Location map from
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Maps
Forested wetland
next to Mud Creek on
proposed property |
ECO
Erwin-Cornwallis
Organization
The
Erwin-Cornwallis Organization (ECO) is a community-organized group of
several hundred citizens who oppose construction of a
proposed Durham
high school on the Duke Forest land bordered by Erwin and
Cornwallis
Roads.
This
tract, one of a few sites selected by Durham Public Schools (DPS) for
consideration, is a
50+ acre parcel of Duke Forest bordered by
Erwin and Cornwallis Roads and Mud Creek, a tributary of New Hope
Creek. The site contains a hardwood forest on hilly
to steep
slopes as well as numerous streams, a broad floodplain and
extensive forested wetland along Mud Creek. ECO believes
other alternatives are available.
There
are several issues that make the Erwin-Cornwallis site extremely
unsuitable for a high school
or for any large-scale development:
- steep
slopes requiring retaining walls over 40 feet high!1
- streams,
wetlands, and
flood zones requiring costly and extensive erosion and sediment control
as well as permanent stormwater management
- destruction
of the forest landscape
- negative
impact on water quality in Mud Creek, New Hope Creek and Jordan Lake
- failing
traffic conditions
- massive
development costs to fix long-term site problems
- inconsistent
with Durham planning guidelines
What's
New -- the week of August 17, 2009
The Durham School Board dropped the Erwin-Cornwallis site from consideration for a high school based on the technical issues of the site such as steep slopes, grading and creeks. Please click HERE to read more details in the Durham Herald Sun.
ECO thanks our many supporters who alerted local decision-makers to the issues at this site.
ECO will continue
to provide updates on Durham's next high school as the process moves
forward. Please stay tuned for more information.
1
Rapid
Site Assessment: Proposed High School Site on Duke Forest Tract,
Cornwallis and Erwin Roads, Durham, NC. Watershed Hydrology Consultants, LLC. August 4,
2009. p. 5.
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