Community Impact Assessment


New Bethel Baptist Church, Crest Street, Durham, North Carolina

Community Mitigation and Enhancement: Crest Street, Durham, North Carolina


Lessons Learned

The development and implementation of the Crest Street mitigation and enhancement plan is an example of what a collaborative problem-solving approach can accomplish when pursued during transportation decisionmaking. Using existing program in creative combinations, FHWA, NCDOT, and the city of Durham were able to work with the Crest Street Community Council to develop an effective, comprehensive mitigation and enhancement plan. Representatives from FHWA and NCDOT were instrumental in helping preserve the social bonds that had existed for generations within Crest Street. Once trust, communication, and an understanding of the community's values were achieved, productive decisionmaking was possible.

A key question arises with respect to a successful project like this: "Could it be repeated elsewhere?" There were a number of unique aspects of the Crest Street project, in particular the existence of an adequate supply of land nearby to facilitate the mitigation and enhancement plan. Also, substantial funding happened to be available at the right time for many of the programs involved, especially those dealing with housing. Finally, the proximity of agency offices to the project may have contributed to the planning outcome because it enabled frequent interaction and face-to-face meetings with community and agency members, as well as more rapid decisionmaking. The effort that was expanded by all parties in this project would probably produce similar results in another situation. The spirit of dedication and cooperation that developed during the final planning period continue to produce different but not less effective solutions in different circumstances. Therefore, it was the collaborative problem-solving approach, not the physical circumstances of the community, that was the vital element of its success. The specific element of the Crest Street collaborative problem-solving approach are shown in the sidebar.

One of the most important findings of this case study is that when a cohesive community is encountered, it is possible to preserve the community through special efforts. Through the efforts of NCDOT and FHWA working closely with the residents, not only was the Crest Street neighborhood preserved, but a significant, positive contributions was made to the city of Durham and the Federal-aid Highway Program as a whole.


Making the Planning and Process Work

Key elements to the Crest Street, Durham, NC portion of the East-West Expressway project planning process (from the sponsoring agencies' point of view):

  • Clear assessment and understanding of the community and social cohesion. (This was not initially done by sponsoring agencies, but by the community itself.)

  • Willingness of the Federal Highway Administration and North Carolina Department of Transportation personnel to meet with the people in the community. (Most meetings were held in the New Bethel Baptist Church fellowship hall.)

  • Task force of key parties with minimum supervisory interference, but free flow of information between the Task Force's agency personnel and their supervisors.

  • Proper choice of personnel assigned to the Task Force: people senior enough to make key decisions; junior enough to commit significant amounts of time to this project; emotionally mature; and experienced in handling emotionally charged, public-comment situations, such as occurred at meetings early in the process.

  • Staff continues through implementation as well as planning periods of the project.

  • A carefully worded, detailed, and precise plan to mitigate community impacts, signed by the key participants in the process (Task Force members).


References

    --------; Draft Environmental/Section 4(F) Statement AdministrativeAction for U.S. 70, Durham, East-West Freeway From I-85 to U.S. 70, Durham County; prepared by Federal Highway Administration and Planning and Research Department, North Carolina State Highway Commission; June 3, 1972.

    --------; Durham East-West Freeway from I-85 to U.S. 70, Durham County, Administrative Action, Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement; prepared by Federal Highway Administration and North Carolina Department of Transportation; October 10, 1978 (FHWA-NC-820538-F).

    --------; Administrative Action, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Section 4(F) Statement; prepared by Federal Highway Administration and North Carolina Department of Transportation; July 23, 1982 (FHWA-NC-820538-F).

    Bachle, Laura D., Laura Hill, and Tim Nifong; "Profile of a Successful Negotiation: The Crest Street Experience"; Carolina Planning; Summer 1986; v. 12, no. 1; pp. 25ff.

    Friedman, Elizabeth; Crest STreet: A Family/Community Impact Statement; Institute of Policy Sciences and Public Affairs; Duke University, Durham, NC; 1978.

    Ratliff, Alice A., and Michael D. Calhoun; "Use of Last Resort Housing Benefits and Redevelopment Powers to Preserve a Low-Income Community Threatened with Displacement: A Case History"; Clearinghouse Review; October 1988; pp. 443ff.

    Rohe, William M., and Scott Mouw; "The Politics of Relocation: The Moving of the Crest Street Community"; American Planning Association Journal; Winter 1991; pp. 57ff.


Introduction
Previous |  Next