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Durham council adopts Downtown Durham Blueprint 2035 after brief public comment
Summary
The council unanimously adopted the Downtown Durham Blueprint 2035, a two-year community-informed plan with seven goals to guide downtown growth; one public commenter urged city control of plan oversight rather than outsourcing to the BID operator.
Downtown Durham Incorporated's president and CEO, Nicole Thompson, presented the Downtown Durham Blueprint 2035 and asked the council to adopt the document as an official city plan. "Throughout our 2 year process...we received feedback and input from over 2,300 people," Thompson said, describing the blueprint's seven targeted goals and implementable actions to preserve character while supporting growth.
One in-person speaker, Pablo Friedman, told council he supported many plan elements but urged that public oversight should be managed by the city rather than outsourced to Downtown Durham Incorporated because downtown property owners pay BID taxes that are then transferred to the nonprofit. "I think this small area plan needs to be managed by the city and not by DDI," he told the council.
Council members debated the plan's merits and highlighted implementation and early-action items. Several members praised public engagement and the plan's focus on parking, safety nets for unhoused residents, active-transportation connections and tactical action groups to support near-term projects. After discussion the council moved, seconded and voted to adopt a resolution amending the Durham comprehensive plan to include Downtown Durham Blueprint 2035; the motion passed unanimously.
Ending: The plan is now adopted into the city's comprehensive plan and staff and community partners will proceed with implementation steps identified in the blueprint.
