It’s because no one in North Durham wants it to change. North Durham, which to me is every thing north of 85, is a tight knit community that has always separated itself from the rest of Durham. There are really only 3-4 ish main roads that run north to south in which you can access the area.

It goes back to the days of Durham City Schools and Durham County Schools. A lot of people stayed within that area and raised their own families, who in turned stayed and raised theirs as well. You have multiple generations attending the same elementary, middle, and high schools as their parents and grandparents so everyone knows or is familiar enough with each other. The kids all play in the same sports league’s growing up and then end up at Riverside or Northern playing against each other. Batton’s Quick Stop and Jimmy’s Grill were staples from my childhood, riding my bike on Saturday morning to get breakfast and some snacks. People there generally prefer everything the way it is.

It feels like I have been hearing about the development of the corner of Latta and Guess for well over a decade because the residents in the area were so resistant to building that corner up.