
The other proffers Mitchell and Southern Durham Development are promising to make at Monday's meeting:
(Disclaimer: These are as summarized verbally by Mitchell, and do not represent verbatim language to be included in legal documents and plans.)
— A minimum of 10 percent of the housing units will be classified as affordable housing based on federal low income housing standards. That would be a minimum of 130 units of 1,300 planned residences.
— Tree coverage on the site will be consistent with what is illustrated on the plan, which equals 41 acres of the 167-acre development site. (Download illustrated site plan and other documents)
— There will be a maximum of 88.1 acres of paved/impervious surfaces, or roughly 55 percent. The maximum allowed by ordinance is 70 percent.
— There will be a minimum of about 41 acres of open space, as reflected on illustrative maps the developer has given to the county.
— The developer will build a clubhouse, pool and playground for the community.
— The developer will build two bus shelters with roofs, seating, solar lighting, real-time displays that show bus arrival time and wireless Internet access. (Public transit does not currently service the area, but, Mitchell said, "Once the headcount's there, the transit's gonna come. What we're focusing on is encouraging people to ride it.") The Triangle Transit Authority has made no commitment to service the area. County staff have said it could cost more than $400,000 a year to extend service to the site.
— The street layout that is currently reflected on illustrative plans submitted to Durham County will hold, provided that the city of Durham adopts guidelines to make them consistent with standards, Mitchell said. The city is slated to adopt guidelines that were adopted by the state 10 years ago, Mitchell said. Once the city adopts those standards, the roads at 751 South will be in line with those standards, and would prevent a wide swath of road that would allow any "big-box" stores that opponents have spoken out against, Mitchell said.
— The developer would create sidewalks on both sides of the street where it is "environmentally responsible." This would NOT include areas are adjacent to alleys, natural stormwater areas and areas where trees will remain untouched, as shown on the illustrative plans, Mitchell said. Mitchell said putting sidewalks in these areas would unnecessarily damage them.
— No single retail space will exceed 75,000 square feet.
— The developer will create a 100-foot vegetated landscape across the road from the current Chancellor's Ridge development to improve the view from those homes when looking at the planned development.
Some opponents of the project might be encouraged to hear these new offers from the developer—but not Steve Bocckino, one of the most vocal opponents to the project.
Bocckino, who lives not far from the site, said the proposed changes to the development plan still don't address his deepest concerns, including environmental pollution and the idea that this project could spur much more retail infill nearby, and south down N.C. 751 into Chatham County.
"Nitrogen is just one thing that we're concerned about," Bocckino said. "There are a lot of pollutants generated by construction, and by the development process. I think they'll have to rethink the plan entirely for them to win my support."