Durham Council Approves Four Development Projects

A former Extended Stay America hotel on N.C. Highway 55, just south of Interstate 40 in South Durham, on Monday won approval for conversion into 126 multifamily homes by Vivo Living.

The project passed 7-0, with members describing it as the sort of development that Durham needs.

However, Council Member Chelsea Cook urged the developers to reconsider what she described as a burdensome application process for a site that aims to offer affordable housing. Vivo Living in the past has required a non-refundable application fee that’s hard to spend for a low-income family, Cook said.

Tarek Shaer of Urbanest Group told the board that the developer would take those concerns into consideration.

The council also approved expansion of Caring House on Pickett Road to provide more housing for Duke Cancer Center patients and their families by 7-0.

However, the board wasn’t as unified when it came to a couple of relatively small townhouse projects in southeastern Durham.

Doc Nichols Towns and Tri-Creek would bring more than 40 townhouses to the Leesville Road area. Opponents cited traffic, changes to the area from what existed when they moved in a few years ago, and environmental concerns.

Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton said the complaints tended to focus on “development writ large” as opposed to the merits of the specific projects.

“If you’re moving into our city and buying a home with the expectation that how it looks now is how it’ll look in perpetuity, you should probably look somewhere else to live,” Middleton said.

Cook signaled she wouldn’t support the Doc Nichols project, saying “this is not the right spot for this” based on environmental concerns and context of the area.

Residents brought up similar concerns about the Tri-Creek project.

Ultimately, both projects passed 4-3, with Middleton, Carl Rist, Javiera Caballero, and Mayor Leonardo Williams in favor; and DeDreana Freeman, Nate Baker, and Cook opposed.

Southpoint Access Editor and Publisher Wes Platt can be reached at southpointaccessnews@gmail.com or 407-616-1346.