[Durham INC] DRAFT May Minutes

Sat May 28 08:29:30 EDT 2016

Please let me know about additions or corrections.  Regards, pat

May Delegate Meeting of the InterNeighborhood Council of Durham
NIS Conference Room, Golden Belt
May 24, 2016

Attending the meeting were:
Neighborhoods
Cleveland-Holloway – John-Paul C. Smith
Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen
Emorywood Orchards – Elaine Hyman
Long Meadow – Pakis Bessias
Morehead Hill – Rochelle Araujo
Northgate Park – Debra Hawkins
Old North Durham – John Martin, Pete Katz
Stage Stop – Dolly Fehrenbacher
Trinity Park – Philip Azar
Watts-Hillandale – Tom Miller

Visitors
Will Wilson – DOST
Lynwood D. Best – City of Durham, NIS
John Killeen – City of Durham, NIS
Ellen Beckmann – City of Durham, Department of Transportation
Bryan Poole – City of Durham, Department of Transportation

Vice-President Peter Katz opened the meeting.  Members introduced themselves.

Bryan Poole gave an update on the Transportation Department’s update of its Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans, consolidating them into one document.  The original plans were developed in 2006, and the Durham Walks! effort re-prioritized projects in 2011.  We have over 500 miles of sidewalk and 45 miles of bike facilities, and about $35M in programmed spending.  The intent of the new plan is to get a 5-10-year implementation plan, not to build an unrealistic wish list.  The plan will have three areas: minor improvements such as fixing simple 50-foot sidewalk gaps, major improvements such as roadway widening, and intersections.  The website www.durhambikewalkplan.com<http://www.durhambikewalkplan.com> has maps, documents and a survey.  The next event will be a June 6th Open House.  There will be a first draft report sent to Council in March 2017, and then a process to make sure that we aren’t, for example, building sidewalks that will upset local residents.

Tom Miller asked to amend the April minutes to indicate he was there, but with that correction, the minutes were approved.

Planning Issues

  *   On local historic districts, Golden Belt goes to the Planning Commission in June.  In Cleveland-Holloway, it has taken so long that new folks are fearful about what it means while folks who have been working on it for years just want to get it done.  We tabled the vote on the Golden Belt Historic District (see appendix A).
  *   On the design districts around transit stops, the Planning Commission voted against 3 of the 5 (and split on the other 2) since there is no detail yet about what will be inside the boundary; a better idea would be to shrink the designated area, with possible expansions identified (including triggers for expansion) and delay designating anything as core until the details are available.
  *   John Martin is attending the Planning Department’s Citizen Academy. He says it is good that more people are confident and knowledgeable, but you really can’t learn the UDO in 6-8 hours.
  *   The pocket neighborhood work is still working on how to make the rules loose enough for developers and strict enough for the neighbors.  INC will ask for a city-initiated text amendment when the text is done.

Neighborhood Announcements and other remarks

  *   Philip Azar reported several things related to the West End and Lyon Park neighborhoods.  There is on-going discussion of party houses; turnover with 9-month leases makes it hard to identify true repeat offenders.  Several issues were brought up at a recent Housing Summit, including questions about the city repair program, old easements complicating infill and questions about whether re-zoning can affect the values of nearby properties.
  *   Philip Azar also reported that Trinity Park supports the idea of bicycle boulevards, www.facebook.com/bicycleboulevards/<http://www.facebook.com/bicycleboulevards/> and presented a resolution (Appendix B).  There was some discussion as to whether the resolution should identify where the pilot(s) should be.  Tom Miller moved the resolution and Pat seconded; we will vote next month.
  *   Pat Carstensen conveyed a message from Colony Park reminding the INC folks that Colony Park would welcome support by letting the City Council know that since the amendment for the West Cornwallis property has been voted down, the City Council should voted down the rezoning.  Colony Park has hired an attorney to aid them at this time since they felt that they needed professional advice.  Their attorney has talked with Pulte, but apparently Pulte will only make changes when the City Council makes them.
  *   Pat Carstensen also reminded folks to get out and vote in the June 7th  primary.
  *   Pat Carstensen also brought up two interesting things the library is doing: summer reading program (durhamcountylibrary.readsquared.com) and maker lab (durhamcountylibrary.org/2016/05/makerlab-main-grand-opening/).
  *   John Killeen did an interesting program on Durham demographics to City Council.  We will have him do the presentation at a future meeting.
  *   Northgate Park ‘s next food truck rodeo season is this Thursday.  Check out the FaceBook site for details.
  *   Northgate Mall will have 2 more Blues on the Plaza events, the Durham Roots Market is there on Saturdays, and the kick-off for the summer reading program is June 11th.
  *   The Beaver Queen Pageant is June 4th.  “Considerations” (aka bribes) to the judges go to the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association.   https://www.facebook.com/Beaver-Lodge-Local-1504-149064435154612/
  *   Emorywoods Orchards is seeing lots of construction of infrastructure in spite of the failure to cooperate on the part of the weather.  The concern is that the City has spent money that was supposed to do some preparation for infrastructure in Phase 1 and that is getting in the way of completion.
  *   The first annual Keep Durham Beautiful Clean Your Block Party is June 18th.

Appendix A: Resolution on Golden Belt Local Historic Preservation District

The InterNeighborhood Council of Durham supports the effort of the Golden Belt Neighborhood to establish a local historic district, and urges the City Council to approve the boundaries endorsed by the Historic Preservation Commission.

Appendix B: Resolution on Bike Boulevards
Whereas, the Inter-Neighborhood Council of Durham ("INC) has received a presentation on Bike Boulevards and was impressed at the ability to improve bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the main using city maintained and controlled roads as opposed to state maintained roads;

Resolved that the Inter-Neighborhood Council of Durham:

1.  Supports building 1 or 2 pilot boulevards as soon as possible in advance of designing and building a complete network;

2.  Supports the concept of Bicycle Boulevards in Durham and, pending the results of any pilot, urges the Transportation Department to design and implement a Bike Boulevard system with the goal of connecting neighborhoods, jobs, government services, and open spaces and trails; and

3.  Urges, with respect to any pilot, a full bike boulevard system and individual bike boulevards, that the Transportation Department move forward  in consultation with neighborhoods, affected neighbors, the Bike and Pedestrian Commission, Durham Open Spaces and Trails and other stakeholders;

Duly adopted this _____________ day of _______________________, 2016.

By; _____________________________

Name: __________________________

Title:  ___________________________

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