DURHAM -- City/County Planning Director Steve Medlin has ruled that the Haw River Assembly's protest petition regarding the Jordan Lake watershed case is valid.
Medlin's finding, included in a memo released Wednesday night by County Manager Mike Ruffin, reverses an earlier decision made in advance of the county commissioners' Oct. 12 vote to change the critical watershed boundary in southwestern Durham County.
Commissioners approved the change 3 votes to 2. A valid protest petition, however, requires at least a 4 to 1 "super majority" to approve.
Durham County has not announced its position on the move in light of Medlin's ruling. Commissioners had scheduled a closed meeting on the petition, and on the related lawsuit against the county by Southern Durham Development, at 10 a.m. today.
The Haw River Assembly, an environmental-protection group, filed the petition on behalf of 24 property owners affected by the change.
Ruffin released the memo upon the advice of County Attorney Lowell Siler in response to several public-records requests. The county has not released Medlin's earlier report, sent to Ruffin Nov. 13, which Siler has said contains information privileged under the law.
