City to Stabilize Ellerbee Creek Culvert on W. Knox Street

It looks like the City is finally getting to work on a much needed stabilization project to repair and reinforce the culvert that carries Ellerbee Creek under W. Knox Street. For more detailed information, please see the public works page devoted to this project. According to the bid documents, the project will entail soil stabilization by means of high density polyurethane system. The estimated date of construction is mid-September.


View Larger Map

The the image detailing the precise location of the project and the work expected to be performed is after the break.

Hurry-up to sign up for the Durham Home Energy Savings Program

According to the press-release reprinted after the break, there are still some spots left for homeowners to sign-up for the Durham's Energy Savings Program -an EPA funded initiative that provides homeowners with up to $1600 in funds to weatherize their homes for free or at greatly reduced price.

To qualify, your home must be:
• Located in Durham
• 2,300 square feet or less of heated space
• No unvented gas, propane, oil, or wood appliances in the living space
• No major structural, moisture, or hazardous materials issues
• Rental property must have approval from the landlord and tenants
• Occupants must agree to allow access to energy use data for one year prior and two years after the retrofits
• Occupants or landlords must provide the contractor with the $400 payment at the time of the initial home assessment with the Durham Home Energy Savings Program paying up to an additional $1,600 per house
• Occupants must be available to be home when contractors come to do the work (estimated two visits)
• Occupants must remove contents of attics and/or crawlspaces to allow contractor access to those spaces
• Occupants and landlords must be current on all local taxes

There are about 50 slots left,so hurry and sign-up online. 

New Proactive Rental Regime Begins in OWD

 A little over a month ago the City of Durham rolled out a new Proactive Rental Inspection Program (PRIP), designed to "proactively identify and remediate rental housing that does not meet the [code and related ordinances]. This program is the implementation of the March 5 resolution of the City Council enacting the PRIP ordinance. As described more fully in a previous post, this represents a significant change in the way the City investigates and enforces violations of the housing code in rental properties.
 

The city has designated several "priority zones," including a significant portion of the OWD and Trinity Park neighborhoods (see map below) in which all rental property owners will undergo periodic inspections to ensure compliance with Durham's Minimal Housing Code. Furthermore, landlords whose property registered three or more housing code violations in the past 12-month period will be required to register their property with the Department of Neighborhood Improvement Services (DIS). 

The trigger for proactive (i.e. unprompted) inspections will be something called "Reasonable Cause", defined as (1) a history of 3 or more violations in 12 months; (2) a complain has been received; (3) there is knowledge of unsafe conditions, or (4) violations of the code are visible from the outside of the property. Both single-family and multifamily buildings will be targeted, with penalties as high as $300 a month, and a maximum penalty of $5,000 for failure to register properties found to have more than 3 code enforcement violations.

This program is long overdue, particularly in the neighborhood like ours, where upward of 50% of all properties are rentals. While most neighborhood landlords have been diligent and conscientious in up-keeping their properties, a few bad apples have cropped up here and there.

Although this program is a great start, several areas for improvement immediately jump to mind:

1. Increase the maximum penalty - given potentially significant costs of repair, some proverbial "slum-lords" may make an economic calculation that it is simply cheaper to pay a $5,000 fine rather than fix up their dilapidated eye sore of a building. To change this calculus, DIS should have the power to fine $5,000 per violation. 
2. Create a publicly searchable database of all properties found to to have three or more code violations in a year, including the fines levied and the business address and telephone number of the registered owner. 

Still, this a step in the right direction, and I hope with time, the program will be revised and strengthened to improve the overall appearance and safety of our neighborhood. The full scope of the program is described in greater detail after the break.

Trade-in your old gas mower for an electric model!

The Durham News reports that the County/City Sustainability Office has partnered with Black & Decker to host "Get Your Grass Off Gas" events from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on May 12 and 19.

At both events, residents can trade-in their old gas-powered lawn equipment for all-electric models at discounts ranging from 13% to 50% of the retail value (depending on the model). The old mowers will be recycled.

