A request, a whisper and Durham OKs hundreds of apartments, townhomes on Wake line
Durham city leaders cleared the way this week for a development that could bring up to 480 new apartments and townhomes to the Wake County line.
The Durham City Council unanimously voted to annex and rezone the property after the developer promised to make 5% of the units affordable for 20 years.
The 24 units, all rentals, would be set aside for those making 60% or less of the area median income. This year in Durham, that’s below $42,480 for a single person or $60,660 for a family of four.
The 48-acre site is forested today. It’s being developed by Al. Neyer, which operates in the eastern U.S. and expanded into the Raleigh market in 2019.
The plans call for:
- 480 units
- A mix of at least 200 apartments and 50 townhouses. The final breakdown hasn’t been decided yet.
- City water
The land is at 5751 Lumley Road, along U.S. 70 in southeast Durham. Its property line is on the Wake County border
Jamie Schwedler, an attorney representing the developer, said they’re working with Durham County to extend sewer lines to the site.
The developer came into the meeting offering 3% of the units as affordable, but council member Javiera Caballero asked if they could increase that percentage Schwedler whispered to her client for a brief moment and agreed to 5%.
Schwedler said a 20-year commitment (as opposed to the traditional 30 years) is a growing trend, given that the City Council wants more affordable units at the lowest possible incomes.
“You can think of the number of units, the percent of AMI and the years as three different levers,” she said. “You can kind of tighten one, but then you have to have a little bit more flexibility on the other.”
Second development approved
At the same meeting, a development 10 miles across the county also got the go-ahead.
It’s on a 3-acre site in southwest Durham at 3641 Shannon Road, beside the library and across the street from the post office.
Scott Harmon, of Center Studio Architecture, represented the development team Monday night. He estimated the townhomes could sell for $500,000 to $600,000 and said the project would bring a “welcome and needed diversity of housing types.”
Their plans include:
- 48 townhouses
- 17 apartments (studios and one-bedrooms)
- Vertically integrated with 3,500 feet of commercial space
They offer some affordable units as well, though the terms are more complex. They have promised:
- Three apartments and one townhome
- A 30-year commitment
- If the units is for sale, the AMI will be set at 80%
- If the unit is a rental, the AMI will be set at 60%
Two residents expressed traffic concerns, and the rezoning request ultimately passed 5-1, with council member Monique Holsey-Hyman voting against the project.
Both projects came heavily recommended by the Planning Commission.
This story was originally published September 20, 2023 at 5:45 AM with the headline "A request, a whisper and Durham OKs hundreds of apartments, townhomes on Wake line."
