Planning Commission Opposes Sheffield Farms

The Durham Planning Commission voted against recommending approval for a scaled-down M/I Homes development along Farrington Mill Road.

Sheffield Farms, which would bring 702 single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments to southwest Durham, previously had been slated for 950 residential units.

Sheffield Farms would involve 218.5 acres at 8422 Farrington Mill Rd. and would include the residential units as well as 5,000 square feet of retail space. The developer also planned to convey about 2.5 acres containing some old building sites, including a log slave quarter outbuilding on a pre-Civil War farm for historical preservation. Preservation Durham in July 2024 sent a letter to M/I Homes to express interest in accepting the parcel as “a rare artifact of rural Durham County.”

Commissioners on Tuesday heard from attorney Patrick Byker, representing developer M/I Homes, as well as several property owners who live in the area and oppose the project over environmental and traffic concerns.

Residents worried about increased traffic through the intersection of Farrington Mill and Stagecoach roads – and planners had sought to get M/I Homes to improve that intersection as part of developing Sheffield Farms.

However, Byker noted that years ago he served as a representative for developers of 751 South – a project about a half mile from the intersection in question – and Durham City Council members opted against requiring the developer to improve the intersection. During Tuesday night’s meeting, Byker insisted it would be unfair to expect Sheffield Farms – about three miles from the intersection – to foot the bill.

In an online survey, most respondents were opposed or undecided. One opponent wrote:

“The massive scope of this development will be detrimental to the surrounding wetlands, the peripheral communities, and will cause undue traffic congestion on the area roadways.”

Said another: "The impact of this proposal at the edge of Durham County would be very great on traffic, infrastructure, police and fire departments, and Jordan Lake drinking water supply but has not been analyzed in a coordinated fashion with closely adjacent Orange and Chatham Counties, where major developments already exist or are being built or planned. The impact of this development cannot be considered in isolation. Traffic alone would be at its limits with this development without the additional loads from Chatham and Orange counties. As long-term residents of the area we request that you look at the larger impact of this single development."

The project's not dead yet, though. Next, Sheffield Farms could go to the Durham City Council for consideration. Not date set for that meeting yet.

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