Last week, Thomasi McDonald wrote about a developer’s plans to build hundreds of homes on the cusp of Durham’s West Point on the Eno, with the potential for more flooding, affected water quality, and other environmental impacts. Our readers had a lot to say about this proposal.
“When will our City & County leaders take water quality & availability into consideration when approving these environmentally destructive developments?,” wrote Facebook commenter Shannon Carney David. “This particular development will poison water that we all need to survive.”
“This is unacceptable and should be a priority for our next Mayor and Council,” wrote commenter and candidate Bree L. Davis. “I am running for Mayor of Durham and have environmental & climate justice issues as a concern to be addressed with our future comprehensive plan. I am always available to discuss…I care.”
“My partner and I put in an offer on this house but found a petition about this Eno River project that evening and were able to retract it,” wrote commenter Cristin Ryman. “Finding the petition actually resurfaced a lot of old memories I had forgotten about this land and it being under threat for years. It’s sad and shameful for so many reasons.”
“This person is literally complaining about infill development in their backyard – one that will be significantly denser than their own neighborhood,” wrote Twitter commenter David Winegar. “What’s the alternative? Building this even further out, causing more GHG emissions?”
Also on Twitter, Durham City Councilmember Charlie Reece weighed in on the council’s plans to address the development and the request from citizens to take the matter to a public hearing.
“The case is still pending before the Board of Adjustment,” Reece wrote. “The board is only conducting virtual meetings right now due to COVID, and both parties to a case have to consent to a virtual hearing. In this case, both parties have not consented so the matter is delayed indefinitely.”
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