Brief Summary of Rezoning:

Pulte Homes sought to rezone 40.95 acres for 122 single-family homes at 2417 West Cornwallis Road.

People's Alliance issued the following statement to the City Council:

People's Alliance has a well-known history of supporting affordable housing and at no time in our city's history has there been a need to ensure safe, accessible and affordable housing as there is right now. PA is also committed to respecting the role that our natural environment plays in protecting and enhancing our built environment.  PA respectfully asks the City Council to consider these two issues paramount in any decision to confer the public benefit of rezoning to private interests. 

In particular, PA requests the City Council to ensure that the proposed rezoning Z1500031 along Cornwallis Road is developed with adequate protections for stormwater management.  Under a changing climate, Durham can expect to see nearly 30% more frequent intense precipitation events - that's more high volume rainfall events over shorter periods of time.  Decisions made today must consider this new reality and require developers to take adequate mitigation measures.  Council should make any rezoning approvals contingent upon enforceable commitments to such measures.  Please ensure that the developers on this case retain the existing floodplain, properly site additional constructed wetlands and, failing to do so, be held accountable in the event of future flooding of surrounding neighborhoods.

PA also believes growing affordable housing in our city must be one of our top priorities at this time. We believe it is of great importance that any such development projects wait until the city had an affordable planning process in place to address increasing mixed-income communities.