Old West Durham is a community of accomplishment

A neighborhood woven strong through our diversity

Community Leaders with Sign

Working with Tom Miller and other stakeholders, led successful effort to work out 12 binding agreements with Duke on the Central Campus re-development. As a result, campus retail will be capped, building heights along Erwin Road will be limited, more greenspace will be protected, twelve remaining mill houses will be saved, Duke will plant larger shade trees, Swift Ave will retain its residential character and twice the area along the three stream hollows will be protected.
Led efforts to push Duke to include more sidewalks and connectivity in its campus pedestrian plan.
Responding to OWDNA requests for the university to expand it DukeCard off-campus, Duke initiates $50 gift certificates for meals at 18 restaurants in the Ninth Street district. A first step.
In response to concerns from neighbors, worked with City officials to restrict sidewalk parking (so pedestrains don't have to go into the street) and at busy corners near West Main and Hicks (to improve visibility).
Stopped Duke Medical Center from building a new parking lot on Hillsborough Rd. (where it tore down an independent record store without a permit).
Led four urban hikes with Sierra Club through OWD and nearby neighborhoods.
Played supportive role in establishing a stronger pesticide management policy for Durham Public Schools, including EK Powe.
To promote the vitality and well-being of Durham neighborhoods, OWDNA created criteria to identify good property managers in Old West Durham. Other neighborhood associations have expressed an interest in starting similar efforts.
OWDNA presented resolution asking the City to require property managers to list their rental properties by address in a public registry. The Citywide Partners Against Crime group and the Inter-Neighborhood Council adopt the resolution.
To support business districts near Duke, OWDNA asked the university to reform the DukeCard. By reducing the 18% commission and high set-up costs, and by expanding the card to be used off-campus, local merchants will see more business and students will have more options.
OWDNA works with art teachers at EK Powe to design four colorful banners on school's Ninth St facade.
Two-story panels reflect neighborhood's credo of Diversity, Harmony and Community.
OWDNA, EK Powe PTA, People's Alliance, Durham Farmers' Market, Durham Community Environmental Coalition, Precinct 4 Democrats, and the Museum of Life & Science successfully campaigned Durham Public Schools to use least-toxic alternatives to pesticides on school campuses (including EK Powe). Schools will also notify in advance when pesticides are applied.
Neighborhood association works with Bull City Market to place another bike rack near Whole Foods.
OWDNA works with PAC2 members, housing officials and police to evict drug dealer from house near Englewood.
Played leadership role in working closely with Duke and the other partnership neighborhoods to create 250-foot buffer around East Campus and include a written commitment from the university (in the rezoning documents) not to build a new parking deck on East Campus.
Following a Chronicle editorial about pedestrian safety, worked with City transportation officials to establish two crosswalks on Anderson St, in the middle of Central Campus.
OWDNA and concerned neighborhood parents successfully sought changes from Durham Parks & Rec to eliminate the application of fertilizer pellets on playground equipment and in areas where children play.
After reading the tea leaves, Duke officials finally commit to University/College zoning for Central Campus, thereby limiting campus retail to that which
supports the academic mission of the university. OWDNA plays a leadership role in this victory for common sense
OWDNA is asked to lead workshop on bringing back mill village neighborhoods at Southwide Cotton Mill Reunion in Kannapolis. Backed successful resolution to
establish "Southern Textile Mill Village Corridor" extending down Interstate 85 from Durham to Alabama..
City Council and County Commissioners voted to approve two OWDNA requests for Durham's Comprehensive Plan. Neighborhood land-use designations were altered from high-medium density to medium density and greenspace listed in local open space plans must be taken into account for future development projects. Changes will help protect open space on Green St and decrease risk of developers tearing down old mill houses.
Successfully lobbied the City to add administrative staff support for Partners Against Crime.
OWDNA organizes annual canned food drives during the holidays for the NC Food Bank.
Worked with City to remove 30 abandoned cars from the neighborhood.
