[Durham INC] Disapprove Duke's clear cutting, not informing neighbors, not abiding noise ordinance

[Laura Drey]

I apologize if you have received this email more than one time. I am resending this email since I did not see it where my INC emails go. I removed the powerpoint in the hopes that the email would go through and that more of you might read the email. (One INC representatives told me that she does not read the emails with attachments.) This email has been shorten by removing the initial communications. I added the sentence in bold as I have requested that Duke make some changes.

If you would like the power point and/or to get the initial emails please ask for it/them off list serve.

Laura

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Hi Professor Curt Richardson, 

I apologize for not replying earlier to your email. I have been focused on the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR) beginning to implement their Remedial Action Plan for the "BB&T site" that is contaminated with dry cleaning chemicals. (The "BB&T site is located at the corner of Watts St and Club Blvd.) I have been involved with this contaminated site in part because my home backs up to this site.

I am including Cranford Rd. neighbors, Durham elected officials and staff, environmental and community activists and members of the public on this email to inform you of the situation. I would like the Duke administrators and staff to take the action that I am calling for (see below). 

Curt I would like to ask you a number of follow up questions about the holding pons and I propose that we meet and that this gathering be opened up to include interested residents from Cranford Rd and other citizens. 
1. I would like to see a copy of your plans for the holding pond for the 20 acres of run off. One reason I am interested is to learn how close the clear cutting will come to the banks of the creek and to the residences on Cranford Rd. Will any more clear cutting occur or is the cutting complete for this project? How large of an area was clear cut — that is how many acres and what is the dimensions in length and width by feet)? Could you compare the size to number of football field so that I can a visual comparison? 
2. What body(s) granted Duke the permits and what process was followed in order for Duke to receive its permits?
3. What governmental body has jurisdiction/authority over the holding pond(s)?
4. Was an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) completed regarding the retention pond(s)? If so why was the public not informed that the community had the right to make comments about the EIS? 
5. How long do you expect before the retention pond(s) are finished? In part I am wanting to be informed about when the dirt moving equipment will cease their operations?
6. When to think the pond(s) will begin to be filled and how long will it be before the pond(s) reach their maximum capacity?
7. What are the back up plans in the case that the holding pond(s) fail to contain water (for example in the case of flooding?)
What will occur once the pond(s) are at capacity? 
8. What chemicals are expected to be contained in the run off from the parking lots and at what levels? What are the possible consequences/risks to peoples' health from peoples' exposure to these chemicals? 
9. What steps are going to be implemented to minimize the mosquito population enhanced by the pond(s)? Will mosquito fish be added? Will any spraying take place and if so where and what are the substance(s) name(s)? Will it/they be organic or chemical? What are their known side effects - can the spraying impact people and other living things' health and if so in what way(s)? What distance is the spraying expected to drift?
10. What impact is expected that the pond(s) will have on the stream and the stream's health?
11. I would like an explanation for why the Duke's Wetland Center believe the holding pond is needed to prevent Duke University Rd from collapsing. (I recall that the road between the pond with the red Oriental bridge in Duke Gardens and a Duke Hospital collapsed years ago. I do not know what permitting processes was used at that time or what department in what jurisdiction was responsible for that road on the Duke University campus.) 
12. What permitting process was followed and how was that process derived? 
13. Why were not Durham City government staff at least informed of the project? (I contacted a number of people in different departments within city government. Each person I spoke with was not aware of the project until I had called it to their attention. I was told that Duke needed city permits prior to the project being implimented.)

I am requesting that the project follow Durham's noise ordinance. Durham's noise ordinance states that work whose noise is above a certain level not to start until after 8 a.m. This project frequently begins between 7 and 8 in the morning. I know this to be true since my home office faces Duke University Rd.

Another of my concerns is that the removal of all of the trees in one section along Duke University Rd will increase the noise level of Duke's sports games (in particular football games) and live concerts on campus. Without the tree buffer standing the sound may have been reduced at least slightly. I am about as close to Duke's football stadium as a home can be. The orientation of the stadium funnels the PA system directly to my house. I find the volume of the PA system to be unbearable and also not necessary. I have asked Duke administrators, Duke sports staff and Duke conduct staff to have the volume of the sound system reduced but thus far my request has been to no avail — that is volume of the PA system has remained at status quo. One Duke administrator response was that Duke was here first. An article about my complaint about the noise level in one of the local papers had no impact on the noise either. I know that residents of Trinity Park have been in contact with Duke's police as well. So I know that I am not a lone voice. 

I wish that I had used goggle maps to see just how close my house is to the stadium for if I had knowing this would have definitely at least given me pause before I purchased the house and I may have reconsidered altogether buying the house that I saw as a piece of country within the city limits and an oasis from street noise. I am not sure even if I had seen maps I would have realized just how loud the noise would be given that the topography of the land acts to naturally amplify the sound emanating from sporting events and concerts. I have been on campus and returned home to discover that the sound at my house is louder than it is on campus.

