We would have to look back to the disagreements over the construction of Southpoint Mall almost 10 years ago to find anything like it.
This dust-up has not only pitted developers against environmentalists, but has also divided the Durham County Commissioners and led to a lawsuit and the firing of the county attorney.
And since the debate hinges on the rather technical issue of how maps are drawn and buffers are set next to the ever-changing shoreline of Jordan Lake, the controversy has also led to suggestions of better ways to draw the maps.
Durham attorney Tom Miller met with the Durham Planning Commission this week and suggested something new. Instead of drawing maps based on the lake's borders, which change with the seasons and the amount of rainfall, draw them based on fixed landmarks that don't move, such as roads, property lines and other features.
Miller's suggestion isn't coming out of left field; state law actually allows officials to draw maps that way, as long as the buffers protect a half mile from the water's edge.
We're not sure whether such maps would reduce controversy, but it is worth contemplating. Developers make huge investments in land and construction and deserve to have some certainty as they plan their projects. On the other side is an equally important public interest in maintaining the aesthetic beauty and water quality of the lake. Jordan Lake is, after all, a publicly built and maintained body of water that is and will continue to be a major source of drinking water for the region.
Because the public has a major interest in this project, we have been in favor of holding public hearings on a rezoning . The developers are resisting that, saying that previous rulings in their favor should stand and preclude the need for more hearings.
However, we think that, given the controversy, the technical aspects involved and the major impact of the project, public hearings are the way to go.