City agreed to our request to add short sidewalk connecting existing sidewalks at Green and Edith streets.
Dedicated "Old West Durham: Diversity, Harmony, Community" sign in the middle of the neighborhood at Ninth and Hillsborough.
At our request, City Council and NCDOT approve sidewalk along Hillandale Road (from Durham Freeway to West Club Blvd). Enlisted support from Crest Street and Watts-Hillandale to make it safer for pedestrians to walk to Duke (and for Crest Street neighbors to walk to the Food Lion).
Helped organize 55 volunteers to rehab old mill house on Edith Street and take chain saws to our walking trail in Erwin Mill cemetery. Exposed Capitol Broadcasting for trying to recruit Magnolia Grill and Whole Foods from OWD to the American Tobacco Campus (justification for $43 million in taxpayer subsidies to Capitol was economic development and job creation).
Duke senior tells Chronicle that one of her best college memories was OWDNA community service project, cleaning up South Ellerbe Creek.
Worked hard with InterNeighborhood Council of Durham to support the proposed university-college ordinance for Duke's Central Campus and that the following businesses should be allowed: three restaurants, an on-campus bookstore with a coffee shop, a performing arts center, a 99-room hotel, a Duke apparel store and a bowling alley.
Organized successful homebuying workshop at Ooh La Latte Cafe to answer questions about buying and financing a home.
Responding to our request, Duke Police agree to establish foot and bike patrols in Ninth Street shopping district (Thursday thru Saturday nights).
Durham Police Chief Steve Chalmers is guest speaker at OWDNA's annual meeting.
Two OWDNA board members receive InterNeighborhood Council "Neighborhood Hero Awards" from mayor -- for planting gardens in our traffic circles and for creating public art on Ninth Street.
Roots on Ninth festival organizer is profiled as "Person of the Week" on ABC World News Tonight.
OWDNA helps organize creation of edible gardens at EK Powe Elementary. Broccoli, cabbage, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, and cherry, fig, apple and pecan trees are planted on 9th Street side of school.
US House of Representatives website features Congressman David Price getting a tour of OWD and listening to concerns of residents.
OWDNA is commended by El Centro Hispano for raising $800 in donations for the Morales family, after their house on Alabama Avenue caught fire.
OWDNA board member and sculptor joins dedication of his work in Durham Central Park.
Nominated by OWDNA, Ninth Street North wins city's Golden Leaf Award for commercial properties.
OWDNA creates self-guided walking tour of East Campus and surrounding streets to entice Duke students and others to explore Durham's history and neighborhoods.
OWD neighbor and artist Karl Pfister recently donated public art to our neighborhood. OWDNA hosted the ceremony where dozens of participants cheered as two iron bird sculptures were unveiled by Pfister and Congressman David Price at the corner of Ninth and Hillsborough.
OWDNA recently hosted an informal, hands-on workshop showing how to lay down an automatic drip irrigation system and explored the beauty of NC native plants. More than 70 participants first viewed a garden with a working automatic soaker hose system on Carolina Ave and then went to an adjacent yard to observe how to get a drought-resistant watering system started.
Built a broad coalition of supporters and succeeded in getting the City Council to commit funds for the "South Ellerbe Creek Natural Area" -- making the creation of this community green space part of the long-range plans for the City of Durham.
Led by the strong backing of the Historic Preservation Society of Durham and OWDNA, the County Commissioners recently voted to move the Blackman House to a vacant lot on Lawndale. As a focal point at the western gateway to OWD, this old home will help stop commercial creep from extending into the residential area behind the Sock Shop.
OWDNA joined a diverse coalition of community groups fighting the asphalt industry's efforts to build asphalt plants closer to homes in the Bull City. The proposal to locate nine sites in East Durham and one behind the Hillsborough Road VisArt failed.
Led the effort asking City Council not to charge local fees for sidewalk tables (to allow a reasonable number of sidewalk tables on Ninth Street and encourage a stronger sense of community in our "living room").
