This is NOT smart growth - This is growth REGARDLESS OF TAXPAYER COST! The bottom line- 751 is in the wrong place.
Please help us educate the citizens Durham -
Tell your friends and neighbors to take action today!
We the citizens of Durham, implore our government officials to vote AGAINST the 751 Assemblage rezoning case (Z0800003) for reasons including the following:
1) Affordable Housing considerations:
According to the developer's analysis of household incomes needed to afford housing of all types, NO ONE making $10 hour could afford to live in 751 S. And the developer refuses to commit to any affordable housing.
2) Jobs, transportation and pollution:
The Planning Commission voted (11-1) against this rezoning. The 1 approving vote was based solely on the fact that developers are promising to provide Durham jobs. Jobs are most drastically needed in Durham%u2019s inner city, far from this development. There are no plans to extend mass-transit this far, nor any plans by the developer to provide transportation. Only people with cars will be able to take advantage of these jobs. The Planning Department estimates traffic will increase from 417 cars/24 hours under current zoning to 30,000/24 hours under new zoning.
3) Water Quality and Environmental Considerations:
* With the enormous price tag facing Durham for cleaning up the impaired Jordan Lake, it is unwise to build anything of this size in an area so close to the lake. The developers have refused to commit to abiding by the new Jordan Lake rules/requirements.
* Planning staff is recommending against this rezoning, for reasons primarily relating to the lack of preservation of natural inventory areas. Part of the site lies in the Stagecoach Road Bottomlands (an area listed in the Durham County Inventory of Important Natural Areas, Plants and Wildlife), with a "mature stand of swamp forest" remaining on site. The developers refuse to commit to the state's request of an additional 100 meter buffer from the 100-year flood plain, and several acres of play fields for the proposed school site would require disturbance and grading, also something that doesn't meet local government policy.
4) Adequate Retail/Housing for Durham%u2019s projected growth:
According to Bill Kalkhoff, "there is currently more than 1.1 million square feet of sub-lease space available in the Triangle market, and that space is leasing for 60 percent to 70 percent of market leasing rates" (April 1, HS; this article is cut and pasted at the bottom of this email). South Durham retail is vacating at an alarming rate. Many retail spaces have never been occupied. There are certainly no guarantees that the 751 Assemblage will actually house viable businesses. And the developer does not commit to restricting retailers to fewer than 75,000 square feet - instead of small local businesses; we might get yet more big boxes.
For these reasons, we the citizens of Durham, implore our government officials to either A: vote AGAINST the 751 Assemblage rezoning case (Z0800003) or B: Defer to City Council to plan water and sewer lines FIRST before taking a vote. Thank you for taking the time to consider this petition.
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