Durham City Council rejected an annexation ordinance and unanimously passed the Vision Zero Action Plan during its Monday meeting.
Zoning request
In a 2-5 vote following extensive public comments, the council failed to pass a request to annex 218.5 acres of Sheffield Farms into the City of Durham. The request would have allowed the construction of up to 702 new residential units.
Durham residents and council members voiced concerns over the annexation harming the environment, failing to provide adequate affordable housing and straining Durham Public Schools’s resources.
Nil Ghosh, the attorney with Morningstar Law Group representing developer M/I Homes, refuted several claims and highlighted the environmental commitments of the developer. Durham resident Andrea Quinn, also spoke in favor of the proposal — the sole community member to do so — claiming that if the proposal were to be defeated, her family’s residence may never have access to water and sewer services…