Accomplishments you can't see: no 450-space parking lot at Erwin Square; no asphalt plant behind Hillsborough Rd Visart; no small parking lot across from EK Powe; no new, large retail center on Duke's Central Campus (hopefully); no large "interstate-style" gas station at Broad and Markham; no commercial creep up Lawndale Ave.
Concerned about harming retail on Ninth Street, OWDNA worked with twelve Duke-Durham partnership neighborhoods to limit on-campus retail in Durham's new University-College zoning district. This new district will also establish a "compatibility zone" around the perimeter of campus that will require new campus buildings to reflect the size and style of the buildings across the street.
Slowed down and then stopped Erwin Square's efforts to build a 5.2 acre, 450-space parking lot on Hillsborough Road (to lease to Duke for more off-campus parking).
Worked with officials to require that automatic notifications are sent to community groups whenever an amendment to the local zoning ordinance is proposed (i.e. allowing asphalt plants closer to homes, cell phone towers, etc).
Organized several community service projects with Duke student volunteers in the neighborhood: placing mulch on traffic circles and on EK Powe campus; picking up trash along railroad tracks, Hillsborough Road, and along South Ellerbe; clearing ice storm debris from cemetery; painting benches at EK Powe; planting spring bulbs along Edith Street; cleaning out Blackman House on Lawndale, etc.
OWDNA officer Pam Spaulding was named 2003 Duke University community service employee of the year (for her volunteer efforts and accomplishments with OWD and PAC2).
The association was an early advocate to create a Neighborhood College -- where communities can send representatives to take a free class to learn about the zoning and planning process in Durham. Newly-elected County Commissioner chair, Ellen Reckhow, is leading this initiative.
OWDNA led the local effort to include open space provisions to Durham's new high-density ordinance. Our input also resulted in a requirement linking high-density projects to regional rail stations and the creation of a middle-ground density category.
One World Market (neighborhood non-profit helping artisans in developing countries) hosted a holiday shopping night for the neighborhood where a portion of all sales went to support Old West Durham's greenspace efforts.
With early support from OWDNA, an alumnus of EK Powe raised money to build five benches and erect a historic marker about Old West Durham. You can read about the history of the neighborhood in front of the cafeteria doors on Ninth Street.
Ninth Street Commons recently installed acorn-style street lights (which are more expensive to rent from Duke Power). We asked for acorn-shaped lights to help visually pull together the Ninth Street area. Other new developments have also agreed to use the acorn lights including: Ninth Street North, Erwin Square Apartments, and BP on Broad.
OWD and Watts-Hillandale spoke in front of the Durham Planning Commission and reached an agreement with the owner of the vacant building at Broad and Markham for protections and a development plan to the re-zoning for the property. The protections included a list of restricted uses (to make sure the building couldn't be torn down and replaced with a gas station, etc). Watts-Hillandale played a critical role in helping us secure an agreement with the applicant and favorable votes from the Planning Commission, the Zoning Committee and, eventually, the City Council.
Working with OWDNA, White Star recently submitted a revised site plan to the City-County Planning Department (with a small office building closer to Ninth Street and parking in the back).
Resident Ed Shipman sharpened his chain saw to help create a narrow footpath into the back of the Erwin Mills cemetery on West Pettigrew. The next day, Duke volunteers dragged the downed saplings and underbrush to the curb so the City could haul everything away. Our 5th clean-up of this corner of OWD, it's now easier to get to the headstones on the backside of the graveyard.
Showcasing traditional blues music of the Carolinas, Roots on Ninth featured three stages of music, including performances by Durham Piedmont blues guitarist John Dee Holman, Cootie Stark and many others. OWDNA helped with communications for the festival in Old West Durham and will help with next year's event.
Worked hard to get traffic circles on our busiest streets. More recently, we asked the City to paint yellow lane-splitters at the round-abouts -- to give motorists speeding through our neighborhood an earlier indication that they should start steering to the right as they approach the traffic circles.
