I wanted to let you know that all neighbors in the area north of I-85 between Guess and Hillandale roads are not upset about the Fairfield at Hillandale apartment complex being built in our neighborhood (Durham News story Aug. 9).

In fact, at least 10 families on Fawn Avenue alone are in favor of this project and we think that it will greatly enhance our neighborhood. We totally disagree with the disgruntled and negative group of neighbors that expressed opposition to this endeavor.

My husband and I have lived on Fawn Avenue since February 1969, and we have seen our neighborhood change much over the years. We have always tried to have a positive attitude about the changes that have taken place in our area, and that is what we have done here.

As for the comment in the article, "All they are truly doing is raping our neighborhood," they haven't seen rape if this project had not passed. Instead of a very nice, upscale apartment complex, we would have probably gotten a low-rent housing complex and low-rent strip mall, which would have truly raped us. I appreciated what [Councilman Eugene] Brown said on Monday night -- that the devil we don't know many times is worse than the devil we do know.

I want to express my deepest thanks to the five council members that voted in favor of this. You were not deceived by the lies and exaggerations that were told by those that opposed this endeavor.

-- Joan Stephenson Durham