Apartments on Pickett, Chin Page Roads Win Durham Council Approval

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Pickett Road Apartments, a project whose consideration was postponed from February to allow developers to collaborate with opponents on points of compromise, on March 17 won approval from a divided City Council.

Chin Page Road Apartments, expected to add about 360 apartment units across the road from Wolfspeed’s old industrial space, won unanimous approval without any neighbor opposition.

The Pickett Road project proved more controversial due to its proximity to Sandy Creek Park – a hotspot for bird watching with about 185 species recorded – and the potential for impacts to flood plains and stormwater runoff, as well as added traffic near Durham Academy. The Planning Commission had previously recommended against approving the project by an 8-2 vote.

Nil Ghosh, representing the developer for Morningstar Law Group, laid out several new commitments in the wake of meetings with neighbors and council members, including:

Boosted the amount of affordable housing from 3% to 6% of the 140 proposed apartments.
Elevators in multistory residential buildings.
Window treatments that help protect birds that might otherwise fly into them.
Full cut-off lighting fixtures for outdoor walkways, parking lots, and canopy and building/wall-mounted lighting.
Right-of-way easement along the south side of Pickett from the eastern edge of the site to Sandy Creek Trail, as well as $300,000 to invest in a city sidewalk.

William Schlesinger, former dean of Duke University’s Nicholas School and an expert on biogeochemistry, frequently walks the paths at Sandy Creek Park and warned that changes in runoff could affect wetlands in the park.

“I for one would urge you to vote no on this issue and preserve the habitats of Sandy Creek Park for future generations,” he said.

Brooks Emanuel, co-leader of the Feminist Bird Club, described Sandy Creek Park as a unique haven with a thriving ecosystem. “What we all agree on is the impacts (of the apartment complex) will be too great for the surrounding area to handle,” he said.

Jesse Birkhead, a member of the Feminist Bird Club and New Hope Bird Alliance, doesn’t live near the proposed complex and said she would welcome more affordable housing near her neighborhood around Hillandale Road. She didn’t support building these apartments so close to Sandy Creek Park.

But, in the end, four council members – Mayor Leonardo Williams, Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton, Javiera Caballero, and Carl Rist – felt Pickett Road Apartments offered enough compromises to satisfy their needs. Council members DeDreana Freeman, Nate Baker, and Chelsea Cook voted against.

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