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As Durham’s footprint expands, developers are eyeing wooded lots around the city to make way for new rooftops and commercial hubs.
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On Oct. 13, the Durham Planning Commission will review four zoning requests that could bring hundreds of new homes to the Bull City.
Among them is a project that could bring over 200 townhomes to 181 acres along Glenn School Road and Intercross Road near Interstate 85 and a proposal to bring up to 299 apartments to the property of the former Bragtown School, which burned down in 1991.
The advisory board will vote on recommendations at the meeting for each proposal before they advance to the Durham City Council for final decisions at a later date.
Land Alternatives, a Cary based developer, is requesting a zoning change for seven parcels totaling about 4.5 acres at 3809, 3813, 3817 and 3823 Mary Martin Road; 911 and 915 Flanders Drive; and 910 Valmet Drive. The property is about two miles from Southern High School.
The rezoning would allow the developer to build 19 homes that could be single-family detached, attached, townhouse, rowhouse or duplex homes.
The case was deferred during the Aug. 11 Planning Commission meeting. The initial proposal was for 80 homes, though Craig Duerr, the lead developer, said he was planning to build closer to 42 homes. The modifications to the current proposal came after local concerns about the project.
The new proposal includes:
White Oak Shannon Partners has submitted a request to update its request to build on 3 acres at 3638 Old Chapel Hill Road and 3641 Shannon Road.
Instead of 17 previously approved apartments, the developer wants to build 17 townhomes. If approved, the full project will feature 60 townhomes across two phases alongside a 3,500-square foot commercial building.
Under the updated commitments for the project, the developer wants:
The median sale price for homes in Durham as of August was $424,719 and the median rental rate was $1,549 per month.
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Durham’s Morningstar Law Group has filed a rezoning request for about 13 acres spread across six parcels at 200 and 500 Berwyn Ave., 320 and 606 Belvin Ave., and 3200 Dominion St. The project seeks to build about 299 apartment units.
The site is the historical property of the former Bragtown School in northern Durham. In 1925, the school was rebuilt as a Rosenwald School, which was part of a network of thousands of schools for Black children in the rural South in the early 20th century. The last high school class to graduate from the school was in 1954, according to the Braggtown Community Association. In 1991, the school burned down.
If approved, the developer proposes 15 units (5%) to be income-restricted for households earning up to 80% of the area median income for 30 years. The project will also feature:
Thomas & Hutton, a Durham engineering firm, wants to rezone and annex 24 parcels of land totaling 181 acres along Glenn School Road and Intercross Road near Interstate 85.
The request seeks to rezone the area to make way for up to 235 townhomes, up to 20,000 square feet of commercial space and up to 825,000 square feet of light industrial and warehouse uses.
The developer proposes that 100% of the townhomes will be offered at initial sale prices affordable to buyers earning up to 80% area median income. For an individual, that’s $71,400 and $101,700 for a family of four.
According to city documents, staff noted this initial sales cap does not meet the Unified Development Ordinance definition for long-term affordable housing.
Other commitments for the project include:
You can find more information about the upcoming Durham Planning Commission meeting at durhamnc.gov.
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