The council hears a landmark bid for the Cranford-Wannamaker House and votes on a $5.1 million waterline Monday. The AbbVie incentive hearing is postponed again.
The Durham City Council will decide Monday whether to make a Trinity Park house a local historic landmark. It will also vote on more than $13 million in contract actions, led by two water and sewer projects of more than $5 million each.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Monday in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 101 City Hall Plaza. Items are listed on the Oct. 19 meeting agenda.
One item will not come up. The public hearing on an incentive agreement with AbbVie Inc., worth up to $9,312,721, has been postponed again, the agenda says. It was first set for Sept. 17. There will be no hearing and no vote on it Monday.
The landmark hearing
The house is the Cranford-Wannamaker House at 1019 W. Trinity Ave. The request came from 4/1 Design, according to the city’s public hearing notice. The council will consider an ordinance designating both the building and its land.
The house has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, as our Durham history and landmarks guide records. National Register listing alone puts no limits on a private owner. Local designation does:
- exterior changes need a certificate of appropriateness from the Durham Historic Preservation Commission, under state law
- the owner can apply to have half the property’s value deferred from property tax, also under state law
The biggest contracts
All of these are on the consent agenda, which the council usually passes in one vote unless a member pulls an item:
| Item | Contractor | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Design work for filter replacement at the South Durham Water Reclamation Facility (amendment) | McKim & Creed | $5,162,857 |
| Waterline replacement on Duke University Road and N. Driver Street | Carolina Civilworks | $5,137,531 |
| Design of Duke-Gregson corridor improvements | Kittelson & Associates | $1,575,169 |
| Environmental and geotechnical design for the landfill parks project | A1 Consulting Group | $643,415 |
| Construction of the City Hall reconfiguration | The Daniele Company | $547,698 |
| Design of Brown Water Treatment Plant discharge upgrades | CDM Smith | $343,100 |
Amounts are before contingency funds. The McKim & Creed amendment would bring that contract to $6,688,857. The waterline job carries a $513,753 contingency.
Other items
- Housing grants: a $127,004 federal Continuum of Care planning grant, with a $31,751 city match, and a $170,218 federal Emergency Solutions Grant, paired with $180,000 from the city’s Dedicated Housing Fund.
- Street assessments: public hearings on assessment rolls for paving and water and sewer work on Chalmers Street and Lang Street. The council will also reconsider the Amber Place roll after an objection.
- Annexation: a public hearing on bringing 0.462 acres at 508 Olive Branch Road into the city.
- Not on Monday: the Courtyards at Leesville annexation was sent back to staff at the Oct. 8 work session, so there is no hearing or vote.
The supporting memos for each item are on the city’s agenda site. This preview is based on the agenda itself.
What it means for you
- To speak: register on the city’s Zoom sign-up by 2 p.m. Monday, or sign up in person before 7 p.m. Speakers get up to three minutes.
- To comment in writing: use the written public comment form by 2 p.m. Monday.
- To watch: the city lists ways to watch council meetings.
- Living on Duke University Road or N. Driver Street: no start date has been posted for the waterline job. We will add any closures to our road construction and closures page when the city announces them.
Have your say