[SeeGov Enhanced] Lakewood area plan delayed; Bragtown apartments draw denial recommendation

SoDu We Grow: South Durham Development Guide

Townhouses, apartments, warehouses, recreation fields, and more: What’s being proposed near your South Durham neighborhood? Search the active cases, view the locations, and follow the decisions with SoDu We Grow.

Southpoint AccessWes Platt

Lakewood Park resident Ora Musu Clemens attended many of the meetings about her neighborhood's future, but she said the people helping shape Durham's proposed plan didn't reflect the communities it would affect.

Clemens, who also serves on the Durham Planning Commission, said the city's outreach hadn't adequately reached residents of the historic Black neighborhoods included in the Lakewood, West End, and Lyon Park Small Area Plan.

“This plan will impact those neighborhoods, and the views of those communities should be reflected,” she said.

"It's aspirational, and that's fine," Clemens added, "but are we setting ourselves up for failure?"

Her criticism was among the concerns raised Tuesday before commissioners voted 11-0 to delay further review until Jan. 12, 2027. They called for broader community input and clearer answers about proposed changes at the Shops at Lakewood.

The commission also recommended denial of Mosby Bragtown, a proposal for up to 299 apartments. Six commissioners opposed recommending approval, while three supported it.

Commissioners also gave favorable recommendations to a large mixed-use development near Glenn School Road and Interstate 85 and a change to the housing planned at Shannon and Old Chapel Hill roads. The commission advises City Council, which makes the final zoning decisions.