Durham annexes land on Wake Forest Highway for hundreds of new apartments
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- Durham annexed 12.6 acres on Wake Forest Highway to allow 210 homes.
- Developer agreed to commercial minimum, pedestrian easement, 13 affordable units.
- Council approved 5-2 after debate despite resident, environmental and traffic concerns.
After a late-night debate and a split vote, the Durham City Council recently agreed to annex rural land along Wake Forest Highway, making way for 210 apartments.
The Wake Olive project also includes up to 10,000 square feet of commercial space on 12.6 acres at 5427 and 5255 Wake Forest Highway in eastern Durham County, across from churches, homes and a State Employees’ Credit Union branch.
The rezoning will allow a mix of housing types up to four stories tall and non-residential buildings up to two stories.
The developer, Redeeming Development Group, is also committing to affordable-housing units and environmental protections .
Several southeast Durham residents and environmental advocates opposed the project at the council’s Oct. 20 meeting, raising concerns about water quality and strains on public services.
The final approval hinged on Redeeming Development agreeing to commitments that addressed central concerns from the residents, council members and the Durham Planning Commission, which voted 7-2 to recommend approval. Those commitments included:
- Promising at least 2,500 square feet of commercial space (the proposal had only included a maximum of 10,000 square feet).
- Granting a 30-foot pedestrian easement from the property to nearby Neal Middle School at 201 Baptist Road (if the Durham Public Schools agrees).
- Designating 13 apartments, or 6%, as affordable for 30 years, split between households at 60% (or $48,600 for an individual) and 80% (or $56,560 for an individual) of the area median income.
- Designing sediment and erosion controls to withstand a 100-year storm event during and after construction.
The vote passed 5-2 with Mayor Leo Williams and council members Javiera Caballero, Chelsea Cook, Mark-Anthony Middleton and Carl Rist in support. Council members Nate Baker and DeDreana Freeman voted no
“I do think this is, compared to many of the cases that we’ve seen over the past several years, definitely on the better side,” Baker said. “Some of my concerns still remain.”
Environmental and infrastructure debate
Samantha Krop, a director of advocacy at Sound Rivers, told the cCouncil the area is in a sediment pollution crisis in the impaired watershed of Falls Lake, which is about 16 minutes from the property. She said the developer cut off communication to Sound Rivers after the Durham Planning Commission meeting on Aug. 12, and said they were unwilling to commit to a limited “turbidity sampling,” or measuring the clarity of water during construction.
“Turbidity sampling is a simple, low-burden step that provides critical transparency and protects public water resources,” Krop said. “There is no reason developers in Durham cannot commit to this condition.”
Redeeming Development eventually agreed to turbidity measurements, said Toby Coleman, an attorney for the developer.
Tammie Sawaya, a member of Preserve Rural Durham, was concerned about the development’s impact on emergency services and the lack of new fire stations planned for the southeastern part of the county.
“The emergency services in southeast Durham are not adequate,” she said. “I live out there. I know your data may show something, but [for] the people that live out there, it is not adequate.”
Donna Stainback said within five years, there have been over 160 accidents between the intersections of Wake Forest Highway, Sharon Road and Neal Middle School.
“The traffic congestion, accidents, have increased significantly and can double with the increased population that is under construction or that has been approved,” she said.
Caballero acknowledged residents’ concerns but said other approved developments have been able to improve conditions and the Wake Olive project could have the same impact.
“I was very pleased to see that that light at Kemp Road, it is actually improving traffic. And that wouldn’t have happened without some of the development there,” she said. “So I get residents’ concerns, but I also am seeing some pretty important infrastructure improvements that would not have happened without those development cases, and it is actually making that road safer.”
This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 10:08 AM with the headline "Durham annexes land on Wake Forest Highway for hundreds of new apartments."