The event will help save people money and reduce green-house pollution at the same time. The list of equipment that can be traded includes lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, string trimmers, edgers, loppers and blower-vacuums.

**Please note that you should drain your equipment of all fluids in order for it to be accepted as a trade-in.

Because supplies are limited, residents are encouraged to preregister online or call 919-560-7999. For more information, please see the event website

The May 12 event will take place at Durham County Stadium


The May 19 event will be held at Jordan High School.        
View Larger Map

Update on the Water Main Replacement - The Tree Cutting Edition

 As most readers surely know, the City is currently laying down massive black pipes along large sections of West Main Street in an effort to replace the aging water main infrastructure. The work started at the intersection of Main and Rutherford and has since jumped over Ninth Street, extending all along the East Campus Wall of Duke toward North Buchanan boulevard.


What may be less obvious to a casual observer is the ham-handed way the City handled old-growth oaks growing alongside the sidewalk that runs between the street and East Campus Wall. By my count, at least three massive 100+ year old oaks have been unceremoniously cut down for no particular reason.On the map below, I have noted the approximate locations of the trees in question.

Here is how the road looked like "before" the City went on its tree-cutting binge


View Larger Map

This is, frankly, very disheartening. Just a few days ago, I wrote about the value of urban canopy to our City and the direct economic, environmental, and aesthetic benefit that it brings. To my untrained eye, there did not appear to be any particular reason for cutting these trees down. Neither the sidewalk nor the curb were disturbed by the digging equipment. Furthermore, despite years of "pruning" by Duke Power - another well known adversary of mature trees in the city -- the trees looked healthy and provided welcome shade to the pedestrians and motorists alike traveling along West Main to Downtown and back.

Perhaps there was some other reason for cutting these trees down, but I strain to understand what it was and wonder if the City could have tried harder to keep these beautiful old trees rather than cutting them down for no apparent reason. I have reached out to Alex Johnson, the Head of Durham's Urban Forestry Division, but have yet to get an answer. I suggest you write to him as well. If he responds to you, please feel free to share it in the comments.  

City Launches Rain Catchers Project - come get your free stuff

One of the defining features of our neighborhood is the Ellerbee Creek, part of the Ellerbee Creek Watershed that stretches from  Falls through much of North Durham. Unfortunately, over the years the streams feeding this watershed have become among the polluted in the state, as described in this excellent the history of the Ellerbee by John Schelp on the website the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association.

The Ellerbee Creek Watershed Association has done a fantastic job raising awareness about this critical natural resource, and now the City of Durham has began a major imitative to improve the water quality in surrounding streams and lakes.

This new initiative, dubbed Rain Catchers, seeks to provide free rain gardens, trees, rain-barrels and downspout disconnection to residents of Old West Durham, Trnity Heights, Trinity Park, Walltown, and Watts Hospital-Hillandale neighborhoods.

The neighborhoods covered by the pilot program

Some of you may have already received a mailing describing this project. It is really a win-win situation: the city gives you a choice of free native plants, rain-barrels, native trees, or rain gardens in exchange for your pledge to actually install those on your property. To help the process along, there is a bidding system whereby you can ask for a small amount of money to help you defray installation costs. Because the budget is limited -- and you are getting this stuff for free --the lower your bid, the more likely you are to get the requested supplies.

The city benefits by reducing the amount of harmful runoff to the long-suffering riverbed and you, the resident, get to lower your water bill, improve the appearance of your yard, and save water and the environment in the process.

If you want to participate but have not received a flyer, or have any other questions about the program, head over the the Stormwater services facebook page or email Laura Webb Smith, public education coordinator for the City’s Stormwater Services Division.

The News Release describing the program in greater detail is reprinted after the break.

City Council Approves New Rental Regime

 

The City Council has finally approved a new proactive rental inspection regime designed to reduce the incidence of non-compliance with code regulations by rented properties in central Durham. According to the map (below), most of the downtown area is covered. As I said previously, this program is good for the city as a whole and for our neighborhood in particular, given that almost 50% of all houses in this area rentals. The move to impose regular rental inspections rather than simply responding to complains is likely to improve appearance of the neighborhood rental properties and make it more difficult for the so-called "slumlords" to systematically undermine city regulations.




