Council Sets Decorum Rules, Debates Dark-Sky Lighting, Considers Future of 505 W. Chapel Hill

The council addressed meeting disruptions with new enforcement and speaking limits, then dug into park lighting standards, costs, and timing for dark‑sky compliance. Later, members weighed preserving the Milton Small building, interim activation at 505 W. Chapel Hill Street, and how affordable housing, parking, and subsidies shape near‑term options. 34mins

Historic Preservation Housing Policy Parks & Recreation Planning & Zoning Public Safety & Police
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Original Meeting

Thursday, December 4th, 2025
20856.0
Full Meeting on YouTube
Video Notes

Welcome to the City Council Work Session for December 4, 2025.

Agenda: https://www.durhamnc.gov/AgendaCenter/City-Council-4

How to participate: https://www.durhamnc.gov/1345

Contact the City Council: https://www.durhamnc.gov/1323

NOTE: Comments left on this livestream will not be read or entered into the meeting record.

Call to Order

Roll Call

Announcements by Council

Priority Items by the City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk

Administrative Consent Items

Citizens Matters

Pulled Items

3. Hiring Practices Performance Audit November 2025

6. Tennis Court Lighting Purchase Contract at Whippoorwill Park with Musco Sports Lighting, LLC

7. Proposed Lease with Durham Regional Association of Realtors, Inc. at 4238 University Drive

18. Consolidated Annexation – Leigh Village Center

Presentations

5. Update on Redevelopment of 505 W. Chapel Hill Street [45 Minutes]

11. 2025 Third Quarter Crime Report [20 Minutes]

