Category: Uncategorized

Mayor Williams and Councilmembers: I was not present at the December 1st meeting when Amanda Wallace protested during the swearing in of new councilmember, Matt Kopac.  I learned during the next regular meeting, on December 15th, that Ms Wallace had been “tresspassed,” or banned from City Hall for a period of two years.  Out of…

Tonight the City Council will decide whether to allow the Urban Growth Boundary to be violated by annexing to Durham 43 acres of land, competely unattached to any other part of Durham, so that a private land owner can build 81 units outside the UGB. This would set a precedent for dense development in rural…

North County neighbors, the Durham municipal election is over. The results are a mixed bag. One of the best defenders of our environment and open spaces both within and outside the city limits was defeated.  Given the fact that DeDreana Freeman was ruthlessly targeted by proponents of massive development and subjected to accusations ranging from…

City Mice, your County Cousins (who live outside the city limits and can’t vote) sincerely hope you all will vote to change the majority on the Durham City Council. You have today, Friday and Saturday left of early voting. Then, the official election day is Tuesday, November 4th. All polls are open from 6:30 AM…

VOTE EARLY, VOTE OFTEN: That’s the old joke.  Sadly, 80 to 90 percent of registered Durham voters don’t vote early, often, or ever.  Non-voters just coast along, wondering why their neighborhoods are being ruined by unwelcome development, why they are being priced out of their homes, why all the trees are being bulldozed, why construction…

Citizen’s Rebuttal of Caballero/Ritchie OP-ED: Ramsay Ritchie, who is employed in the building industry, and Javiera Caballero, a city council member who has voted for developers in over 95% of the development applications decided by the council co-authored an opinion piece in INDY week, published September 25th.  The title of the OP-ED is “We Can’t…

For those of us who are concerned that Durham is sacrificing its natural environment, its historical neighborhoods, and its very soul, for the benefit of developers serving anonymous, mostly foreign, LLC investment companies, this municipal election is crucial.  Three councilmembers have been fighting an uphill battle to make sure development is responsible and to protect…

On September 2, 2025, Durham’s City Council approved a massive 1750 unit development of townhouses, apartments and single family residences plus 150,000 square feet of commercial space. Gateway at Brier Creek will consume 308 acres of forests and open space. One of the few remaining forested areas in the once lovely southeast Durham will be…

Spoiler alert: While the win described here is notable, the real point is the win wouldn’t have happened without a public hearing. The pending UDO revision threatens to upzone Durham to allow greater density up to the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). Since rezoning is the most common reason public hearings are required, an across the…

A Citizen’s Response on the State of Durham Nothing really has changed since I wrote this after Mayor Leo Williams’ first State of Durham speech. Except, much more has been given to developers. The economy is worse. The environment is worse. Can’t think of anything in Durham that is better. Those of you who can…