Durham City Council passed two rezoning requests for the development of new townhouses, despite concerns raised by residents, and named Kunshan, China, an official sister city of Durham during its meeting Monday evening.
Rezoning approvals
In a 4-3 vote, Durham City Council approved a request by Lynley Townhouses to rezone 12 acres of land located at 1343 Ellis Rd and 1326 Clinton Rd from “residential rural” to “planned development residential 8.326” to allow up to 102 townhouses.
Some community members expressed pushback about the proposal at the meeting, citing concerns about the environmental impact of the development. In particular, residents shared concern over the potential for increased flooding, especially after flooding which took place during Hurricane Helene.
Jessica Dewey, a resident of the area, shared remarks in opposition to the project. She described that during Hurricane Helene, water levels rose 10 feet beyond a drainage stream in her backyard…