[Durham INC] DRAFT July mintues

[Pat Carstensen]

Resending these in advance of next weeks meeting
________________________________
From: INC-list <inc-list-bounces at lists.deltaforce.net> on behalf of Pat Carstensen <pats1717 at hotmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2023 8:04 AM
To: inc listserv <inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net>
Subject: [Durham INC] DRAFT July mintues

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



July Delegate Meeting

InterNeighborhood Council of Durham, Via Zoom

July 25, 2023


Attending the meeting were:

Neighborhoods

Burch Avenue – Will Herbst

Colony Park – Liz Conroy

Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen, Ed Harrison

Leesville Road Coalition – Steven Knill

Long Meadow – Pakis Bessias

Morehead Hill – Bruce Mitchell

Northgate Park – Eric Miller

Old North Durham – Mimi O’Brien

Trinity Park –  Mimi Kessler

Watts Hospital Hillandale – Tom Miller


Guests

DeDreana  Freeman

Brandon Williams – Walltown



Vice-President Steven Knill called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone; those present introduced themselves.  There were no adjustments to the agenda.


Walltown Issues – Brandon Williams talked about the Northgate Mall redevelopment and the parks contamination. The Walltown Community Association website is: https://www.walltown.net/.   The initial Northgate Mall redevelopment was a mixed-use plan, replaced in 2021 with a “RTP-lite” science campus, which didn’t meet any of the objectives that the near-by neighborhoods had expressed (affordable housing, affordable retail, community space, and green space and sustainability concerns such as heat concentration and runoff).  The property is an opportunity to show there are alternatives to suburban sprawl and high-priced towers in town; the website shows the results of the community-based vision for the mall area.  A big concern is that a science campus would drive gentrification and erase the long history of Walltown. There hasn’t really been any public discussion since the meeting in February; the developers may be waiting to see how the City elections turn out.   Pivoting to the issue of lead in the parks, one of the members of the neighborhood association stumbled on a Duke thesis about lead in three parks, so the neighborhoods reached out the city and county about why they had not been informed about the process and results.  The Walltown Community Center was built on the site of an incinerator so there had long been questions about contamination.  There are 5 parks that may be affected: Northgate, Walltown, Lyon Park, East End and East Durham.  Since no crisis has been raised, the county health department doesn’t have resources to start blood testing.  A contractor has been hired to do an assessment.  Community meetings are continuing to happen.  INC will monitor to see if any action on this issue is needed.

Minutes – Mimi Kessler moved to approve the minutes, Mimi O’Brien seconded and this passed.

SCAD update – There was another meeting with Planning and the proponents, at which the proponents made a response to our criticism; what they offered was 6 minor twiddles to what they are proposing.  There are no further meetings.  We understand what the proposal better.  Planning Staff is currently working on a cleaned-up version.  It isn’t clear when the SCAD will come to Council again.

Elections – Filing for Council and Mayor has finished.  Given that forums/town halls will be over zoom, Leesville Road Coalition, with INC, will likely have 4 Council and 3 Mayor forums.  Please think about questions.

Neighborhood Reports and Announcements

  *   Watts Hospital Hillandale has two rezoning cases in which the neighborhood is working with the developers.  Both will have some affordable units.  The interesting thing is the idea of instead of buffering with shrubbery, using a row of townhouses as a step-down to the neighboring homes, from the 6-story apartments; they are discussing the details.  They are worried about flooding on Ellerbe Creek given the proposed impervious surface.  In the long run, that whole stretch of Hillsborough Road east of 15-501 will likely be developed at pretty high intensity.

  *   On Burch Avenue’s continuing discussions with Duke University on plans to rezone some parcels to use as future parts of the campus , Duke is still resisting committing to traffic-minimizing uses.

Adjourn - Next meeting August 25, 2023, @7 PM





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