[SoDu Sunrise Showcase] No-Go for Sheffield Farms

WEATHER FORECAST

Per the National Weather Service: Sunny, with a high near 58. At night, temperatures drop to about 30. A freeze watch is in effect through Wednesday morning. Protect tender plants from the cold.

Mayor Leonardo Williams and Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton warned against making the perfect the enemy of the good and for equity and an opportunity for historic preservation.

But their colleagues on Durham City Council early Tuesday morning sided with neighboring residents who would've seen even more traffic clogging Stagecoach and Farrington Mill roads in southwest Durham - with no hope of improvements until the N.C. Department of Transportation gets around to fixing those issues.

Plus, opponents raised issues about potential damage to environmentally sensitive land bordering the 218-acre Sheffield Farms parcel.

Developer M/I Homes would've spent $10 million to extend utility services to the project area, which would've allowed a family that's been living on land in southwest Durham for a century to finally shift from an antiquated septic system to modern sewer. And the project called for preserving old slave quarters on the property.

Middleton supported Sheffield Farms despite neighbor concerns because the project fell within the city's urban growth boundary and because M/I Homes wanted to make such a large investment in infrastructure. He warned that voting against projects that fall within the UGB could make it harder to make valid arguments when projects (like the recently denied Moriah Ridge) are proposed outside the UGB.

How do you feel about the council decision? Send your letter to the editor to wes.platt@southpointaccess.news.

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What's Happening Today?

• Make Your Own Kite. Ages 3 to 7. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Pre-registration and adult participation required. Walltown Park Recreation Center at 1308 W. Club Blvd. Fee: $1.50 for county residents; $6.50 for non-county residents. (Durham Parks and Recreation)
• Durham Planning Commission. 5:30 p.m. First floor council chambers at 101 City Hall Plaza. (Durham Government)

Check out this week's activities!

IN MEMORIAM

• Durham Obituaries - April 8, 2025

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