Commissioners approve Trayburn urban growth-boundary addition after planning split

Aaron Cain of the Durham Planning and Development Department presented the Evaluation & Assessment Report and explained four staff-initiated place-type map changes during the May 11 public hearing. On Trayburn, Cain said the change would "include these 4 northern most part parcels of Trayburn Corporate Park back into the urban growth boundary" and that the developable portion is "about 66 acres." The planning commission had recommended denial of the Trayburn change on a 5-4 vote; county staff and some commissioners described the adjustment as correcting an oversight and enabling economic development options.

Commissioner Jacobs and others noted the county's prior investments in infrastructure for the Trayburn Corporate Park (Jacobs referenced a $30,000,000 investment in the Snow Hill pump station) and said most of the site remains protected by conservation easements; Cain said the full area was included for flexibility in routing water and sewer lines but that significant development would be expected only on the 66 acres identified. The board took a separate motion to adopt the Trayburn place-type amendment and the motion passed unanimously.

Planning staff framed the Trayburn request as staff-initiated at the economic-development department's request to market additional employment land; no zoning changes were proposed in this action, only a place-type map and urban growth boundary adjustment. The board closed the public hearing and moved through four separate votes; commissioners recorded unanimous approval on each motion.