Durham City Council approved the Heartland Park annexation in a contentious 4-3 vote to build 117 townhomes in Southeast Durham despite resident warnings of traffic congestion and environmental damage.
Council voted 4-3 to approve the Heartland Park annexation for 117 townhomes in Southeast Durham despite resident warnings of 850-plus daily vehicles on roads designed for 13,600 and sediment pollution into Lick Creek.
The developer increased affordable housing to 7% and added stormwater and pedestrian safety measures, but council members Baker and Cook opposed the project as overburdening city infrastructure and environment.
Council unanimously designated the Chicken Hut as a historic landmark honoring its 67-year legacy as Durham's oldest Black-owned restaurant and Civil Rights Movement site, with funding for sign restoration.