed rezoning, not the 751
Assemblage. [Interestingly, the Oct. 10 Herald-Sun editorial makes the
same mistake.] 

Board of County Commissioners Chairman Michael
Page should have disallowed any statements regarding the development as
clearly off topic. Of course, this would mean that Avitabile, like many
proponents, would have nothing to say. 

Second, regarding
Avitabile's off-topic contention that such development "does not
necessarily pull away investment and business from other areas of
Durham," he must not be familiar with South Durham, where retail/office
space (including the Southpoint Mall area, Highway 54 and 751, and
Highway 54 and 55) are severely vacating, and "for lease" signs are
common.

Avitabile would probably argue this is cause for more
retail/office development. Though I can't see any rational angle, I've
learned not to underestimate 751 Assemblage proponents.

Third,
Avitabile complains that opponents 'focused' on arguing that "the
proposed mixed-use development will only benefit wealthy, white
residents."

In fact, only two opponents made direct economic
arguments -- Kathryn Spann, 2008 Soil and Water Conservation candidate,
and David Krabbe, 35-year construction industry veteran. These were in
response to proponents supporting the watershed rezoning based on 751
developers' unfounded promise of approximately 3,000 low-median income
jobs.

Spann and Krabbe demonstrated analytically that the
developers' economic numbers are grossly inflated. One analysis
revealed that their projected property tax revenues require combined
incomes of approximately $230,000 per year for 751 Assemblage
homeowners. Durham's average income is $48,000 per year, arguing
against the reality of the developers' numbers -- and against their
assertions that citizens would live and work here, since retail jobs
generally pay lower than the median.

 Furthermore, this
development is at the county's southern edge. There's no indication of
extending bus service out there, so it's even less likely that
inner-city residents, who most drastically need jobs, will commute to
work here.

Regarding Avitabile's contention that 751 residents
will provide employment through landscaping, daycare, cleaning, etc.,
the same argument holds. It is absurd to approve this watershed
rezoning based on blind acceptance of the hypothesis of trickle-down
economics.

As for Avitabile's race-baiting accusations, I only
heard mention of race when Jackie Wagstaff heatedly and divisively
argued that the other side was not diverse enough, implying that the
opponents were all white, wealthy residents. (Darius Little further
discriminated by gender, arguing the opponents are all housewives
trying to rule the roost.)

I was insulted by this racism. I am
Polish-Lithuanian (from immigrants during WWII), and other opponents
are of British, Welsh, Irish, Italian, Ukrainian, French, German,
Jewish, Middle-eastern, Hispanic, Asian, and yes, even African descent.


If Avitabile and Wagstaff bothered to do any homework, they'd
realize that many signatures on the protest petition against this
watershed rezoning were from African-Americans. 

Thus, if
anyone is "race-baiting, " it's Avitabile, Wagstaff, Little and perhaps
those development team members associated with the Friends of Durham (a
decidedly developer-based group), who in this case seem only to have
reached out to the Committee for the Affairs of Black People -- a group
of whom they once said:

 "The committee doesn't care about black
people; and it certainly does not care about white people or brown
people. It cares only about getting its hands on the county's budget,
finding government jobs for its otherwise unemployable insiders, and
obtaining power over you. It is counting on your apathy and failure to
vote to help it gain and consolidate its control over Durham ... We
will not be "taken over" by the Durham Committee."

-- Friends of Durham Newsletter, August 2002, Patrick Byker Chairman. 


Byker is the K&L gates attorney, employed by the developers since
the 751 Assemblage project's onset, who joined Wagstaff, Lavonia
Allison, etc., in supporting the watershed rezoning.

Before I
moved to Durham, I thought water was colorless. Jordan Lake clean-up
costs certainly are, and will be long into the future.

 Melissa
Rooney is a Ph.D chemistry graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill and is an
active member in numerous organizations, including the
Interneighborhood Council, Haw River Assembly and Northeast Creek
Streamwatch. 


      
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