Inter Neighborhood Council
Making Better Neighborhoods
Meeting Minutes of
February 26th, 2002
Members Present:
Cheryl Sweeney Northgate Park NA
William Thomas Durham
Denise McCormick Durham
Kristen Ford SEEDS & Old North Durham MA
John Dagenhart Trinity Park NA
R. Gaye Weaver Old West Durham NA
Johnea D. Klley Duke Park NA
Fred L. Mowry Colony Park NA
Mike Woodard Watts Hospital/Hillandale NA
Steven Matherly Durham
Lynwood D. Best Durham Housing & Community Development
Dale Stouch Placid Valley NA
Charlotte Hyer Stirrup Creek HOA
Mike Shiflett Watts Hospital/Hillandale NA
Robert Larson Group Park HOA
Doug Merrill Durham Can
Chris Bishop Durham Can
R. Clinton Rogers Dunbarton
Pat Carstensen Cross County NA
Lugenia Mason River Forest NA
Joe Williams Durham
President Johnea Kelley opened the meeting. The minutes of the January 2002 meeting were approved as written. Johnea announced that Bill Bell would be the speaker for April.
Jeff White gave an update on the Duke Park I-85 expansion. Duke Park and city officials met with the Department of Transportation today. Both the County Commissioners and the City Council are in agreement with the Duke Park Neighborhoods wishes to eliminate the turn lane onto Knox Street. It is felt that widening of the street for the turn lane will result in traffic speeding up through the neighborhood. The neighborhood is also against the massive loss of trees along the edge of the Park that the DOT has planned. Duke Park residents have asked Lyndo Tippett, the Secretary of Transportation for North Carolina to meet with planners and reconsider the configuration of this part of the expansion. They await a decision. Mike Shiflett made a motion that INC writes a letter in support of Duke Park’s position. It was seconded by Cheryl Sweeney and passed unanimously.
Guillo Rodriquez presented a program on the city’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The Master Plan is a 10-year capital improvement plan that was finalized in 1999. Although this plan has been presented to City Council, no vote has ever been taken. Guillo has asked for INC’s support in bringing this plan back to City Council for a vote that would insure it’s adoption.
The key criteria for a Master plan are taken from the National Park Recreation Association Guidelines. They require that the improvements be:
· Need based
· Facilities driven
· Include community involvement.
An assessment of the current system showed that there were good older inner-city parks but a need for additional parks in new growth areas of the city. Special attention needs to be focused on: Updating play equipment, creating safety surfaces, providing handicap access, paving paths, creating uniform signage, improving restrooms and rebuilding bridges.
A study showed that preferred activities in the parks were in order of priority: walking, playing, concerts and performances, picnicking, swimming, biking, dog walking and jogging. Conclusions from the survey were that many parks needed renovations. Seniors and teens were underserved, there was a lack of dog exercise areas and more sporting facilities were also needed.
The improvements would require a $62 million dollar expenditure. At this time, a 40-acre parcel designated for a park in the Leigh Farm area cannot be started because of a lack of funds.
John Dagenhart made a motion that INC make it know to City Council that this Master Plan needed to be put back on the agenda for consideration. The motion was seconded by Mo Fried and passed unanimously.
Chris Bishop presented a short program on ‘Durham Can’. The organizations goal is to build a broad based network of people to create agendas and affect change. Its objectives are to build a relational culture that celebrates the coming together of diverse peoples. This will be achieved by helping people learn how to act by participating in citizenship in a more meaningful way. Its priorities are: education, housing, jobs, and health. They have pinpointed over 500 areas in Durham for needed change.
Mike Shiflett reported on the Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Seminar held at the Grove Park Club House in February. The departments of Public Works, EMS, Fire and the Hazardous Materials Mobil Unit all demonstrated the systems and procedures they
have in place. Durham is home to one of our country’s regional centers for hazardous spills.
It was announced that there would be an Area Pet Adoption day on March 29th at the Hope Valley Farm Road in the Woodcroft area.
Fred Mowry recommended that INC support and urge City Council to vote down the text amendment that would allow a reduction in the buffer width between asphalt plants and residential areas and also that neighborhoods receive adequate notification time when such items are being considered. The motion was seconded by Pat Carstensen and carried unanimously.
It was noted that the Transportation Advisory Committee is again considering funding the East End Connector and the Northern Durham Parkway. Those present felt it timely to invite Mark Ahrendson to a future meeting to discuss the Committees findings.
Pat Carstensen announced that the Durham Area Designers would be doing another charrette in the near future.
The meeting was adjourned.