[Durham INC] Draft February minutes

[Pat Carstensen]

Please let me know about additions or corrections, thanks, pat

February  Delegate Meeting

InterNeighborhood Council of Durham, Via Zoom

February 28, 2023


Attending the meeting were:

Neighborhoods

Bragtown – Vannessa Mason Evans

Burch Avenue – Richard Ziglar

Colonial Village – Charles Giamberardino

Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen

Forest Hills – Sarah Morris

Long Meadow – Pakis Bessias

Merrick-Moore – Bonita Green

Morehead Hill – Bruce Mitchell

Old North Durham – Mimi O’Brien, Helena Cragg

Tuscaloosa-Lakewood – Susan Sewell

Watts Hospital Hillandale – Tom Miller, Sherri Zann Rosenthal (non-delegate)


Guests

John Killeen – DataWorks NC

Debra Hawkins – Communications Committee



President Bonita Green called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone; those present introduced themselves.


"Who Owns Durham<https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1495DeEbXoQ6KsJOmtUi96eFtUfZ-Gxv8f4z7nGphYdE/edit?usp=sharing>" Presentation – DataWorks NC, which democratizes data by making it more available to all, Executive Director John Killeen led a discussion of the results of their recent report.  First, John went through how maps from various eras show how access to power and resources were prioritized for some communities and not others.  The investment in downtown areas has revitalized downtown but also formed a basis for gentrification.  Our population has been growing rapidly, mostly by people with a lot of money, especially when you just look at those buying homes in Durham.  For example, Southside median income has tripled.  There hasn’t been a lack of housing – the supply has more or less kept up with the population growth, although some of the investor-owned apartments may not be working hard enough to keep their apartments occupied.  Durham Compass can be used to show how those historically BIPOC neighborhoods that have a lot of development have lost BIPOC population.  We  a have a housing symptom of a wealth disease.  A lot of people live in houses they would not be able to afford if they didn’t own it already.  We should treat the idea that development creates affordability with skepticism.   There are more complete presentations of this information to be found on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXTpNfGBi1M&t=1s and here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4Bqb4ICuM4&t=3097s.


Neighborhoods who have paid dues: Burch Ave, Colonial Village, Falconbidge, Leesville Road, TLNA, Watts-Hillandale.   Please mail your dues now!   More info on the website.


Tom moved to approve the January minutes. Susan seconded and the motion passed.


Committee Reports


The committee that was going through the SCAD amendments spent hours going through the 80 pages line by line.  They have now grouped the concerns into “themes.”  There is a draft letter to decision makers.  Some ideas in SCAD are good, some really bad, some ill-defined, and some seem to be for a specific project.  The SCAD goes to Council on March 20th, before our next INC meeting.  We need to get talking points out to the community, who will lobby council members, as well.


Neighborhood Reports, Announcements, and Issues

  *   There are about 1100 apartments either approved or in the pipeline in Watts-Hillandale – which will about double the number of people in the neighborhood.  The cranes you see along Hillsboro Road are working on an apartment complex that will have 100 units/acre in Old West Durham. How can a neighborhood be open to these new residents feeling part of the neighborhood?

  *   On the Duke rezoning plan, Planning sent Duke their comments, including a concern about the lack of traffic plan.

  *   Walltown has asked for support with respect to the Northgate rezoning.  There was a pretty contentious meeting last week between concerned neighbors and the developers, who want to do a “bio-tech campus” with maybe a 1-acre area for affordable housing.  Walltown’s proposal is a donation of 11 acres for a partnership to build affordable housing.

  *   National Night Out will now be in October.


Adjourn - Next meeting March 28, 2023, 7 PM


Note: Dues are $25/year (January to December) but neighborhoods are encouraged to pay more than the minimum to support INC's work.

They may be sent to:

INC Treasurer, Susan Sewell, or they may be mailed to:

InterNeighborhood Council of Durham

732 Ninth St, #700

Durham, NC 27705




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