pretty good turnout this morning so far! Had to wait in line for about 30 minutes to cast our ballots.

Came across "Jeans by the Sea" on my bike today exploring. First thought was there's not a sea really anywhere close to here, so it's gotta be like pairs of jeans, right? Wrong. It's a seafood place. Maybe I am just posting to laugh at my ignorance or something, but I am dead serious. I really thought this.

Car crash on I-85 heading towards Durham.

Find out more and register here: https://durhamcountylibrary.libcal.com/event/16625686

My son and I loved going to Deadlock Pro Wrestling events but they've shut it down and we haven't found any others like it. Are there any other independent wrestling events in the triangle?

Figured I would throw this out there just in case. If you were on Juliette Road today at rush hour time and saw the guy driving on the wrong side of the road almost hitting you and many other cars and while trying to run me off the road. He ended up stopping in front of me, getting out, and smashing off my mirror with his arm. All because I waited safely to turn left onto Juliette, then stopped at the trail to let pedestrians cross. It set them off fierce...

I know at least 30 other cars went by so please DM me if you have footage, there is a police report

Can you recommend a chiropractor or practice that will perform massage without performing adjustments? I have some soft tissue issues I’d like worked on. Thanks

Patches of heart-shaped leaves sprouting from a few vines that are maybe 10 feet long...

They're on the old Mary Biddle Duke estate, on the south (that is, north-facing) side of the east-west ravine that runs east from Kent St behind the houses that Dickerson has built along Bivins.

It's not often that one has a chance to stop a kudzu infestation early.

Phenomenal show!

Is there a shop in the area that sells bags of mini gourds? I've seen small gourds at the grocery store, but I want MINIATURE gourds.

Thanks!

Does anyone have recommendations for a reasonably priced home appraiser in Durham? I need to determine the current value of the house for a buyout as part of a separation agreement. Thanks!

Does anyone else love celery but struggle with finding indoor space for it in the winter? I love growing celery as a hedge border because it's easy to grow and care for, but it's not a perennial. Does anyone have any suggestions for a long-stemmed hedge border plant that's suitable for partial shade and is an easy-to-grow perennial?

Pretty disappointed to see the delays. I live in the area and was hoping to see it completed on timeish, but it appears another 2 years have been tacked on.

I remember when I moved here to NC 33 years ago and for a long time there was always these driver license checkpoints. The cops would set up a ‘license check’ and you had to show your license to the officer. If you didn’t have it or there was an issue they would pull you to the side to check you out further.

Not debating the pros and cons or legality of it…. But what changed that they stopped this practice. I know I must have been through 7-8 of them in Durham and a few in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Orange County Sheriffs and Durham County Sheriffs. If there was a rise in crime whether it be a murder or several burglaries you were sure to run into a road block in that area. They would happen during the day, the evening and late night…

Were they stopped by the courts? Or just different policing styles? Public sentiment?

My pharmacy is out of Estradiol patches and doesn’t know when they will get more.

Anyone been able to fill a prescription for Estradiol in the last week? I can transfer my prescription but I don’t know who has it.

Edit: Found some at Harris Teeter. Thanks everyone!

Hi all! I’m a NJ transplant and am in desperate need of some good Italian baked goods. Are there any Italian bakeries in the area?

The Durham Planning Commission went from quiet-but-major rule changes to big rezonings and a neighborhood plan that hit pause.

Here’s what’s in the highlight reel:

• “Omnibus 20” UDO update – The commission dug into a dense text amendment updating 10 sections of Durham’s development rules after new state laws. Staff explained: - The planning director can no longer issue broad, citywide interpretations – just site-specific ones that can be appealed. - State law now limits how much window glass (glazing) the city can require and strips out most permits for home-based businesses. - One resident warned that fine-print changes to how “official interpretations” are noticed could quietly shrink public access and asked the commission to slow things down. - Commissioners wrestled with whether to delay, as staff reminded them parts of Durham’s rules are already out of step with state law. A motion to postpone failed; the commission voted 8–1 to send the update to City Council with a favorable recommendation.

• Thompson Village rezoning (near Mary Martin Rd.) – A previously-controversial case came back smaller: - Original proposal: up to 80 multifamily units. - New proposal: up to 19 homes (single-family, townhomes, duplexes) with tighter yard, setback, and grading commitments. - The applicant shared a 60-year family history on the site and framed the downsized plan as something the neighborhood could live with. - Neighbors raised concerns about annexation, higher costs, and whether this really helped with affordability, plus questions about narrow roads and emergency access. - Staff replied that streets would have to meet standards and be approved by DOT and fire/EMS. The commission ultimately voted 9–0 to forward the rezoning to City Council with a favorable recommendation.

• Glenn School Road mixed-use project (180+ acres at I‑85) – One of the biggest items of the night: - Proposal: a mix of light industrial, up to 235 townhomes, and 20,000 sq ft of commercial space, consistent with a “mixed-use neighborhood” place type. - The developer’s attorney pitched it as a jobs-and-tax-base project with an NCDOT-approved road realignment to fix a dangerous I‑85 off-ramp crossing. - They promised every townhouse would be priced for households at 80% of area median income (roughly low-to-mid $300Ks today) and framed it as a path to “generational wealth.” - Supporters talked about finally having affordable for-sale townhomes near jobs and a grocery store, and about Glenn School Road sitting unchanged for 40 years. - Another nearby resident asked for larger community contributions and pushed for a supermarket in the commercial space. - In response to concerns about “noxious” uses and nearby creeks, the applicant agreed to: - Strike more intense industrial/commercial uses. - Ban uses that would require a special use permit (like auto repair/salvage yards). - Add a 20-foot buffer next to a watershed parcel, while holding the line on wider stream buffers. - After pressing on environmental protections and stream buffer widths, the commission voted 8–1 to send the rezoning on to City Council with a favorable recommendation.

