400 homes planned for the Durham-Chapel Hill line. Can the roads handle more traffic?
.png "A developer wants to rezone nearly 8 acres of land along Farrington Road for the development of 50 townhomes.")
Two housing projects proposed for Durham’s western edge could add more dense, suburban development along the city’s border with Chapel Hill.
On Tuesday, July 14, the Durham Planning Commission will discuss two zoning cases that will likely highlight the friction between fast residential growth and local roads’ ability to handle it. The proposals — one for townhomes, the other for apartments — are in southwest Durham’s Farrington Road corridor.
Both cases are being introduced by the same engineering firm and sit blocks apart. If approved, they would add 440 new homes and over 1,600 daily vehicle trips to a busy two-lane road.
350 apartments: The Alexan Farrington proposal
The larger project is the Alexan Farrington proposal.
Jeremy Anderson, with Durham engineering firm Thomas and Hutton, is asking the city to annex and rezone 15.4 acres on Farrington Road. The site is less than a mile from the UNC Medical Complex and is about a 10-minute drive from UNC’s campus.
Anderson wants to change the zoning from Residential Suburban and Residential Rural to Planned Development Residential, which would allow more large-scale housing. The property has single-family homes and one home now with a private, grass landing strip for a helicopter.
The project would have up to 350 apartments with a maximum building height of 75 feet, according to city documents. About 5% (18) of the apartments would be for households earning 80% of the area median income for a 30-year period. That’s about $71,200 for an individual and $101,700 for a four-person household.
The development would bring an estimated 68 new students to local elementary, middle and high schools. Nearby Githens Middle and Jordan High are currently operating over 100% capacity. The developer has committed to a one-time donation of $15,000 to Durham Public Schools to help offset the impacts.
The complex would add 1,410 daily vehicle trips on Farrington Road, according to Durham’s Transportation Department. To help handle the increased traffic, the developer has committed to
- Southbound left-turn lanes and northbound right-turn lanes on Farrington Road at the apartments’ entry points
- A 10-foot-wide concrete path along the eastern side of Farrington Road for pedestrians and bicycles
- A 10-foot-wide buffer on the northern side of the property
- A minimum of 75% new native tree plantings
.png "Screenshot (86).png")
50 townhomes: 4702 Farrington Road
Just north along Farrington Road, Anderson is also requesting the annexation and rezoning of 7.5 acres of vacant and wooded land at 4702 Farrington Road. The rezoning would allow a new 50-unit townhome community next to the 132-unit Creekside Commons townhome neighborhood.
Unlike the apartment project, this development plan would be entirely market-rate and does not include affordable units. The median price for a home in Durham is $424,746 as of May.
Other details of the project include
- A dog park and playground
- A 90-foot right-of-way through the property to accommodate the future Southwest Durham Drive sidewalk project
- A road extension of Mitford Creek Road through the site
- A 30-foot-wide landscape buffer and on-street parallel parking along Randall Road
- A one-time donation of $5,000 to Durham Public Schools, even though the project doesn’t estimate adding any new students to the school system
- 100% new native trees planted
The development would increase the traffic volume on Randall Road by 329 daily vehicle trips, according to city documents.
Public hearing and next steps
The Planning Commission will hear the cases at its 5:30 p.m. June 14 meeting.
It will make a recommendation about each case to the Durham City Council, which will vote on the proposals at a later date.
This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 3:11 PM.