14. FY 2025-26 First Quarter Financial Report [15 Minutes]

Settling the Agenda

Other Matters

Adjourn to Closed Session

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Wes Platt
Durham, NC
Neighborhood news guy for Southpoint Access in Durham.
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In This Video
  • Chelsea Cook announced that the participatory budgeting voting period was closing that weekend and encouraged eligible city residents aged 13 and older to vote.
  • Mayor Williams condemned disruptions and discourtesy at the prior council meeting, emphasizing that leadership transitions should be conducted with decorum and respect for residents and newly elected officials.
  • Mayor Williams outlined enforcement steps for meeting disruptions, including removal, possible trespass under city code, and recessing the session to restore order.
  • Mayor Williams instituted speaking time limits for agenda items, allowing 5 minutes for initial remarks, 3 minutes for a second round, and a final 1-minute comment.
  • Caballero asked whether Parks and Recreation coordinated with planning on lighting projects in relation to updated UDO lighting standards and dark sky initiatives.
  • Dina Neely explained that dark sky standards tighten lighting coverage to limit spillover beyond roughly 150 feet and reduce glare to about 1,000 candela.
  • Council Member Baker emphasized that upcoming contracts would hinge on the types of lighting installed at park facilities.
  • Council Member Rist highlighted the importance of dark sky lighting for migratory birds and noted that tennis courts at Whipplewell and Rock Quarry needed new lighting to support varied levels of play.
  • Council Member Kopac asked whether existing lighting fixtures could be adjusted to meet dark sky standards, and Dina Neely clarified that compliance decisions must be made before installation and may require changes such as additional poles, revised placement, and added circuitry with associated costs.
  • City Manager Ferguson explained that any recommendations discussed at JCCPC would be coordinated with Durham County and brought to the full council, with implementation steps taken following council direction.
  • Mayor Williams asked for a cost comparison of redesigning lighting now versus later, and Dina Neely said engineers could immediately adjust the design to meet phase one certification before proceeding.
  • Stacy Poston explained that redesigning the fully funded lighting project would likely trigger higher vendor pricing, third-party certification steps, and a four- to six-month schedule delay.
  • Council Member Kopac asked about the cost of redesigning for dark-sky standards before installation versus after, and Dina Neely estimated additional poles would be needed while City Manager Ferguson noted the project was designed before dark-sky discussions and that council could direct a new standard.
  • Dina Neely explained that shielding and photometric controls reduce glare to protect neighbors and meet UDO requirements and Dark Sky rules prohibiting any uplight above 90 degrees.
  • Council Member Baker expressed support for proceeding with the existing lighting contract despite not fully meeting dark-sky standards, and Mayor Williams agreed to pursue formal compliance if adopted in the future.
  • Council Member Baker requested revisiting planning and UDO lighting standards in relation to parks and public health impacts, noting the discussion stemmed from a rezoning and expressing comfort proceeding with the current contract while continuing the conversation.
  • Council Member Chelsea Cook asked whether a leased parcel had been considered for other city uses, and Selena Jones explained it was included in a 2024 inventory with a future land use focused on transit and that the lease allows reevaluation for affordable housing if needed.
  • Council Member Cook asked about which parcels were in the surplus list and why this leased parcel might be excluded, and Stacy Poston explained it was a former light rail acquisition under lease with potential for housing now and greater density if the UDO is updated.
  • Mark Kubaczyk summarized an eight-year redevelopment effort with priorities including affordable housing, building preservation, retail and commercial uses, cultural heritage inclusion, and city revenue, and reported that in June 2025 the council ended negotiations with the latest developer after weighing options from pausing to smaller-scale activation.
  • Mark Kubaczyk outlined a shift toward building preservation, interim site activation, and smaller-scale redevelopment, noting that broader redevelopment would require significant city subsidies—particularly for affordable housing—and that while high-density is envisioned under the revised UDO, current costs make large-scale plans difficult.
  • Mark Kubaczyk reported that staff recommended pausing full-site redevelopment due to subsidy needs and underdevelopment risks, instead seeking negotiations with Preservation North Carolina to preserve the building, subdivide the parcel, and pursue interim activation while preparing for future redevelopment.
  • Mark Kubaczyk described a minimal intervention scenario that preserved the building, provided surface parking to support its use, and otherwise made no additional changes.
  • Mark Kubaczyk estimated that rehabilitating the building would cost approximately $25–$30 million.
  • Mayor Williams asked whether the rehabilitation estimate covered basic code compliance or full amenities, and Mark Kubaczyk clarified it reflected the cost to return the building to active use.
  • Mayor Williams asked for the demolition cost as a comparison to preservation, and Mark Kubaczyk estimated it at roughly $2 million.
  • Council Member Kopac and Mayor Williams clarified that cost comparisons should weigh preserving and rehabilitating the building against demolition plus new construction under the original master plan for the full site.
  • Mark Kubaczyk reported that the prior proposal estimated $25 million to return the building to hotel use with a $3.7 million subsidy request, noting the figure depended on assumptions that could change with market conditions.
  • Mark Kubaczyk explained that Preservation North Carolina proposed negotiating an option to purchase with the city, then marketing the building to developers, selecting a redevelopment plan, and exercising the option to sell for rehabilitation and return to use.
  • A representative from Preservation North Carolina introduced the nonprofit, noting its statewide mission to protect significant historic properties and its nationally recognized endangered historic properties program.
  • A representative from Preservation North Carolina emphasized that disposing of the historic Home Security Life Insurance building required careful planning to preserve the structure, respect its context, and achieve a community-beneficial new use.
  • A representative from Preservation North Carolina highlighted the building’s landmark status, high-quality materials, and design pedigree, noting it was by Milton Small for New York architects and situated beside the rehabilitated North Carolina Mutual Building.
  • Mark Kubaczyk proposed preserving the building while pursuing interim site activation until the property was ready for larger-scale redevelopment.
  • City Manager Ferguson explained that affordable housing density on the site would be constrained by surface parking, with structured parking enabling more units compared to scenarios limited to surface parking.
  • Mark Kubaczyk reported that since 2018 the City and County invested in affordable housing resulting in about 1,000 units planned or built downtown and over 4,600 units citywide through new construction, preservation, and agreements.
  • New Council Member Shanetta Burris voiced strong support for affordable housing at the site, citing its proximity to transit and the need for mixed‑income housing to address downtown inaccessibility.
  • Council Member Rist asked for a rough estimate of future affordable housing units in a mixed-use plan, and Mark Kubaczyk referenced past concepts of 300–400 total units with roughly 80–101 affordable, noting potential for significant affordable units if market conditions improve.
  • City Manager Ferguson proposed returning with data‑backed scenarios on parking and affordable housing and sought council direction on potential steps for the Milton Small building.
  • Council Member Rist affirmed broad alignment with staff recommendations to pause full-site redevelopment, pursue negotiations with Preservation North Carolina, subdivide the parcel, and explore interim activation that could include affordable housing with minimal parking if feasible.
  • A speaker from Durham CAN urged the inclusion of genuinely affordable housing at the 505 W. Chapel Hill Street site, emphasizing a commitment dating back to 2017 and asking who the housing would be affordable for.
  • A speaker from Duke Memorial United Methodist urged using part of the 505 W. Chapel Hill Street site for affordable housing, citing an eight-year wait, growing need, and congregants being turned away from rent assistance.
  • The speaker stated disappointment with staff and consultant reports, asserting they were misleadingly and negatively slanted against affordable housing.
  • A representative from Preservation Durham supported subdividing the site and negotiating an option with Preservation North Carolina to preserve the historic building while freeing the remainder for development aligned with priorities like affordable housing.
  • The Chief reported that Part 1 violent crime from January to September 2025 decreased across rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, with homicides being the exception.
  • The Chief reported 36 homicides to date in 2025—33 through the third quarter—including 29 criminal homicides (with four domestic incidents), three negligent manslaughters tied to traffic, and two justifiable homicides.
  • The Chief noted homicides had trended relatively flat while reported rapes had risen over three years but appeared to decline recently, and robberies and aggravated assaults continued to fluctuate with peaks and valleys.
  • The Chief reported that roughly 24–25% of violent crimes involved gunfire through the third quarter, shooting incidents fell by about 18.7% with per‑incident decreases to 24.4%, fatal gunshot wounds were flat while nonfatal declined, and 654 firearms were seized year‑to‑date.
  • The Chief reported that burglaries were trending down while motor vehicle thefts continued a significant decline from the 2022 Hyundai/Kia spike, noted a rise in business burglaries targeting cash, tobacco, and merchandise, and stated vehicle thefts were down about 11% with 87% recovered.
  • The Chief presented a chart showing the violent crime rate per 100,000 residents over 13 fiscal years and noted the target was to keep the rate below 700, with the current year’s expected range highlighted.
  • The Chief reported that third‑quarter 2025 violent crime clearance rates were higher than the FBI’s 2024 national rates overall, with stronger clearances in homicide, rape, and robbery, slightly lower in aggravated assault, and clarified that clearances include arrests and exceptional cases where prosecution was not feasible.
  • The Chief reported police staffing at 74.4% with 395 of 531 positions filled, an improvement from 71% two years prior but still reflecting a 25.6% vacancy.
  • Council Member Cook asked about youth involvement in crime, and the Chief reported higher rates among ages 11–17 with recent juvenile aggravated assaults and homicides, while highlighting a misdemeanor diversion program with 463 participants since 2015 and a 99% completion rate.
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