[Durham INC] Fwd: Important City Council Meeting TONIGHT

[Mimi Kessler]

Please plan to be at City Hall tonight.

Mimi Kessler
919-599-2892


---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jim Svara <svarajh at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 8:30 AM
Subject: Important City Council Meeting TONIGHT
To: Rebecca Winders <rmwinders at gmail.com>


Dear Followers of the Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit,

It now looks like the City Council will take up the crucial issue of the
RFP (Request for Proposals) for the redevelopment of the old Police
Headquarters at 505 W. Chapel Hill Street tomorrow (Monday) night at their
7 p.m. Council meeting.  The reason that the RFP is so important is that it
will spell out the city’s vision for what it wants to see happen at the 505
site.  A strong group of community organizations including the Coalition
have been working for years to make sure that a substantial amount of
affordable housing is included in the city’s vision and the RFP.  The
recommendations are included in our report "505--A Major Opportunity"
(attached).

Unfortunately at this point there are a couple of serious problems with the
RFP as drafted by the city staff.  It is still referring to a minimum of 80
units that are affordable at 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI).  Although
in one place, the draft RFP states that it is advantageous if there is
"greater affordability," it is not required.  Since AMI is based on the
median income in Durham *and* Orange County, a two-person household with
income of 60% AMI makes $48,540 a year.  One person working in a two-person
household is receiving an hourly wage of over $23 to make that income.  The
"Major Opportunity" report states that "25-30% of the residential units
built at 505 should be designated as affordable in perpetuity for families
at 60% AMI or below. Of this 25-30%, a portion should be available to those
with incomes of 30% AMI or less."  The draft RFP also ignores our
recommendation that the retail space include a "full-service,
appropriately-sized grocery store affordable for working families and those
with low- to moderate incomes and provide  "affordable space for nonprofit
social change and community service organizations."  The draft RFP, on the
other hand, includes a hotel as an acceptable use of space.

There will be several speakers who will be making these points to the
Council, but what we also need is a strong show of community interest in
this matter.  So if you can, please consider coming to City Hall around 7pm
tomorrow (Monday) night for the Council meeting.  Thanks for your help and
support.

There is an additional agenda item that raises important issues.  We have
just been informed by the organization Sound Rivers that they will be
providing arguments opposing the proposal on the Council agenda to annex
the Perry Farm into the City of Durham.  The project for this area in
southeast Durham "proposes building up to 665 townhomes on 280-plus acres
of high-quality forested land in an area where rampant development has
already put significant pressure on the impaired Lick Creek watershed and
ecosystem."  The full Sound Rivers statement can be found at
https://soundrivers.org/durham-city-council-must-vote-against-the-perry-farms-proposal/
 .

Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit

Jim Svara
12 Susanna Drive
<https://www.google.com/maps/search/12+Susanna+Drive?entry=gmail&source=g>,
L-103 / Durham, NC  27705
919.384.2339 / 602.373.0026 (Cell)
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