Worked with the City to improve pedestrian safety by getting four-way stop signs at our busiest intersections. Worked with neighborhood church, day care center and the City to paint a pedestrian cross walk so, elderly parishioners can cross to the parking lot in a safer manner.
Asked City to build traffic island at the mouth of Lawndale Avenue -- to slow cars zipping off Hillsborough.
Made every residential street 25 MPH.
The association was an early and vocal advocate to build the East End Connector to help alleviate north-south traffic in Durham's core neighborhoods. As a result, OWDNA played a leadership role in pushing the controversial Eno Drive farther into the future.
OWDNA hosts three social events each year. Spring and Fall bring potluck picnics in the park. Night of Lights is a neighborhood holiday gathering celebrating good cheer.
Organized several walking tours to introduce the neighborhood to Congressman David Price, Durham mayors, City Council, County Commissioners and many others.
Worked hard with developers and the Planning Department to ensure high-density apartments project proposed for Erwin Square is livable (functional open space, pedestrian access, etc) and reflects the historic Erwin Mills nearby.
Held 75 meetings and phone calls with the developers and the City on the exciting Ninth Street North project.
Worked with surrounding neighborhoods to convince the owner of the Broad Street BP gas station to change his "spaceship" design to the award-winning, smaller pitched-roof design you see today.
Worked with Planning Department to lower McDonald's sign and to remove illegal banners from a pay-day lending outfit on Hillsborough Road.
Sponsored a board member to take a planning and zoning class at Duke University.
Continue to keep a watchful eye on the Ninth Street station area plan (regional rail) and future developments at Erwin Square.
Successfully lobbied Duke University to use the historically accurate name for the "Erwin Mill" building on all its websites, pamphlets, press releases, and campus maps -- thus helping to preserve an important chapter of Old West Durham's history.
Secured funding for a new sidewalk connecting Edith Street with Ninth (next to elementary school).
Added 100 new street lights.
Working with landlords to protect housing rights.
Organized six clean-ups of our green space, five clean-ups of the Erwin Mills cemetery, and worked with a number of Duke fraternities to pick up litter along the length of Hillsborough Road, railroad tracks and several vacant lots in the neighborhood.
Ongoing involvement with Partners Against Crime. An OWDNA board member served as PAC co-chair, created the PAC website and established Durham's most active community listserve. OWNDA received a $2000 Partners Against Crime grant for flood lights, deadbolt locks as well as neighborhood t-shirts and bumper stickers (to help build community).
Working with other neighborhoods and community groups on revising Durham's Unified Development Ordinance as well as the Ninth Street station small area plan.
Ongoing involvement with the InterNeighborhood Council (an OWDNA board member also serves on the INC's executive committee).
Created a neighborhood website with an online history of West Durham, photographs, links for residents and summary of neighborhood news and doings.

Along the way, our neighborhood association was honored by the Historic Preservation Society of Durham, Preservation North Carolina, the Library of Congress,The History Channel, the Herald-Sun's "Durham Grit" award, MuniNet Guide's best "community" website in the nation, and the Independent Weekly's "Citizen Award" (for "tireless dedication to making our community a better place to live"). Please help support OWDNA by paying your dues. Any resident of Old West Durham can join by sending a $5 check (made out to "OWDNA") to Emily Wexler at 1014 Rosehill Avenue, Durham, NC 27705. The Old West Durham Neighborhood Association board meets the last Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm. All residents of Old West Durham are encouraged to attend and participate. For more information, please contact John Schelp (president) at john@owdna.org

. Durham Skyline
Bull City skyline (photograph taken from the skies above Old West Durham)

"My first home was my grandparents' mill home on Ninth Street. My father died three years ago. I cannot begin to tell you my feelings and emotions when I saw those pictures and all those young faces of my father and his friends... We had just buried my aunt on Saturday afternoon and to visit the Old West Durham website early the next morning was an emotional homecoming that I will be forever grateful... What you have done so far is nothing short of amazing."
-- Andrea (grew up in West Durham)