Plans for 400 new homes on Durham-Chapel Hill line advance despite traffic concerns
.png "Jeremy Anderson, of Thomas & Hutton, proposes to change the zoning designation of four parcels of land totaling 15.41 acres and located at 5217, 5307, 5351, and 5419 Farrington Road.")
In a pair of split votes, the Durham Planning Commission gave favorable recommendations Tuesday night to two housing developments proposed for the Durham-Chapel Hill line.
Together the proposals could bring up to 400 homes to the Farrington Road corridor. The Planning Commission’s recommendations came despite opposition from residents worried about traffic safety and over-capacity schools.
The 350-unit Alexan Farrington apartment complex and a 50-unit townhome development at 4702 Farrington Road will now move forward to the Durham City Council for final approval.
Alexan Farrington apartments win after environmental commitments
The Alexan Farrington proposal got an 8-2 favorable recommendation from the commission.
Represented by Ann Anderson of the Morningstar Law Group, developer Jeremy Anderson wants the city to annex and rezone 15.4 acres for up to 350 apartments at 5217, 5307, 5351, and 5419 Farrington Road.
The developers promised three new environmental commitments: doubling the tree canopy coverage, capping impervious surfaces below the city’s maximum standard, and dedicating half of the required open space within the property’s 100-foot stream buffer.
Building height would be capped at 75 feet, and 18, or 5%, of the units would be affordable for those earning up to 80% of the area median income (AMI). For an individual, 80% AMI is $71,200 and for a family of four, $101,700.
Anderson also said the apartments would be studios and one- and two-bedroom units, which could rule out many families from the complex as they tend to like three-bedroom units. She said they think young professionals will mostly occupy the apartments.
Still, residents raised concerns about the nearby schools possibly getting more new students and traffic.
Sarah Graveson of Honeycutt Drive said her fifth-grade son faces hour-long school bus rides due to driver shortages and double runs.
“We do not have the infrastructure to sustain the current population, much less further growth,” she told the commissioners.
Commissioner Diana Neunkirchner voted against the project, citing concerns about it creating a heat island effect, which is what happens when a city feels much warmer than rural areas.
“You’re adding more heat in this particular area, and its already growing faster than it can absorb that,” she said. “It’s an infrastructure strain.”
Farrington Road townhomes add affordable housing commitment
The project proposed for a 7.5 acre wooded site at 4702 Farrington Road got a favorable vote of 7-3 from the commission.
Thomas and Hutton, a local engineering firm, want to build 50 townhomes next to the existing 132-unit Creekside Commons development.
The initial proposal called for all of the townhomes to be sold at market rate. However, during the meeting, Peyton Burgess, a representative for the developer, said they will now commit to pricing 5% of the townhomes at 80% of the AMI.
Other commitments include a dog park, a playground, 100% native tree plantings, and a $5,000 donation to Durham Public Schools.
The townhome project also faces a challenge: While it has a Farrington Road address, it’s landlocked and would rely on Mitford Creek and Randall roads for its primary access.
Kristen Beatty of Randall Road told the commissioners that she has had near-misses while out walking her dog.
“The crosswalk is totally useless,” she said. “I want you to think about all of the development that’s happening — it’s not just the residents who are living there, but think about yourselves. Think on deliveries, the grocery deliveries, the moving trucks, the friends that you have come over, the friends that come to stay. It’s not just the cars for the people that live in these houses, but it’s all of the traffic that increases that come along with that.”
Defending the project, Jeremy Anderson, a representative with Thomas and Hutton, argued that the 50 townhomes represent a “fairly minor” increase in traffic that is below the threshold required for a full traffic impact analysis.
“We know traffic is an issue in the area,” he said. “I think that’s the best we could do and we’re proud of these commitments and the improvements we made after talking with the city about ways to traffic calm on Randall.”