<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Great overview. <br><br><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stephen Knill</span><br></span><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mobile <a href="tel:+1 917 620 4941">+1 917 620 4941</a><br>knillsj@gmail.com<br></span><div><br></div><div>Sent from my iPhone</div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Nov 16, 2023, at 9:46 AM, Mimi Kessler <mimikessler1@gmail.com> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto">Nice!<br clear="all"><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Mimi Kessler<br>919-599-2892</div></div></div><div><br></div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Nov 16, 2023 at 9:39 AM tom miller <<a href="mailto:miller.tom2022@gmail.com">miller.tom2022@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word"><div class="m_-6185166004167559503WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Dear Walltown neighbors and Durham residents,</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The Walltown Community Association is calling on Durham residents to tell City Council to vote down the controversial and undemocratic zoning amendment called SCAD.</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">SCAD is a major rewrite of Durham’s zoning laws that was written by a small group of developers, who refused to incorporate most suggestions from Durham’s residents. Walltown is likely to be a target location for many new SCAD developments. For Walltown residents, some of the main concerns with SCAD are:</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:47.25pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">False affordability. </span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">New affordable rental units would only have to be affordable for 5 years, and affordable for-sale units only have to be affordable for the first sale. But developers would still get affordable housing incentives from the city! <b>This means your tax dollars will be subsidizing market-rate housing in Durham. </b></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:47.25pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Removal of buffers protecting homes from new developments.</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> Buffers reduce the impacts if a large apartment building or a bar is built next to your house by requiring the buildings be set back from the property line. <b>SCAD removes all buffers for large residential buildings,</b> so something like a 5-story apartment building could be built just a few feet from the property line, and<b> lets many commercial developments, including bars, be built without the larger buffers</b> <b>currently required when next to a house</b>.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:47.25pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">SCAD will accelerate gentrification and displacement in Black and working-class neighborhoods. </span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">As members of the Fayetteville Street Corridor Planning Group have highlighted: “while the SCAD amendment would create more density, this density will not be evenly distributed throughout the city/county.” <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/386326459461258/posts/818955449531688/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Read more on their opinion here</span></a>. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:47.25pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">SCAD was written behind closed doors. </span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The public was not allowed to give input until after they had written SCAD and discussed it with the City’s Planning Department.<b> They even </b><a href="https://www.durhamhabitat.org/news-events/board-of-directors-ceo-and-staff-response-to-scad" target="_blank"><b><span style="color:blue">used Habitat for Humanity’s name on the proposal without their approval</span></b></a><b>!</b> And <b>they have made no changes to the affordability requirements</b>–despite the community demanding this over and over for more than a year. (Read more about this in the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iNLUtNX-Lx4eEj03IYHwNmgTlUmrAXzs/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116109384109426231711&rtpof=true&sd=true" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">summary</span></a> from a SCAD Task Force member ) Durham is almost finished with its new <a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/346/Comprehensive-Plan" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Comprehensive Plan</span></a>, which has engaged thousands of Durham residents. <b>The Comprehensive Plan should be the document we use to guide changes to the UDO (Unified Development Ordinance), not SCAD. </b></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">SCAD is so long and complex, City Planning has spent days and days of staff time evaluating it, much more than the $4,396 application fee the developers paid to submit SCAD. This means <b>Durham taxpayers have subsidized the review of a plan we don’t want</b>, <b>and they won’t listen to our input on.</b></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">This is not how democracy should work, and we need to tell City Council to Say No to SCAD! <b>We are calling on the City Council to reject SCAD during their Monday, November 20th public hearing</b>. It currently looks like a close vote, so <b>Walltown is asking Durham residents to do 2 things</b>:</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:47.25pt;vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">1.</span></b><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Fill up City Council chambers for the public hearing on Monday, November 20th at 7 pm. You can register to speak <a href="https://nc-durham.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/City-Council-4" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">here</span></a> (in person or remote). </span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Whether or not you attend in person, you can also provide written comments to the City Council.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:47.25pt;vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">2.</span></b><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Contact the Mayor and other Councilmembers to let them know you disapprove of SCAD. </span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">You can email the entire council at <b><span style="color:black"><a href="mailto:council@durhamnc.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;font-weight:normal">council@durhamnc.gov</span></a></span></b> or using the individual contact information below (see also <b><span style="color:black"><a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/Directory.aspx?DID=131" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;font-weight:normal">City directory</span></a></span></b>).</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Elaine O’Neal (Mayor):</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> 919-560-4333, ext. 10269; <a href="mailto:elaine.oneal@durhamnc.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">elaine.oneal@durhamnc.gov</span></a> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Javiera Caballero:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> 919-560-4396, ext. 10272; <a href="mailto:Javiera.Caballero@durhamnc.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Javiera.Caballero@durhamnc.gov</span></a> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">DeDreana Freeman:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> 919-560-4396, ext. 10276; <a href="mailto:DeDreana.Freeman@durhamnc.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">DeDreana.Freeman@durhamnc.gov</span></a> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jillian Johnson:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> 919-560-4396, ext. 10278; <a href="mailto:jillian.johnson@durhamnc.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">jillian.johnson@durhamnc.gov</span></a> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Mark-Anthony Middleton:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> 919-560-4396, ext. 10277; <a href="mailto:mark-anthony.middleton@durhamnc.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">mark-anthony.middleton@durhamnc.gov</span></a> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Monique Holsey-Hyman:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> 919-560-4396, ext. 10274; <a href="mailto:Monique.Hyman@durhamnc.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Monique.Hyman@durhamnc.gov</span></a> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:1.0in;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Leonardo Williams:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> 919-560-4396, ext. 10273; <a href="mailto:Leonardo.Williams@durhamnc.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Leonardo.Williams@durhamnc.gov</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Thank you for your time and support. Please let us know if you want to learn more or help the Walltown Community Association make our voices heard.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">On behalf of the Walltown Community Association,</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Rafe Mazer</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div></div></blockquote></div></div>
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