City Council: We Have A Problem
If a 30 story tower is approved at this location in a designated Downtown Transition Area, then ALL the other neighborhoods noted here and currently protected by Downtown Transition Areas are at risk. This is a dangerous precedent to set.
Get Involved to Protect Raleigh’s Trees
If you are interested in protecting our trees, please consider attending the Branching Out information and input sessions, learn more about Leaf Out and how you can be involved, and consider planting native species the next time you garden or plan a new development.
INDY Week’s Best of Wake County 2025 – VOTE NOW!
The readers of INDY Week have nominated us as the “BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST GROUP in Wake County”. Please take a moment to vote for us.
MARCH 4 CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Highlights from the March 4, 2025 Council meetings
Developer proposes a Major, Visual Shock
A proposed Lorimer Spring development of 60 apartments for senior citizens is advancing with no official notification to nor input from neighborhood residents. It has inadequate parking and no real access to transit within safe walking distance. Especially for seniors.
A solution in search of a problem
In a misguided attempt to reduce Public Comment meetings from 3 hours to 2 hours in length, what City Council has done is put in place new limits when in fact, no meeting in 2024 ever went over 2 hours. But now, based on the new rules, a majority of the meetings will run less than 45 minutes and speakers will only get 1 minute to speak.
Another Missed Opportunity for Community Engagement
CACs are the perfect forum for these budget discussions because they will broadcast the presentation to a wider audience than the sessions that were offered earlier in the year. Community Engagement is one of the core objectives of CACs, acting as a medium for information between residents, staff and City Administration. I don’t know of any other community group that can offer those same capabilities. The City should be jumping at the chance to take this opportunity.
Missing Middle is missing its mark big time
Let’s just say – the City fell short, big time. The BRT project has become a laughingstock, and the transportation system as-is, is modeled after an airline hub system. Meaning, you must go downtown first to catch another bus. Not to mention that one would have to walk along streets without sidewalks or ample streetlights. What would take 20 min by car is a 1 hour and 30 min ride by bus. But let’s build under the FTOD and TOD.
FEBRUARY 17 & 18, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Highlights from 2/17 budget work session and 2/18 work session on stormwater and 2/18 afternoon session
Democracy is more than voting
Local government is generally more democratic than other levels of government and that is largely due to public comment which provides the chance for residents to publicly share thoughts and ideas, and conversely to listen to the thoughts and ideas of other ordinary residents.