DURHAM — The City Council approved zoning by a split vote Monday night for a 28-acre townhouse development near The Streets at Southpoint mall.

In November, the council approved Florida developer Jeff Gelman’s application for annexation but took no action on his rezoning application, leaving the future of Southpoint Trails uncertain.

Since then, Gelman had made several changes to his request, including reducing its density from 6 dwellings per acre to 5.5.

The property, on the west side of N.C. 751 between Massey Chapel and Stagecoach Road, had been zoned for less than one dwelling per acre, and Durham’s land-use plan called for no more than four per acre.

Opponents said that even 5.5 units per acre was too high a density, and objected to going against the land-use plan for a particular project.

Gelman also committed to reserve at least five townhouses for sale at discount prices affordable to buyers with incomes 80 percent of the area median. Project designer George Stanziale said the full sale price will be approximately $250,000.

Mayor Bill Bell, Mayor Pro Tem Cora Cole-McFadden and Councilmen Eugene Brown and Howard Clement voted for the rezoning.

Council members Diane Catotti, Don Moffitt and Steve Schewel voted against it.

Wise: 919-641-5895