[Durham INC] Draft June Minutes

[Pat Carstensen]

Please let me know about any additions or corrections.  Thanks, pat



May Delegate Meeting of the InterNeighborhood Council of Durham

Golden Belt

May 28, 2019


Attending the meeting were:
Neighborhoods

Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen

Forest Hills – Matt McDowell, Ellen Pless

Long Meadow – Pakis Bessias

Morehead Hill – Rochelle Araujo

Northgate Park – Debra Hawkins

Old North Durham – Peter Katz, John Martin

Old West Durham – Vicky Welch

Trappers Creek / Greymoss – Will Wilson

Trinity Park – Philip Azar

Tuscaloosa-Lakewood – Susan Sewell

Watts Hospital Hillandale – Tom Miller

Visitors

Lynwood D. Best – City of Durham, NIS

Annette Smith – DPR and Durham Parks Foundation

Jennifer Baldwin – Alta Planning and Design (consultant on MoveDurham)


PresidentRochelle Araujo welcomed those present, and folks introduced themselves. Matt McDowell moved to approve the May minutes, Vicky Welch seconded and it passed.


Jennifer Baldwin presented information on the Move Durham project, which will examine how we move now in downtown Durham (including down to NC Central University) today and figure out how we want to move in the future.  They started early last year and are now sharing what they found out in a first round of work and seeking guidance from the community.  A key part is equitable access, along a number of different indicators (measuring how “good” movement is / will be, such as what percentage of the population can walk to a grocery store along an ADA-compliant sidewalk). The idea is to find an approach to growing mobility needs that is better than simply widening streets.  They used the equitable engagement model in doing their outreach in Phase I (more going to the people); the results of the outreach were themes such as better crossing at intersections for pedestrians, improved transit, and low-stress biking. A number of priority corridors were identified, based on opportunities to support transit / biking / walking, to calm traffic, to increase safety, and to improve streetscapes.  They are also looking at the railroad and the freeway as ways to decease the barriers this infrastructure creates.  For the priority corridors, they looked at some alternatives / options, for which they want to engagement the public on the trade-offs (for example, more space for parking versus less stressful biking).  They will be having a variety of community engagement events. Full results and opportunities for feedback (comment period ends August 31) are available at the website: moveDurham.org.  If you want to set up a presentation or otherwise connect, the e-mail ismovedurham at altaponning.com.


The Expanding Housing Choices(EHC) Metrics Committee will have meetings next week to capture values.  Tom Miller reported that at the June Planning Commission meeting, the committee heard from a few more people, got a committee report, and voted (12-1) to support the combined comments of the committee (something that has rarely happened).  The comments included criticisms of the process, recommended beginning a better stakeholder process, asked that the Comprehensive Plan be modified to be more in line with the EHC, and made suggestions for improvements in the EHC if City Council elects to go forward with it immediately.  The full comments are at https://durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/26723/EHC-DURHAM-PLANNING-COMMISSION-SUBCOMMITTEE-Joint-Comments-June-2019-final.  The Planning Department is working on changes to present to Council, which will probably happen at one of the August meetings.


Durham Neighborhoods United, which is concerned with party houses, is looking at the rules for unrelated people in a house . This was brought up in discussion of affordable housing and Expanding Housing Choices open hearings before the Planning Commission. The group has had difficulty in enforcing the current 3 unrelated people rule due to difficulty in getting evidence. They have heard reports that landowners have used this rule to discriminate against some renters. They will continue to explore this. They will meet with police just before students come back to talk about best practices, as they do annually. The extensive party response protocol the group developed and years of meeting with stake holders has reduced the problem behavior by about 50% but this requires constant vigilance from neighbors. They will work on identifying longer-term solutions this year.


Durham Parks is creating a Piedmont Prairie at West Point on the Eno on Saturday and looking for volunteers. By stopping mowing, they are getting small animals, including nesting turtles.  They are sponsoring fireworks on the 4thof July.  There are 2 more events in this summer’s Rock the Park.


The Northgate Park Food Truck Rodeo will be Thursday.


Everyone is invited to the 70thannual WHHNA 4thof July parade.  Old West Durham and WHHNA now have a joint newsletter, available on their website.



We forgot to cover the treasurer’s reportat the meeting, but here is where we stand:


Inter Neighborhood Council

Treasurer's Report

As of June 1, 2019

2019

Beginning Balance: 4,897.26

Income:

Dues and Donations 525.00

Other Income

TOTAL Income: 525.00

Expenses:

Mailbox Rental 118.20

website/domain fees 94.12

listserv fees 75.00

Thanksgiving in Spring

Forum

banner

printing

bank charges

TOTAL expenses: 287.32

Ending Balance: 5,134.94



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