North Carolina construction News staff writer
Public input on the draft of Durham’s new Comprehensive Plan is being accepted until Mar. 20.
The following meetings have been scheduled for the public:
Virtual Meeting
Thurs., Feb. 16
6:30 to 8 p.m.
Zoom Virtual Meeting
Registration Required
In-Person Meeting
Sun., Feb. 19
3 to 4:30 p.m.
Southern School of Energy and Sustainability Cafeteria
800 Clayton Rd.
Registration Requested
In-Person Meeting
Tues., Feb. 21
4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
(Youth & Family Focused)
Durham County Main Library Auditorium
300 N. Roxboro St.
Registration Requested
The plan, which has been a work in progress or about three years, will guide “what can be built where” in Durham. This includes what size and kind of homes can be built in areas of the city and county, where schools and businesses can be built, and where streets can run through properties.
Since the current plan is 17 years old and Durham has seen tremendous change since its adoption in 2005, the county planning department has noted that this change has benefited some residents while others have been negatively impacted.
“Durham looks the way it does now because the old plan guided how the city and county could grow and develop,” said Durham City-County Planning Director Sara Young. “In the past, government officials primarily wrote this plan without purposefully engaging people from all parts of our community. For this new plan, we worked intentionally to better connect with our residents and understand their needs – especially our residents of color – to help write a plan that is more equitable.
“This final phase of engagement is a chance to see all of the pieces pulled together into one document, to better understand how it all works together, and to celebrate what we have accomplished together.”
According to Young, this is also an opportunity for continued accountability.
“We are looking to our community to help us ensure that the priorities we heard from them are reflected in the plan before it is finalized and sent to the Durham City Council and Durham County Board of Commissioners for their review and adoption later this year,” said Young. “We will also be sharing information on how our community members can continue to be involved as the public hearings and adoption process begins.”