55+ housing in rural Durham and an RTP North? 3 rezonings get 1st thumbs up
.png "A rezoning proposal for 54 acres on Glover and Rigsbee roads in Durham will soon reach the Durham City Council. A developer wants to create “RTP North” to serve the tech and industrial community.")
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Durham Planning Commission recommends the approval of three rezoning cases.
- The rezonings will make room for new homes and a new tech campus similar to RTP.
- The Durham City Council will hear the cases at a later date.
Three rezoning cases that could reshape some of Durham’s rural residential and industrial landscapes now have the backing of a key city advisory board.
The Durham Planning Commission reviewed the projects Tuesday night. They included a new 55+ development and a project aimed at creating an area like Research Triangle Park.
The nine-member commission makes recommendations to the Durham City Council, which will hold public hearings and vote on the projects at a later date.
Courtyards at Leesville: A 55-plus community
The first project was the Courtyards at Leesville, which requires rezoning 34.5 wooded acres at 4801 and 4721 Leesville Road in southeast Durham.
Epcon Communities, represented by Nil Ghosh of the Morningstar Law Group, wants to change the area’s zoning to build 117 single-family homes and townhouses for a 55-plus community.
Epcon’s communities are popular among older adults looking to downsize, be closer to family or who are empty nesters.
The plan includes 20% tree preservation, a $100,000 donation to Durham’s Dedicated Housing Fund and $10,500 to Durham Public Schools. Ghosh said there would be a 10-foot-wide multi-use path along Leesville Road and a 50% limit on impervious surfaces like roads, roofs and parking lots that contribute to flooding.
Members of the Preserve Rural Durham advocacy group asked the Planning Commission to delay the vote due to concerns about the environment and slow emergency service response times. The Courtyards would be covered by Fire Station 17 on Leesville Road.
Pam Williams, a resident near the property, said the proposal is another example of “car-centric development” that provides no parks, greenway trails or sidewalks.
The commissioners voted 6-3 to recommend the City Council approve the project.
Andrews Chapel Road: Up to 28 ‘missing middle’ townhomes
The Planning Commission also recommended approval for a 4.69-acre development at 323 Andrews Chapel Road in southeast Durham. The property is off Brier Creek Parkway.
Courtney McQueen of Qunity, an engineering firm behind the Landing at Southpoint and Alamance Crossing, wants to build up to 28 townhouses. She called the project “thoughtful, small-scale, infill development” that introduces a new housing type to an area predominantly made up of single-family homes.
Key commitments for this project include:
- A $28,000 contribution to Durham’s Dedicated Housing Fund
- A one-time $5,000 donation to Durham Public Schools
- A prohibition of a permanent car connection to Andrews Chapel Road to limit cut-through traffic
- A requirement that at least 10 townhomes include first-floor bedrooms and full bathrooms to support “aging in place”
- A 60% limit on the total site’s impervious surfaces
One neighbor, Susan Kinser, raised questions about the impact on a local pond and creek near her house. Tim Sivers of Qunity said the pond would be replaced with a stormwater control measure.
The commissioners voted 7-2 to recommend the City Council approve the project.
Parmer Edge Two: ‘RTP North’
The largest project involved the expansion of the Parmer Edge industrial plots of land.
Attorney Patrick Byker, representing Los Angeles-based Karlin Real Estate company, requested the rezoning for 57 acres along Glover and Rigsbee roads, and a Comprehensive Plan amendment to change the development category from “urban” to “suburban” for over 141 acres.
The goal is to create “RTP North,” a planned industrial campus that revitalizes land once occupied by GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmaceutical company that was once the city’s largest taxpayer.
“Our goal is for Parmer Edge to be more like RTP and less like downtown Durham, which means more green space, more trees, [less] impervious surfaces and less asphalt,” Byker said. “We envision Parmer Edge to be RTP North, but with more flexible zoning.”
To keep this vision, there would be 26 prohibited uses on the site, including adult establishments, bars, car washes, bus terminals, schools and recycling centers. Housing development was not listed as one of the limitations, but nursing homes and hotels were.
Trina Himes of the Grove Park neighborhood expressed concern about potential sediment from future construction running into local watersheds. Specifically, she was concerned about a 750-foot ridge line in Parmer Edge that prevents such runoff not being protected.
Byker said the neighborhood is five miles away from the project site, which is isolated from freeways and railroads.
Commissioner Juan Montes said he was “super, super excited” about the request.
“I couldn’t be more excited to see a development like this, the potential investment that’s going to come for potential college graduates here at Duke University, State, Chapel Hill, NC Central,” he said. “I hope the [City] Council looks at this and sees the opportunity that is here to replicate or put another potential RTP here that really attracts talent and investment.”
Design details for the property are unknown. The Planning Commission voted 8-1 to recommend approval for the rezoning.