[Durham INC] Clarification regarding the 751 Assemblage rezoning (PC, April 13)

[Melissa Rooney]

It appears I have caused some confusion with my previous email regarding the 751 Assemblage rezoning hearing (at the Planning Commission on April 13).

Let me clarify my position:

The best thing is for this rezoning
to be turned down. The last thing Durham, especially South Durham,
needs is a monstrous new retail center, particularly in a clearly
environmentally sensitive area like this one (which SHOULD STILL be the Jordan
Lake Watershed protected area).

However, if there is no avoiding it (and I truly hope there is), then
it only makes sense to hold the developers to their stated intentions
of providing TRULY affordable housing with TRUE, 'Fail-Safe'
environmental protections. We have plenty of vacant retail space and
$200-350,000 homes for sale here in South Durham, and no housing or services for financially challenged citizens.

So please write the planning commissioners and request that they vote NO on the 751 Assemblage rezoning on April 13 for reasons including:

1) It is in the best interest of the Jordan Lake Watershed and Durham's accountability for cleaning and maintaining it, since alleged, man-made 'best management practices' (touted by the development community to remove sediment and pollution from runoff) have proven insufficient time and time again, at a high long-term cost to Durham citizens.

2) With so much empty retail space throughout South Durham (and throughout Durham, in general), not to mention the steadily increasing residential 'for sale' signs (particularly for homes priced comparably to those proposed for the 751 Assemblage), it makes no sense to build ANOTHER residential retail center just a few miles away from Southpoint Mall, the 'Renaissance Center,' Sutton Station (residential-retail center on Fayettevile), etc., all of which currently have empty retail and/or residential properties.

3) Research revealed at previous public hearings has shown that the 'affordable housing' touted by the developers is hardly affordable for anyone but safely employed, white-collar citizens.

4) and more...

Here's the group email address:
DurhamPlanningCommission at durhamnc.gov

I hope this clarifies things a bit.
Thanks again for caring enough to share your concerns with our local gov't officials!

Melissa (Rooney)




________________________________
From: Melissa Rooney <mmr121570 at yahoo.com>
To: inc-list at rtpnet.org; durhamenviro at yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, March 17, 2010 2:08:47 PM
Subject: Coming April to the Planning Commission: Billboards and 751 Assemblage (Jordan Lake Watershed Saga)


This Just In:
>>>
>>>
>>>Expect to see 751 Assemblage on the Planning Commission agenda April 13. 
>>>
>>>Also on the agenda: Nonconforming Off-Premise Signs (aka billboards).

(Look for a confirmation on the date in the near future.)

With both items on the PC agenda, we should have a full house (hopefully). I think most Durham citizens feel the same about both of these cases, so please plan to attend the PC meeting on April 13 and show/voice your concerns for two cases for the price of one.

(Note: the 751 Assemblage is the development for which developers recently sued Durham, resulting in Judge Manning's decision to require that the Jordan Lake watershed protected area be retracted  to allow for this development (regardless of public hearings and the BOCC vote). Now that the watershed has been rezoned, the developers need to get the land rezoned from rural residential to suburban commercial in order to build the big shopping and residential (apartments/townhomes) that are planned for that previously protected area. At the very least, we need to demand that TRUE AFFORDABLE housing be built there -- not $200-300,000 townhomes -- and possibly services for low-income, jobless, and homeless citizens. But of course South Durham residents (and most of Durham from what I saw at the last public hearing) would prefer that this land be left as rural residential in order to reduce the detrimental impact of currently permitted development practices on
 Jordan Lake, as well as to encourage filling the plethora of (increasing) vacant retail spaces throughout South Durham -- see attached powerpoint file which was created in April, 2009).

Thanks, as always, for caring enough to donate your time to these important decisions:)

Melissa Rooney


      
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