Durham council rejects noncontiguous Hamlin Reserve annexation after large public outcry

Worth Mills, representing Longleaf Partners and rezoning applicant KB Home, requested annexation of two noncontiguous parcels totaling 42.61 acres on Hamlin Road that would facilitate a conservation subdivision of up to 81 single-family homes. Mills described sewer and water tap plans and offered $25,000 one-time contributions each to schools, housing fund and fire services as proffers.

Dozens of residents and community speakers urged denial, saying the parcels lie outside the city's recently adopted urban growth boundary (UGB) and partially inside the Falls/Jordan critical watershed. Speakers raised multiple concerns: road safety on narrow Hamlin Road with heavy truck traffic, lack of sidewalks or shoulders, possible precedent for future noncontiguous annexations, strain on EMS and other county services, and loss of farmland and rural character. Several speakers quoted planning-commission and county-commission opposition and cited comp-plan policies limiting expansion of the UGB.

Council members expressed reservations about extending the UGB without required infrastructure and clear community benefits. Multiple council members said they appreciated conservation elements and potential lower price points but concluded that the proposal was inconsistent with the comprehensive plan and the UGB at this time. The council moved and voted; the motion to annex failed unanimously.

Ending: The application was denied; the parcels remain in county jurisdiction and will not receive city utility extension or annexation under this proposal.