Durham council declines to close Haytai Lane after hours of testimony; hearing continued to Feb. 2

Durham City Council on Nov. 17 rejected a proposal to permanently close 229 linear feet of Haytai Lane — a public right-of-way east of Old Fayetteville Street — after a lengthy public hearing in which residents, preservation advocates and the applicant sparred over maintenance, displacement risk and historic significance.

The hearing opened with a staff report from Peyton Blanchard of the Planning and Development Department describing the request (case SC250003) to recombine the right-of-way with adjacent property owned by the applicant and noting that, if approved, conversion of public utilities to private ownership would require a separate council action.

The meeting drew extensive public comment. Opposition speakers warned the closure would further erode the historic Hayti area and risk displacement. Anita Scott Neville told the council closing the lane would be "akin to the land grab" and said the city would be granting out-of-state developers "a $2,000,000 gift today" by transferring publicly owned property to private ownership. Angel Isette Dozier urged the council to "reject this closure" and asked for legal, financial and transparent guarantees that existing affordable units would remain in place.

Supporters, including Ty Parker, the property manager for Haytai Townhomes on behalf of owner Haytai Properties LLC, said privatizing the short cul-de-sac would allow the owner to take responsibility for maintenance, safety and appearance and relieve the city of maintenance obligations. Applicant representative Rob Emerson said the street "serves only the Haytai townhome community" and argued that privatizing it would allow upgrades, improved lighting, landscaping and potentially adding units.

Durham Housing Authority interim CEO Anthony Snell provided context about nearby redevelopment plans, saying Phase 1 of the Villages at Haytai redevelopment is planned for 252 units, Phase 2 would be about 70 senior units using 9% tax credits, Phase 3 would be roughly 100-plus units, and two later phases could add about 40 townhomes for homeownership. Snell also noted environmental approvals (radon mitigation) would delay related projects by an estimated six to eight months.

Council members across the dais raised concerns about notice, community engagement and the absence of a clear redevelopment plan tied to the closure. Several members said the decision felt particularly sensitive because of Hayti’s history of displacement. Councilmembers pressed staff and the applicant for information about legal notice procedures, city maintenance costs and whether a public benefit would result from vacating the street.

At the end of the night, the council first agreed to keep the public hearing open and continue the matter to Feb. 2, 2026 to allow for follow-up and additional outreach at the applicant's request. When council later took a formal motion to vacate the right of way, the motion failed unanimously.

The action leaves Haytai Lane status quo for now; if the applicant or staff return with more information, the council will revisit the item on Feb. 2, 2026.