NEWS |
| April 23, 2008 - Meeting with Horvath, Egypt Development planners |
For 2 1/2 hours Horvath described the project, talked about changes from the last presentation two years ago, and answered questions.
Summary - The only things negotiable are - buffer widths, and maybe the location or existence of the townhomes. |
| APRIL 8, 2008 - County Planners Meeting - Egypt Development asking to be rezoned PDR-3 |
| Due to a lack of communication from MAcGregor and Horvath the residents received a postponement. |
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OVERVIEW
In Eastern Durham County two projects are planned by MacGregor Development, Sautuernes(Sierra) and Egypt. Horvath is the planner/designer. Residents of the immediate area want the project cancelled, or at the least, totally re-designed.
The key issues below look with varying detail at the many reasons this development, and many others planned for Durham, should be postponed until Durham can develop a master plan for the 21st Century which will include better protections for the environment.
Please also look over the resources supplied below and throughout the web site., such as zoning and development maps, water quality studies, transportation studies, images etc..
GOOGLE EARTH view of this section of Durham County. (Full size image)
This is about the quality of life for all Triangle residents. It is about having better roads, cleaner air and water, a reliable long-term water source, protecting ecosystems, safe neighborhoods, energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, economically viable developments, and an over-all better quality of life. |
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KEY ISSUES |
| WATER QUALITY - the science speaks for itself |
Please visit page all about water quality issues
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| ITS A BAD FIT |
Currently Olive Branch
looks like this |
It should not be
changed to this |
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and this |
or this |
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and this |
or this |
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| SOILS and SEDIMENTATION - the science speaks for itself |
Please visit page about soils/sedimentation issues
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| PATTERN OF GROWTH |
The three metro areas with the greatest sprawl, according to the SGA study, are Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.; Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, N.C.; and Raleigh-Durham, N.C., respectively. Reference
Excerpts from study -
- Traffic fatalities are 50 percent more common in highest-sprawl areas than in lowest-sprawl areas, researchers reported.
- Residents of highest-sprawl areas drive 10 miles (16.1 kilometers) more per day than residents of lowest-sprawl areas
- "The degree of sprawl is more strongly related to the severity of peak ozone days than per-capita income or employment levels,"
- Sprawl doesn't ease traffic woes: The SGA study also challenges the notion that spread-out areas suffer from less gridlock than clustered metros
- Close to Home: Smart Growth Helps Solve Global Warming
Smart community planning can cut down drive times and reduce America's greenhouse gas emissions.
- Solving Sprawl - Across America, communities are finding ways to ensure that the growth they get is the growth they want.
- How Smart Growth Solves Sprawl
Durham has a OPEN SPACE PLAN for eastern Durham County, but it allows rampant development. It protects mostly narrow stream areas, where trails will be constructed. Link to Plan |
| SYSTEM DESIGNED TO AID DEVELOPERS - by the time citizens figure out how to work the system it may be too late |
To describe the sequence of event that have taken us to today would take an entire page. We learned as we went, and lost precious time trying to figure out the "right way" to go about getting involved and protesting this development. It seems the process is either purposely or irresponsibly designed in favor of the developers. Every person we spoke to downtown gave us a different slant. Some did not even know the process themselves. |
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION
SHOWING SUPPORT FOR A BETTER WAY |
| PROBLEMS NEARBY - Ravenstone |
"....... adjacent neighborhood, Ravenstone, was
annexed into the City and is on sewer. A very large stormwater pond captures drainage from Ravenstone prior to discharging into the mainstream; however headcutting and
streambank erosion below outfall structure was observed. Preventing erosion at Ravenstone appears to be a consistent challenge." Lick Creek Study
In fact, some of the most degraded reaches observed in Lick Creek were associated with uncontrolled runoff from existing developments (e.g. ER-100 downstream of the Foxridge Apartments) and below active construction projects (e.g. Lick Creek Field Assessment Technical Memo 5 ER-110 headcut in Brightleaf and RCH-120 below Ravenstone). Since most of the watershed falls within the Durham Growth Boundary, streams that are relatively stable now are at risk from impending development. RCH-
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| WATER SUPPLY - the county is disjointed, has no real plan for the future |
The zoning request states there is enough water for these homes, but the portion of water for these 1700 homes is also the protion of water portioned for all the other developments of Durham. There is no accounting, as was admitted to us by county planners, to calculate ALL the water needs of ALL the new developments in Durham.
"Durham's bill from Cary for water purchases since
Dec. 1 will be $1.2 million by the end of March.
That figure, presented today at a City Council
work session,far exceeds the estimate of $300,000 to $400,000
that city manager Patrick Baker gave last week." N&O report
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| DEVELOPERS HAVE DUG IN |
| The line in the sand the devlopers have drawn leaves us not choice but to submit a protest petition to try and stop the development. |
| INFRASTRUCTURE |
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more to come here......... |
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| GO GREEN |
Green Home Builders of the Triangle - Let's make Egypt the largest GREEN community in the Triangle.
New Day Builders - Chapel Hill NC
Builders find that green sells well in new homes - Triangle Business Journal
POWER POINT PRESENTATION by Bill Beasley
Chair
Green Home Builders of the Triangle
November 15, 2007
Energy Star Conference |
| OTHER AREA ZONING FIGHTS |
Chatham Citizens For Effective Communities
Development stutters in Chatham County
Visit our friends in Southest Durham www.swdurham.org |
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IMAGES
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Traffic study did not consider
additional growth in area, and was completed in 2005, before Brier Creek traffic increased exponentially. |
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The creek at the bottom of the hill feeds into Lick Creek, The State of North Carolina has listed Lick Creek as an "impaired" stream because water quality is poor and the creek does not adequately support fish and aquatic insects. |
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Olive Branch Road - a favorite for bike riders |
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Olive Branch Road - will not handle the construction traffic |
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A small postage stamp wetland is not enough to protect the watershed |
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RESOURCES |
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Look at this, then GOOGLE the area and see all the wetlands involved. |
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The State of North Carolina has listed Lick Creek as an "impaired" stream because water quality is poor and the creek does not adequately support fish and aquatic insects. |
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January 24, 2008 Report on the current health of Lick Creek, and how and why it will get worse with more development. |
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PDF file summarizing the work done, studies completed and tentative approval by county planners. |
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Lists all county planners and E-MAIL ADDRESSES - please let them hear from you, ONLY IF YOU LIVE IN WAKE OR DURHAM COUNTY |
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Lists all county commissioners and E-MAIL ADDRESSES - please let them hear from you, ONLY IF YOU LIVE IN WAKE OR DURHAM COUNTY |
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Take a look at MAP # 0860 |
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This plan maps out growth for all of eastern Durham County. It has lots of maps and great information, but does it effectively protect open space and watersheds? I think not! |
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The various zoning types in Durham |
Sierra Development |
Link to zoning approval of Sierra Development. |
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What makes RDU #3 in Nation in Urban Sprawl |
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Some local Realtors and Builders are ready to go green. |
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Chatham County residents fighting for their quality of life |
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Lick Creek at Olive Branch Road |
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"KB, which still operates under a 1979 Federal Trade Commission consent decree stemming from inadequate home warranties and poor handling of complaints about shoddy construction." |
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