The Durham Planning Commission voted Tuesday night to recommend approval of three rezoning cases, clearing a path for 117 senior homes, up to 28 townhouses, and a proposed tech campus called "RTP North" on 54 acres at Glover and Rigsbee roads.
The nine-member commission advises the Durham City Council, which will hold public hearings and cast final votes on each project at a later date.
The largest proposal, Courtyards at Leesville, would rezone 34.5 wooded acres at 4801 and 4721 Leesville Road in southeast Durham. Developer Epcon Communities wants to build 117 single-family homes and townhouses for residents 55 and older. Attorney Nil Ghosh of Morningstar Law Group outlined commitments including 20% tree preservation, a $100,000 donation to Durham's Dedicated Housing Fund, $10,500 to Durham Public Schools, a 10-foot multi-use path along Leesville Road, and a 50% cap on impervious surfaces.
Not everyone was convinced. Members of Preserve Rural Durham asked for a delay over environmental concerns and slow emergency response times. Fire Station 17 on Leesville Road would serve the development. Resident Pam Williams called it another example of "car-centric development" with no parks, greenway trails, or sidewalks. The commission approved the recommendation 6-3.
The second case covers a 4.69-acre site at 323 Andrews Chapel Road, off Brier Creek Parkway in southeast Durham. Courtney McQueen of engineering firm Qunity described plans for up to 28 townhouses as "thoughtful, small-scale, infill development." The project commits $28,000 to the Dedicated Housing Fund, $5,000 to Durham Public Schools, a ban on a permanent car connection to Andrews Chapel Road to limit cut-through traffic, and at least 10 townhomes with first-floor bedrooms and bathrooms for aging in place. Neighbor Susan Kinser raised concerns about a nearby pond; Qunity's Tim Sivers said it would be replaced with a stormwater control measure. That vote passed 7-2.
All three cases now move toward City Council for public hearings and a final decision.