Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Street Paving topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates opt‑out for gravel‑street paving; staff advised to continue paving program
Summary
Council members discussed residents' requests to keep some gravel streets unpaved and whether to permit an opt‑out. Public Works recommended a petition process with a supermajority and a multi‑year opt‑out period; after discussion council generally directed staff to proceed with the existing paving program without establishing an opt‑out process.
Durham council members weighed competing views about unpaved (gravel) streets at the March 13 meeting and gave staff direction to continue the city’s ongoing paving program without creating a new opt‑out process.
Public Works Director Marvin Williams explained the city is executing a prior council directive to pave unpaved streets and said maintenance costs and other considerations vary by street. Williams recommended that, if council wanted an opt‑out mechanism, the city require the property‑owner petition sponsor plus a large majority (he suggested 75 percent) of property owners on the block to approve and recommended a 3–5 year period during which a petition could not be reversed.
Several council members described why the prior council moved to pave previously unpaved streets—equity concerns and the burden on neighborhoods that historically lacked paved streets. Mayor Pro Tem Middleton and others emphasized equity and emergency‑response concerns. Some council members and residents noted that gravel streets can act as traffic calming and expressed sympathy for neighbors who prefer the existing condition.
After discussion the council majority signaled it preferred not to create a new opt‑out path at this time and instructed staff to continue implementing the paving program as previously directed. The manager asked for clarification and council members affirmed they wanted the work to proceed; no formal roll call vote was recorded on establishing an opt‑out.
Ending
Staff will continue the unpaved‑street paving program; if council later chooses an opt‑out petition process, Public Works recommended a high signature threshold and a multi‑year lock period to avoid repeated stop/start requests.
