Putting your thumb on the scale is WRONG!

Tim Niles is a founding member of Livable Raleigh and has been a resident of Raleigh for over 30 years.

At the August 19, 2025 City Council meeting he delivered these public comments:

Good afternoon and welcome back from summer break:

I spoke to you about case Z-12-25, the West Street Tower, July 1st before your summer break.

I said the developer was claiming the site is in a Transit Station Area based on an outdated map, a false claim that was forced to be removed from this same case two years ago.

I said I believe anyone knowingly including false information in a zoning case should face disciplinary action. Read here: 2nd Neighborhood Meeting

Well, I have since attended the Planning Commission meeting last week and another public meeting for this case last night.

Now, City Staff has joined with the applicant to make the same false claim.

The outdated Urban Form Map showing the site in a Transit Station Area is included in the staff report. The same map that had to be removed two years ago.

In addition to that, Staff is claiming consistency with Downtown Transition policies by using the term “adjacent” to mean “abutting or sharing a property line.” City Policy says that when a term is not specifically defined, the common definition of the word must be used. The common definition of the word “adjacent” is “close to or nearby.” It is NOT “abutting.” It is NOT “adjoining.”

Staff also claims the site is classified as Transit for purposes of Height Guidance in the LU-2 Table because it is on Frequent Transit Bus Lines. But, they forget the policy also requires those Frequent Transit Lines to be High Capacity and NONE of the routes specified are High Capacity.

Staff claims the site is in the CORE of a Mixed-Use Center. The only Mixed-Use Center is the Downtown Mixed-Use Center and the site is squarely on its edge, not in its core. They have created an imaginary Mixed-Use Center by tacking Transit Corridors onto the Downtown Mixed-Use Center to try to move the site from the edge to the core. Policy requires Mixed-Use Centers to be defined through a Comprehensive Plan Process, not through visions in your head.

You don’t get to pick and choose only the portions of policy that help your case.

In fact, Staff shouldn’t be considering this to be their case.

But, they are putting their thumb on the scale in every way possible to benefit the applicant.

This is WRONG.

The Planning Commission did nothing to question this last week. Now Council, it is left up to you to seek out the truth

Thank You

There is a petition available for you to sign to show you oppose this rezoning case. If Z-12-25 is approved, it sets a precedent that 30 stories can be built adjacent to any neighborhood in Raleigh. Residents of the Historic Glenwood-Brooklyn Neighborhood and surrounding communities will face the direct impact of a 30-story tower just 240 feet from their homes. Families, longtime homeowners, renters, and small businesses will suffer from overwhelming scale, increased traffic, reduced sunlight, glare, noise and the loss of neighborhood character and value. This proposal places a high-intensity urban core at the edge of a low-density residential area ignoring established plans and many policies designed to help Raleigh grow sustainably and equitably. These policies are clear: no more than 12 stories is appropriate in this area. Anything more violates core urban planning principles and undermines the framework that protects Raleigh neighborhoods.

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