Lawsuit Filed Against ROMF Railyard Located Near Schools and Homes

ARCS Press Release: The ROMF neighbors have filed a lawsuit charging GoTriangle and the City of Durham with spot zoning to place an industrial facility next to a school and residential community.

“A Declaratory Judgment Action was filed today in Durham Superior Court challenging the legality of the City of Durham’s decision on Dec. 3 to rezone the 24-acre parcel of land along Farrington Road to accommodate the Durham-Orange Light Rail’s Rail Operations Maintenance Facility (ROMF).  The defendants in the suit are the City of Durham and Go Triangle. The suit alleges that the City exceeded its lawful authority and acted unreasonably, arbitrarily, and capriciously in granting Go Triangle’s rezoning request and that it failed to follow its own ordinances and guidelines, failed to comply with State law, and violated the due process rights of the plaintiffs.  The ball is now in the defendants’ court to answer the complaint.

This legal action is supported in part by a newly formed non-profit, Advocates for Residential Communities and Schools (ARCS), which has been established for the purpose of educating the public about growth in Southwest Durham and the surrounding areas in the Town of Chapel Hill and in Durham and Orange Counties, and for the purpose of advocating for responsible planning that will preserve the character of these areas and result in livable family neighborhoods, healthy senior communities, and quality schools as the region prepares for a future of rapid growth.

ARCS says “Go Triangle has a deep pocket. We do not.  If you share our concerns and want to support efforts to resist the City’s decision to place the light rail’s ROMF in this residential area within sight and sound of a public elementary school, we welcome large and small contributions.

To contribute, please follow this link: http://bit.ly/FightTheROMF or a check can be made out to “ARCS” or make a check out to  “Advocates for Residential Communities and Schools” and mail to:

Andrew Johnson, ARCS treasurer, at 5102 Stockton Way, Durham, NC 27707
or
Phil Post, ARCS secretary, at 104 St. Andrews Place, Chapel Hill, NC 27517

In the event that ARCS is dissolved with funds remaining from its efforts, all contributions will be returned on a pro rata basis.  Thank you in advance for lending your support to this valuable effort.”

«
»
Top