The Harald Sun article providing further context for this story is reprinted after the break.

New Research: Shopping Local Is Better For Your Health

 
Taking a break from the Harris Teeter firestorm engulfing both Old West Durham and Watts-Hillandale listservs, I wanted to share an interesting article (reprinted below) from Atlantic Cities about how towns with small businesses tend to heave healthier residents. I think it makes for an interesting read and adds additional evidence (not sure we needed more but why not) that small locally-owned businesses are the lifeblood of vibrant cities and communities. Large faceless corporations (hello Harris Teeter) add less value, at least in comparative terms. For obvious examples of this rule, just take a drive 20-35 miles out to visit Alamance County or many other rural communities throughout North Carolina. With local business decimated by corporate chains, once vibrant townships have been hollowed out from the inside, leaving their residents with few options but fast food and franchise restaurants.

For a fascinating read about how America eats -- since this post is about health as well as urban development -- I highly recommend The American Way of Eating, a new book by Tracie McMillan. Slate has published three excerpts from her book here, here, and here.

Recycling Event at Northgate Mall - bring your electronics

Just in time for a deluge of New Year's resolution, the city is holding its monthly electronics recycling event this Saturday, January 14, 2012. According to the Herald Sun, the non-exhausting list of items that will be recycled includes: computers, computer accessories and parts, televisions, audio equipment, small kitchen appliances, phones, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, power tools and electronic toys. Bring your stuff to the Sears parking lot at Northgate Mall. 



View Larger Map



*Large appliances like refrigerators cannot be accepted, nor can anything containing Freon, like air conditioners.

Read more: The Herald-Sun - Recycling event just in time for New Year’s cleaning 

Are successful cities products of cheap rents?

There was a great blog post on Slate yesterday, titled "Berlin: Land of Cheap Rents" which examines how that city became a major artistic and cultural center despite not being tethered to major industry and finance centers. It asks an intriguing question: do great cities become great because -- at least initially -- the cheap rents and easy availability of space allow for the explosion of creativity and influx of entrepreneurship? While Durham is not -- and will never be -- Berlin, there are a lot of useful parallels between  Berlin's renaissance in the first decade of the 21 century and what is happening in Durham right now (complete with the "gritty image" of both cities). A very intriguing idea that, if true, portends good news for Durham as a whole. The full article is reprinted below.

City follows Duke's lead, installs Bike Sharrows

Courtesy streetswiki.

According to this press release, the City is beginning to follow Duke's lead in installing bike “sharrows”on city streets. Bike sharrow is a type of pavement marking indicating that a bicyclist may use the full lane. (as an interesting aside, the name sharrow was coined by Oliver Gajda, of the City and County of San Francisco Bicycle Program, and is a portmanteau of share and arrow.^[wikipedia]) The first one were installed on Chapel Hill Street between Kent Street and the bridge over N.C. Highway 147. They are planning to expand the program to Lakewood soon. My hope is that Broad Street, which is perfect for bike sharrows and has considerable bike traffic, is high on the city agenda.

View Larger Map


The full press release is after the break.

Rooster on the loose?

Courtesy of Aske Holst

Although this does not pertain to development, crime, politics, or, really, any other topic that I can identify, I enjoyed reading multiple descriptions posted to both OWD and Watts-Hillandale listservs about a wayward rooster in the neighborhood. As of yesterday, he was spotted roaming around 1000 block of Iredell St. I enjoy a 4:00 a.m. rooster wake-up call just as much as the other person, but it reminds of the fairly recent change in Durham ordinance allowing our locavore residents to raise hens (Section 6, part 5.4.12 B, on page 6), but not roosters. But one gets lonely, I suppose.

Check out this overview of Chicken Laws in North Carolina, with the special shout-out to Durham for its comprehensive and well-designed regulations. Now, only if Roosters could read legalese...