INTER-NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
Making Better Neighborhoods
http://www.rtpnet.org/durhminc
Minutes of Meeting of November 23, 1999
Police Department Community Services Room
John Dagenhart |
27701 |
Trinity Park |
Johnea Kelley |
27701 |
Duke Park |
Tom Coulter |
27713 |
Carpenter Fletcher |
Ron Nolen |
27707 |
TLNA |
Frank Hyman |
27701 |
Burch Ave. NA |
Pat Carstensen |
27707 |
Cross County |
Ed Harrison |
27707 |
Cross County |
Stan Hoffman |
27705 |
Garrett Farms |
Fred Mowry |
27705 |
Colony Park |
Carrie Mowry |
27705 |
Colony Park |
Melissa Green |
27514 |
UNC |
Alec Pence |
27510 |
UNC |
Steve Bocckino |
27713 |
Fern Valley |
Pat Bocckino |
27713 |
Fern Valley |
Harry Dawley |
27701 |
Trinity Park |
Pat Mallett |
Elam Todd d'Ambros (Cary) | |
W. Travis Porter |
27709 |
Maupin Taylor & Ellis |
Robert Hill |
27707 |
Forest Hills |
Garry Post |
27707 |
Forest Hills |
Jennifer Albright |
27707 |
TLNA/PAC # 3 |
Mary Kiesau |
Cross County | |
Al Stone |
27705 |
Duke Homestead |
Stan Hoffman called the meeting to order at 7:00.
There will be no December meeting.
Tour de Sprawl: Mary Kiesau reported on this three-hour tour, which took place the previous weekend (Nov. 20). DATA provided free busses. City officials and others visited three sites picked as examples of good and bad development: Blue Devil Ventures (downtown Durham), Hope Valley Farms, and the Southpoint Mall/Hearndon Hills Farm site.
Influencing the budget: Frank Hyman developed his argument, introduced earlier, that INC go beyond zoning issues and advocate additions to the budget. He cited the following as examples:
· From the Burch Ave. Neighborhood Association: (1) Funds for a staff person to work with neighborhoods to solve traffic problems that are a by-product of growth, like speeding and cut-through traffic. The Transportation division chief requested this position last year but had no citizen support, so the request was denied. (2) Funds for deeper subsidies to create affordable rental housing in mixed income neighborhoods. This would help neighborhoods like Burch Ave. retain their current level of economic and racial integration.
· From the four Partners Against Crime committees: (1) Funds for bike patrols in each of the four target areas - West End, Walltown, Northeast Central Durham and Pilot St. (2) Funds for the PACs to contract with a private lawyer - perhaps a 3rd year law student - to carry out the nuisance abatement suit strategy.
James Street rezoning issue:
· Developer's presentation: Travis Porter, lawyer for the drug store developer, pointed out that the Zoning Commission approved the development by a vote of 6 to 1. He added that the Planning and Zoning department also favors the development.
· Neighborhood rebuttal: Jennifer Albright countered that some six neighborhoods opposed the development. They are awaiting a new staff report, and the issue will again go before the Zoning Commission, she said.
Steve Bocckino made the following motion:
INC would like for the City Council to consider, in the planning process, the proportional scale of commercial development relative to the scale of nearby residential properties.
The motion was passed unanimously (18 votes for).
City Space Open House: John Dagenhart reported on this project, in which an old office building near the old Durham Bulls stadium was renovated for office and commercial use.
INC Board meetings: These will be on the second Wednesday of each month. The first will be at Stan Hoffman's home at 7pm Jan. 12.
Southpoint: Steve Bocckino reported plans for a 120-room hotel and 1400 apartments in the Southpoint mall area. Steve observed that this adds up to 1-2% of all the housing in Durham.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00
AAS
1/25/00