I would appreciate you, other staff members of Duke University Wetland Center and your contractor (Riverworks) answer my questions whether via email or during a face to face meeting. I am requesting to be more educated as a current neighbor, former continuing education forestry student from the 1980s and as an concerned Durham citizen. We could meet on my back porch that faces the construction site during the day so that the meeting attendees could hear the noise that I have to put up with on a daily basis. A problem with this space is that it will not accommodate many people plus holding a meeting during the day would make the meeting only accessible to people who have flexible work schedules and stay at home mothers and fathers. 

I would like everyone to have the opportunity to hear further explanation about the project and to review the maps. I do not know how many people might like to attend a meeting. Other residents on the Cranford Rd list serve wrote about wanting to know more about the the project as well but maybe they are satisfied with your earlier paragraph explanation. Ideally I would like the meeting to be a public meeting so that residents of Cranford Rd, Duke administrators and staff, elected officials and staff from Durham, environmental and community activists and concerned citizens could attend the meeting. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Laura Drey
2248 Cranford Rd. 
Durham, NC 27705
(919) 403-2248

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On May 22, 2012, at 11:35 AM, Curt Richardson wrote:

> Laura
> 
> I appreciate your "citizens view" of the project and your own personal
> concerns.  However, as you may recall the engineers and I met with
> many of the neighbors on this project over a year ago and went over
> the plans.  I believe you were not able to attend. Most of the project
> (Phase V) was not funded but the most pressing piece of restoration
> was recently funded by the Clean Water Management Trust Fund through a
> grant submitted to the them by  the Durham Soil and Water Management
> District.  This is a critical project to save Duke University Road
> from collapsing and treat 20 acres of runoff from Duke parking lots to
> reduce pollution into jordan reservoir, which is used as a drinking
> supply by some cities in the Triangle.   Maintaining high water
> quality in Jordan Lake is a high priority for the State, City of
> Durham and Duke. Finally, I   was also concerned with the number of
> trees we had to remove but professionally speaking one cannot build
> two BMP treatment wetlands with mature trees that have not developed
> in wet soils and selectively cutting trees is not an option since
> leaving  mature trees in the middle  of a treatment wetland would
> result in a lot of dead trees who would die from excess standing
> water.  We will be planting a number of new appropriate species once
> the construction is complete. A new release covering full details of
> the project is available at http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/.
> 
> Prof Richardson

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> 
> On Fri, May 18, 2012 at 3:07 PM, Laura Drey <lauradrey at ncrrbiz.com> wrote:
>> Dear Duke officials, Duke "stream naturalization" planner (Curt Richardson
>> of the Duke School of the Environment), elected officials and staff
>> representing Durham, environmental and community activists,
>> 
>> A pressing issue that directly impacts my Duke Forest neighborhood is Duke
>> University's clear cutting in the name of "stream naturalization." I think
>> that having stream naturalization might be a good thing but I believe that
>> there are more than one approach to reach that outcome. I do not approve of
>> cutting down every tree in order to have "stream naturalization." Clear
>> cutting can lead to erosion and is not aesthetically pleasing.
>> 
>> Selective tree management has proven successful across the nation. I know
>> that there are alternative approaches to conducting forestry other than
>> clear cutting - I approve of individual, uneven age selective tree
>> management. People have been using clear cutting methodology for over 50
>> years therefore it is my opinion that clear cutting is no longer necessary
>> to be demonstrated as an experiment.
>> 
>> Duke University's actions directly impact the Durham community. Another
>> thing that really frustrates me is that Duke's clear cutting is yet another
>> example of the university not informing their neighbors of what the
>> university is conducting or planning to do. (The last I had heard was that
>> the state government did not have funds at this time to continue Duke's
>> "stream restoration" project.) Duke failed to be courteous by not informing
>> its neighbors either by holding a meeting or via email of its intensions. I
>> am asking that Duke change their approach and beginning now keep at least
>> the neighbors in the loop. (About one year ago the staff person who was
>> assigned to inform the community of events job position changed, and during
>> my first year sometimes the neighbors were informed and other times we were
>> not, but this year she only let us know about one event. Given the number of
>> activities that occur on Duke's campus it is very difficult and time
>> consuming to sort through Duke's web site to determine which activity might
>> impact the neighborhood.)
>> 
>> I am also disturbed by the noise that the tree cutting is producing. Duke
>> has rarely abided by the City of Durham's noise ordinance since I have moved
>> into the neighborhood approximately two years ago. According to Durham's
>> noise ordinance work that creates loud noise is to begin after 8 a.m. and
>> loud nosies are to stop at 11 p.m. (Duke's live music frequently continues
>> after 11 p.m.) The noise continues off the campus boundaries. I would like
>> Duke to inform the surrounding neighborhoods of every pending sports event
>> and concert. Whenever possible I would appreciate it if Duke would decrease
>> the volume of sound the college is producing during sports events and
>> concerts.
>> 
>> Thank you for considering my concerns.
>> 
>> Laura Drey
>> 2248 Cranford Rd
>> Durham, NC 27705
>> (9190 403-2248
>> 

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