• Mosby Bragtown apartments (up to 299 units) – This one drew some of the strongest testimony of the night and did not get a favorable recommendation: - Staff outlined a 299-unit apartment project with commitments on design, trees, native landscaping, elevators for taller buildings, a small school contribution, and 5% of units affordable at 80% AMI. The applicant later strengthened that to the UDO’s 60% AMI standard (about 15 deeply affordable units) and committed to at least 10 public Level 2 EV chargers, plus cleanup of legacy fuel-tank contamination. - Supporters tied the project to a 40‑year family presence and worship in Bragtown and pitched it as private investment that could add affordable homes near work, family, and the gurdwara. - A planning professor working with the Bragtown Community Association shared data showing Bragtown has much less sidewalk coverage than the city overall and warned that the area keeps absorbing growth while basic safety and infrastructure lag. - Bragtown residents raised concerns about: - Traffic, gridlock, and emergency access on the Roxboro corridor. - Large numbers of new residents in a compact area. - Concentrations of apartments rather than more paths to ownership. - Limited school funding and incomplete sidewalks to Red Maple Park. - Leaders and members of the nearby gurdwara described already-dangerous Sunday traffic turning onto Roxboro, and asked for stronger commitments on driveways, buffers, stormwater, lighting, traffic counts, and pollution cleanup before the case moves forward. - The applicant countered that, compared to what current zoning allows, the project would actually reduce total daily car trips and PM-peak trips, and highlighted walking access to bus stops plus on-site and off-site sidewalks. - Commissioners brought their own experiences driving Roxboro, agreed traffic and infrastructure concerns are real, and questioned whether 15 affordable units at 60% AMI are enough. - After all that, a motion to send Mosby Bragtown to City Council with a favorable recommendation failed 6–3.

• Shannon at Old Chapel Hill (text modification) – A smaller, technical change with a clear story: - Existing zoning stays the same, but the plan swaps 17 previously approved apartments for 17 townhomes on an older commercial site. - The applicant cited rising construction and financing costs for small mixed-use buildings and said townhomes are the only financially viable option now. - They emphasized that all prior commitments on affordability, access, stormwater, and extensive outreach (including mailing renters) remain. - The commission voted 11–0 to forward the text modification to City Council with a favorable recommendation.

• Lakewood–West End–Lyon Park Small Area Plan – Instead of a yes/no, this one got a time-out: - Staff walked through a draft plan meant to implement the Comprehensive Plan around the Shops at Lakewood transit opportunity area, with recommendations on: - Sidewalks, traffic calming, transit stop upgrades, and better bike/ped connections. - Preservation of two historic Black cemeteries with ground-penetrating radar and recognition. - Future redevelopment at Shops at Lakewood that is mixed-use, 3–5 stories, and at least 20% affordable. - Small-scale, affordable commercial spaces and structured parking. - A longtime consultant for the shopping center and a land-use attorney argued that the detailed schematic-style images go far beyond what community workshops supported and don’t reflect legal/easement constraints. They warned those drawings could be misused in future zoning decisions and asked for revisions and more owner consultation. - A resident who attended the meetings said the engagement felt abstract and the participants did not reflect neighborhood demographics. They supported adoption or a delay to get more input. - Commissioners and residents raised key concerns: - Engagement did not adequately reach Black and Brown residents or historic African American neighborhoods. - There’s no cost estimate attached; they questioned recommending an “aspirational” plan without a sense of what’s financially realistic. - Lakewood Park remains closed due to lead contamination, yet the draft plan does not address what happens to that major neighborhood park. - Why Lakewood, West End, and Lyon Park were bundled together and whether Lakewood’s shopping center is distinct enough to warrant its own approach. - Whether property owners and long-term tenants at the shopping center were truly engaged. - Staff acknowledged the demographic skew (especially from online surveys), explained state DEQ and Parks & Recreation will drive decisions on Lyon Park contamination, and said smaller plans were meant to show how shopping center redevelopment might affect surrounding neighborhoods. - Commissioners debated the risk of slowing down versus pushing ahead, ultimately concluding that more time and better, in-person engagement were needed – including direct outreach to both residents and the shopping center owners. - The commission voted 11–0 to continue the plan until January 12, 2027.

• Commission business & staff changes - The commission confirmed leadership for the next term, following rules about how city- and county-appointed members can serve as chair and vice chair. - Planning staff announced that a key team member, Andy Lester, has left for another jurisdiction and asked for patience as they work to fill the vacancy.

If you care about how Durham’s rules change under new state laws, what kinds of housing get built where, and how neighborhoods like Bragtown, Lakewood, and Glenn School Road shape their futures, this meeting is a snapshot of those fights in real time.

Watch the reel, hear the actual voices, and decide what you think about the choices the Planning Commission made – and the ones they decided to delay.

Durham Planning Commission meeting highlights

Highlights selected and suggested post edited by Wes Platt at Southpoint Access.

historically i have found them at aldi for $4, then last year i noticed harris teeter had them for $8. this year both stores had large pumpkin labeled jumbo but not true jumbo quality. i need them super mega XL jumbo supreme!!!

Who noticed me. In the pond by my home.

Anyone planning to attend this meeting and report back with anything new? I was hoping to go but can't make it. I'm eager for this thing to finally get underway in the next year and hope it's on schedule. Event info here.