City Discussing Moriah Ridge Annexation

The annexation of 168 acres along Mt. Moriah Road from Orange County for M/I Homes to build as many as 1,000 apartments, townhouses, and single-family homes got an unfavorable recommendation from the Durham Planning Commission in December.

Now the Moriah Ridge proposal is on the agenda for the Durham City Council's work session on Thursday.

Some who voted against the project on the Planning Commission indicated in their written comments that their primary concern was building a project of this magnitude outside the city's urban growth boundary.

Residents opposed to Moriah Ridge worry about traffic and Durham's ability to handle such increased demand on its water supply.

Durham city staff analyzed potential impacts and found Moriah Ridge would be a revenue positive prospect (with a net gain of nearly $28 million at buildout), but would create four city-limit "holes" by annexing properties that aren't contiguous with the existing limits.

The work session starts at 1 p.m. in the second-floor committee room at 101 City Hall Plaza.

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