Durham City Council passed two rezoning requests for the development of new townhouses, despite concerns raised by residents, and named Kunshan, China, an official sister city of Durham during its meeting Monday evening.
In a 4-3 vote, Durham City Council approved a request by Lynley Townhouses to rezone 12 acres of land located at 1343 Ellis Rd and 1326 Clinton Rd from "residential rural" to "planned development residential 8.326" to allow up to 102 townhouses.
Some community members expressed pushback about the proposal at the meeting, citing concerns about the environmental impact of the development. In particular, residents shared concern over the potential for increased flooding, especially after flooding which took place during Hurricane Helene.
Jessica Dewey, a resident of the area, shared remarks in opposition to the project. She described that during Hurricane Helene, water levels rose 10 feet beyond a drainage stream in her backyard.
"The current infrastructure is obviously not prepared to deal with more of those storms that are going to become more common as the climate changes," she said, sharing particular concern about the change of grading to the rezoned land and the removal of trees.
Durham residents Reginald Williams and Kevin Smith shared concern about the potential impact of the new townhouses on traffic, particularly on Southern Drive. Smith described the street's traffic as "just horrendous," arguing that no more townhouses are needed in the area and that he believes existing townhouses on Ellis Road are vacant.
"I am not against building, but I think the [single-family] houses will probably be more appropriate than all these townhomes because there really isn't that much room on that street," Williams said.
He emphasized that although many residents expressed that the density of the land would increase, the area is already suburban-tier.
"This site is already in the city limits, there is already a public sewer line running through this property," Ghosh said. "To suggest that it's rural or that it should be rural ... defies what is actually on the ground out there today."
While Ghosh acknowledged that the roads may have some traffic, he believes the area can handle further development.
"This project was not big enough to require a traffic study to be done," he said. "But in the analysis that was performed by staff, it indicated that these roads are under capacity."
Regarding concerns about community engagement, Ghosh suggested that "we were responsive to the things that we could be responsive."
City Council members had mixed reactions to the plans. Some felt that the residents' concerns -- while valid -- were outweighed by the goal of increasing density, diversity of housing and the goal of making Durham a more walkable "15-minute city." The proposal was ultimately passed by one vote.
In a 4-3 decision, the council passed a utility extension agreement, a voluntary annexation petition and a zoning change request to allow for townhouse development on Sherron Road, after hearing concerns from residents about the environmental and traffic impact of the project.
The council also unanimously passed an annexation petition for land in Winsford at the Park to enable the city to take ownership and maintenance of roads in the area.
The council unanimously agreed to sign an agreement to become sister cities with Kunshan, China. Durham and Kunshan have been friendly cities for over 10 years, and agreement works to advance that relationship. The mayor of Kushnan will visit Durham on Nov. 14.
Notably, Duke partnered with Wuhan University in 2013 to establish Duke Kunshan University, a liberal arts university in the now-sister city. The initial contract for the joint venture is set to expire in 2028.