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Council approves 24‑acre rezoning for infill apartments off Chinpaje/Chin Page Road with added affordability and tree commitments
Summary
Durham City Council unanimously approved rezoning roughly 24 acres off Chin Page Road (agenda item 30) to allow up to 360 multifamily units after the applicant increased affordable housing commitments and added environmental and accessibility proffers.
City Council on March 17 approved a request to rezone four parcels totaling about 24.13 acres near Chinpaje/Chin Page Road to a Planned Development Residential (PDR 24.115) designation, allowing the applicant to build up to 360 multifamily dwelling units.
Payton Burgess of the Planning Department told council the site is currently designated general industrial on the place‑type map and that staff recommended a map change to apartment and townhouse neighborhood if the rezoning were approved. The application received a unanimous recommendation for approval from the Planning Commission.
Applicant representative Neil Ghosh described existing changes in the industrial market nearby, noted that Wolfspeed is moving operations and large industrial buildings across the street are likely to remain vacant, and said recent industrial park approvals give the city a large inventory of industrial space. Ghosh also told council the team added commitments after Planning Commission input: increasing the share of affordable units from 3% to 6% at 60% AMI for 30 years (as adjusted with the seller), guaranteeing elevators in all four‑story and taller buildings, increasing tree coverage to roughly 21%, providing open space in a minimum of three distinct areas instead of a single cluster, and prioritizing native plants per UDA standards where allowed.
The applicant additionally committed to prohibit certain uses in the industrial portion of the site — specifically correctional facilities, golf course, hotel/motel/extended stay, drive‑through facilities, vehicle sales and vehicle service — to reduce the risk of nuisance impacts near future multifamily uses.
Council members asked staff and the applicant technical questions about consistency with the comprehensive plan and industrial land studies. Planning staff said that, while the site scores for industrial use in past studies, council’s stated priorities in recent years have emphasized housing supply and affordability, and staff did not have a strong objection to the place‑type change.
Council voted to adopt the ordinance and the required North Carolina statutory consistency statement; votes were recorded as unanimous in the meeting minutes. The applicant may proceed to site‑plan and technical review where stormwater, tree preservation and other technical items will be evaluated.
