Council approves Page Corners: 160 affordable units at 60% AMI under development agreement; UDO change allows tree-coverage flexibility

Durham City Council on Thursday approved a privately initiated text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance and then unanimously approved the Page Corners development agreement, annexation and zoning that will allow a 160-unit all-affordable apartment project on Page Road.

Lede: The council first amended the UDO to allow statutory development agreements to alter the tree coverage and tree-protection rules, then adopted ordinances and a development agreement that will permit a four-story, elevator-served apartment community of 160 units restricted to households at or below 60% of area median income for 30 years.

Nut graf: The two actions are linked. City staff said the text amendment is needed because tree-coverage rules jump from 7% in urban/compact tiers to 20% in suburban areas; the developer argued the 20% requirement — when coupled with required stormwater, road dedications and state-required parking ratios — would make a 100% affordable 4% LIHTC project infeasible on the roughly 7.6-acre site. Council approved both measures after staff presentations and a multi-part public presentation by the…