Sheffield Farms Faces Durham City Council on Monday

Sheffield Farms, a proposed project covering more than 218 acres in southwest Durham along Farrington Road with 702 homes and as much as 5,000 square feet of retail space, on Monday goes before the City Council for consideration.

Developer M/I Homes of Raleigh couldn’t win the approval of the Durham Planning Commission in January, with only Garry Cutright voting in favor.

Another member, Malcolm Gregory, raised concerns in written comments about Sheffield Farms about impacts on rare and sensitive forested areas in the southern half of the development area.

“While I recognize the critical social and economic need to expand Durham’s housing stock, pursuing this objective at the expense of irreplaceable natural resources undermines the long-term sustainability and uniqueness of our community,” Gregory wrote.

Member Scot MacIver worried about roads and sewer infrastructure, saying: “This project is not supported by the surrounding residents, nor is this area properly supported with the necessary infrastructure and amenities to meet the current needs of these residents.”

The City Council meets at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at 101 City Hall Plaza.