The City Council of Durham, North Carolina has approved changes to the city's master plan, first approved in 2005, to allow new forms of density in residential neighborhoods proximate to the city's downtown urban core.
"The City Council agreed Tuesday night to allow more, and more varied, housing in neighborhoods near downtown Durham," reports Joe Johnson.
The approved "Expanded Housing Choices" plan will affect neighborhoods within two miles of the city's downtown core, allowing duplexes, creating a new small-lot option, and aligning duplexes and attached single-family housing with detached single-family standards. The plan also "[increases] opportunities for accessory dwelling units and modify residential infill standards," reports Johnson.
Mayor Steve Schewel is quoted in the article saying the plan is designed to "incrementally increase affordable housing" in the city. In 2017, the city was struggling to deal with skyrocketing evictions as the city dealt with a post-recession surge in development investment. The city also reorganized to streamline development review in the hopes of creating more supply in the city in 2017.
Durham is expecting 160,000 additional residents by 2045.
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