The Durham County Board of Commissioners heard recommendations on a new transportation system connecting Duke University with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at their meeting Monday night.
The Durham Area Designers, which will coordinate the system's construction, discussed the plan. Currently, the proposed highway runs through a site designated for the building of a new elementary school scheduled to open in 2004.
Mike Walter, a member of the group, argued that the commissioners should communicate with the Transportation Advisory Committee and other local governing bodies to ensure that a highway can legally intersect school property, and that the school will be built far enough away from it.
Some commissioners and audience members, however, questioned the soundness of the plan altogether. Lavonia Allison, a Durham County resident and chair of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, said the plan was fiscally irresponsible and proceeding with little community input.
"We are putting the cart before the horse," she said. "[This] is absolutely wrong in the budget crisis we're in."
Commissioner Joe Bowser said he had not heard much about the plan. The commissioners decided to consult with the Transportation Advisory Committee before going forward with the plan.
At the meeting, the county commissioners also began the approval process for the proposed Eno Point housing development, which would include 224 two-story apartment homes and a business center.
The project would be financed by county-issued bonds, but would be payable by the NRP Group, a private development firm. Since the bonds would be county-issued, they would be tax exempt, unlike privately issued bonds.
The board voted to allow the NRP Group to seek approval for the bonds from the North Carolina Housing Finance Authority. To allow for more community input in the process, however, commissioners mandated at least three more public hearings before the bonds can be issued.
In other business, the board endorsed the "Tons of Fun" celebration, a 10-week program beginning in 2003. The program's goal is to increase physical activity, improve nutrition and elevate vitality among Durham residents. Commissioner Ellen Reckhow suggested the program could incorporate traditional Durham walks and runs.
The board also accepted an annual report from the Durham City-County Appearance Commission, a group of 15 designers working to improve the overall appearance and design of facilities in the community. The commission has worked without county funding in the past and requested future funds. The board, however, made no decision on the matter.
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