Frank Hielema is a native of Oxford, NC. He holds an undergraduate degree in physical therapy, and his PhD in epidemiology from UNC, Chapel Hill. His areas of focus in epidemiology have been health services research and injuries. He has lived in his present home in Raleigh for 31 years.
Frank sent the following email to City Council with his thoughts on the impact of Missing Middle on the Woodcrest neighborhood.
We are publishing it here with his permission.
Subject: UNNEIGHBORLY: The impact of Missing Middle on Woodcrest
Councilors Black, Patton, Branch, Harrison, Jones, Forte and Melton:
By now, I expect each of you has seen the print version of Ms. Allam’s extensive and excellent reporting on the Missing Middle project in Woodcrest. (Builder sues neighborhood) Let me start by saying that the opinion by Patrick Young that Raleigh’s implementation of Missing Middle is one of the nation’s most productive is biased and suspect, considering the source. It has not accounted for the number of naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) units which have been bulldozed in the name of Missing Middle.
Consider the statement of Professor Eileen Taylor that only 203 of the housing units created are affordable. I suspect that the number of NOAH units torn down to create these 203 affordable units is double, triple, or even a higher multiplier of the new units. Professor Taylor went on to say that, “officials should find alternative solutions.”
Possible “tweaks” mentioned in the article as being discussed by Council include tree preservation and consideration of character impact of high-density housing on existing neighborhoods. These minor tweaks would amount to putting lipstick on a pig. It will still be a pig. Another way to phrase it is that it would be equivalent to putting a band-aid on a gaping wound.
Revision to Missing Middle must be significant if it is going to allow Raleigh’s neighborhoods to settle down and not live with anxiety and fear about what may become of a resident’s most significant investment when the neighbor sells out to a developer.
Let me point out that Councilors Black, Patton, Harrison and Jones campaigned in 2022 on repeal of Missing Middle. I am attaching for easy reference the recommended changes to reduce the “unintended consequences” of Missing Middle developed by a task force at the request of Councilor Jones. (View recommendations here) Solutions such as tree preservation and consideration of character involve too much subjectivity and interpretation.
The easiest way to make an objective improvement to Missing Middle is to limit the most dense changes in housing to the immediate street of the designated Frequent Transit Areas and other heavily trafficked 4-lane streets in Raleigh. This text change should never have allowed penetration of high-density housing for one-quarter mile, or more into established neighborhoods.
Council was able to make controversial decisions on moving Red Hat Amphitheater and closing a traffic artery into downtown within about two months. You’ve had two years to massage and wrestle with Missing Middle, and nothing has been accomplished. I thank Ms. Allam for bringing the impact of these text changes to the forefront once again.
Sincerely,
Frank Hielema
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