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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>I reviewed the recording. Most of it is clear but a couple of things Jillian said were not so clear. I have written the following for the OWD/WHH December newsletter which was held from the press for the SCAD vote.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>SCAD Passed <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>At its meeting on November 20, the Durham City Council voted to pass all but a handful of provisions that make up “SCAD,” the massive developer-proposed re-write of Durham’s zoning regulations. The vote was four to three with council members Jilliam Johnson, Javiera Caballero, Mark Anthony Middleton, and Leonardo Williams voting in favor of the proposal. Mayor O’Neal, and council members Monique Holsey-Hyman and DeDreana Freeman voted against it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> The developers named their proposal “Simplifying Codes for Affordable Development.” Of course, we were meant to see the word “affordable” and think that SCAD is about affordable housing. Ironically, SCAD’s provisions for affordable housing were among those the council did not pass. Most of the adopted changes relax zoning rules to allow developers to develop more, bigger, and higher – usually at the expense of code provisions designed to protect the environment and residential quality of life. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> Alarmingly, the council action eliminates most buffers between residential and non-residential development while expanding developers’ ability to build commercial projects next to neighborhood homes. In our area, neighbors on Pennsylvania Avenue, Iredell Street, and Clarendon Street whose homes back up to commercial- and office-zoned properties on Broad Street have now lost their right to buffer protection in most instances. The same is true for neighbors whose homes back up to commercial properties along Hillsborough Road. With SCAD, developers may now build to within ten feet of their residential neighbors’ properties with no screening. SCAD also eliminates all parking requirements. Neighbors worry that customers for new commercial developments will overwhelm on-street parking on neighborhood side streets.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> SCAD also eliminates rules designed to prevent people from paving over residential lots in urban areas. With SCAD, the small houses on small lots allowed by the “Expanding Housing Choices” changes adopted in 2019 can be much bigger – arguably robbing them of their affordable character. The same is true for accessory dwelling units. Under SCAD, these may jump in size by 50%. These are only a few of the things that SCAD would do. Some fear that SCAD will accelerate gentrification and displacement as developers scour underserved neighborhoods for inexpensive homes and properties to redevelop.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> The council majority voted to pass SCAD in the face of overwhelming public opposition. At the hearing which ran for several hours, speakers opposed to SCAD outnumbered those in favor by about three to one. Nearly all of the pro-SCAD speakers were developers or people involved in the development industry. In the days leading up to the vote, council members received hundreds of messages against SCAD and only a handful from those in favor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> Council member Johnson made the motion to pass SCAD. It was complex and confusing. Those voting no complained that they did not understand what they were being asked to vote on and members of the audience complained as well. Even the city’s planning staff stated that they would have to study the recordings of the council meeting to understand what was adopted and what was excepted from SCAD by the council action.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Mimi Kessler <mimikessler1@gmail.com> <br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 21, 2023 9:17 AM<br><b>To:</b> Elizabeth Conroy <conroyliz@gmail.com><br><b>Cc:</b> tom miller <miller.tom2022@gmail.com>; inc listserv <inc-list@lists.deltaforce.net><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Durham INC] Outcome of SCAD hearing?<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Sure. But we all have to review the recording to have any idea. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The two new council people were there in chambers the whole time. But I doubt they could keep up with Johnson's rattled-off numbers. Instead of conferring with colleagues, she sat in her seat preparing all of what she said. She is the puppeteer and while she will not be on council after last night, she has promised she will still "run things". <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>And lots of people left last night saying that they would have voted differently if they had seen what they saw last night. Jim Anthony was brilliant in postponing the vote until after the election. <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 9:08 AM Elizabeth Conroy <<a href="mailto:conroyliz@gmail.com">conroyliz@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><p class=MsoNormal>At next week’s INC meeting, can we discuss the problematic items that passed so we can ask new Council members to bring up some items again?<br><br>On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, tom miller <<a href="mailto:miller.tom2022@gmail.com" target="_blank">miller.tom2022@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>They passed all but a handful of provisions<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in;border-color:currentcolor currentcolor'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b>From:</b> INC-list <<a href="mailto:inc-list-bounces@lists.deltaforce.net" target="_blank">inc-list-bounces@lists.deltaforce.net</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Elizabeth Conroy<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 21, 2023 8:05 AM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:inc-list@lists.deltaforce.net" target="_blank">inc-list@lists.deltaforce.net</a><br><b>Subject:</b> [Durham INC] Outcome of SCAD hearing?<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Can someone tell me the outcome of the SCAD hearing last night? I left at the break at 11 pm before Council members discussed and voted.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Thank you, Liz Conroy, Colony Park<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><br><br>-- <o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Liz Conroy, Ed.D.<br>919-493-1238 (H) 919-564-6179 (C)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><a href="mailto:conroyliz@gmail.com" target="_blank">conroyliz@gmail.com</a><br><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/2811+Welcome+Dr.+Durham,+NC+27705?entry=gmail&source=g" target="_blank">2811 Welcome Dr.</a><br><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/2811+Welcome+Dr.+Durham,+NC+27705?entry=gmail&source=g" target="_blank">Durham, NC 27705</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal><br><br>-- <o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Liz Conroy, Ed.D.<br>919-493-1238 (H) 919-564-6179 (C)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:conroyliz@gmail.com" target="_blank">conroyliz@gmail.com</a><br>2811 Welcome Dr.<br>Durham, NC 27705<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><br>_______________________________________________<br>INC Website: <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/durhaminc/" target="_blank">https://sites.google.com/view/durhaminc/</a><br><br>Durham INC Mailing List<br><a href="mailto:inc-list@lists.deltaforce.net" target="_blank">inc-list@lists.deltaforce.net</a><br><a href="https://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/listinfo/inc-list" target="_blank">https://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/listinfo/inc-list</a><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote></div><p class=MsoNormal><br clear=all><br><span class=gmailsignatureprefix>-- </span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Mimi Kessler<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>919-599-2892<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>"Democracy is not a spectator sport" - John Deen<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Please vote every chance you get. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>