HIGHLIGHTS
- Councilor Silver absent and excused
- Regular and detailed updates on the Comprehensive Plan can be found in the weekly Managers Report.
- The City wants to build 5+ miles of sidewalk and 50+ miles of bikeways in the next 5 years.
- Glenwood South businesses spoke out against the proposed new ordinance while residents asked for relief from the noise.
- Public comments focused on the Big Branch Greenway connector, changes to City Boards and Commissions, community engagement, Dix Park, and issues with GoRaleigh. A number of bus drivers are concerned about their own safety and other working conditions.
- 4:00 P.M. WORK SESSION CALLED TO ORDER BY THE MAYOR
A.1 Comprehensive Plan Update – Reflecting Raleigh
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The Comprehensive Plan serves as the city’s long-term vision for the built environment. Reflecting Raleigh is the process of developing the Next Comprehensive Plan.
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During the September 27 Council retreat, staff summarized activities and key themes from public input during phase I of the project and forecasted upcoming activities included in phase II.
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During the work session staff provided a brief presentation to follow up on the feedback City Council provided at the retreat.
They are aiming for a shorter plan with a sharper focus that is easier to read and that reduces conflicts between competing policies.
They acknowledged there will always be challenges and tradeoffs, especially about density, taxes, and stable service provision.
They will be focusing on co-living opportunities, Midtown housing affordability, streamlining downtown policies, forecasting future housing needs based on anticipated growth, coordinating with county and regional partners, looking at “neighborhood-scale” commercial, infrastructure, and entertainment districts.
A.2 Downtown Mobility Study and Active Mobility Plan Presentation
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The Downtown Mobility Study will bring the 2019 Downtown Transportation Plan in line with today’s mobility needs. It is a city-led initiative to streamline multimodal planning and policy recommendations for the downtown area with input from downtown stakeholders, advocates, and business owners.
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The Active Mobility Plan is a unified plan for the future of pedestrian and bike connectivity across the city. It combines updates to the 2016 BikeRaleigh Plan and the 2013 Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan into one cohesive plan built with input from residents and other stakeholders across Raleigh. It recommends a prioritization framework for bike facilities and sidewalks, as well as policies and programs, to make it easier to walk and bike around the city.
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The Downtown Mobility Study and Active Mobility Plan are two distinct, but highly related, transportation plans. Together they provide direction for a multimodal transportation future both downtown and across the city. During this presentation, staff presented the content and recommendations from both plans to Council.
Issues to address include pedestrian fatalities, bus stop inadequacies (no sidewalks, no shelters), and sidewalk and bikeway infrastructure, taking into account equity, safety, transit access, and destination access.
They announced an ambitious plan called “The Big Jump” that aims to build 5+ miles of sidewalk and 50+ miles of bikeways in the next five years, with special attention to schools, and also continuing to work on micro-gaps and with private partners. No price tag or funding source yet identified.
B. ADJOURNMENT
City Council Special Meeting
A. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER BY THE MAYOR
B. MATTERS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING
This is a hearing to receive public comment on proposed amendments to the noise ordinance related to Amplified Sound, as presented during the October 7 City Council meeting (see item E.3 Noise Ordinance Recommendations – Amplified Sound – Proposed Amendments, which is also presented below).
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During October 7 meeting, City Council directed that a public hearing on the proposed ordinance revisions be held.
24 of the 28 speakers showed up. Many were representatives of the bars on Glenwood South and focused on economics and job impacts. Several were residents who were eager for a solution. A number of speakers from both camps asked the City to slow down on implementation and work toward a compromise because continual changes to regulations are confusing.
B.1 Noise Ordinance Recommendations – Amplified Sound – Proposed Amendments
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At the July 1, 2025, City Council meeting, the Council directed staff to assess the current noise ordinances and to provide recommendations addressing concerns about amplified sound. Businesses and neighbors raised concerns about commercial amplified entertainment and enforcement of noise ordinances. The City engaged Brian Block of Sound City Planning to evaluate the City’s current noise standards for amplified entertainment and to offer recommendations for addressing concerns. Mr. Block has extensive experience in nightlife regulation in Austin, Texas and has worked with a number of cities on establishing noise regulations for amplified entertainment. In addition to working with staff, Mr. Block made multiple visits to Raleigh, Glenwood South, and venues elsewhere in the City. His work also incorporated survey responses and stakeholder interviews with business representatives and residents. His report is included with the agenda materials.
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Based on Mr. Block’s recommendations, staff across multiple departments have prepared an amendment to the City’s noise ordinances, proposing three categories of decibel limits for commercial amplified sound: for Glenwood South, for the remainder of the City, and for venues outside Glenwood South that obtain a permit. A copy of the draft ordinance is included in the agenda materials.
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Business owners expressed frustration that there was no mathematical limit that applied to sound. Adopting a decibel limit sets clear expectations for all. The specific decibel limits proposed are recommended by the expert based on his work in Raleigh and differ depending on the time of day and day of the week. The proposed amendment aims to establish clear rules that balance business interests in playing amplified sound and residents’ desire to enjoy quiet in their own homes.
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Because violation of the amended ordinance can be punished as a misdemeanor, State law requires that the Council receive this proposed ordinance at one meeting and vote on the ordinance at a later meeting. If the Council wished to proceed with this ordinance, it would be appropriate to place the item on another Council agenda. The Council could direct that the item appear on the Consent Agenda, in the City Attorney’s Report, as a Special Item, or issue other directions.
Motion to schedule public hearing on October 14, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
- ADJOURNMENT
Evening Public Comment Session
A. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER BY THE MAYOR
- PUBLIC COMMENT
- Because 48 people had signed up to speak, they were allotted 2 minutes each, however 17 of the 48 speakers did not show up.
- Comments focused on the Big Branch Greenway connector, changes to City Boards and Commissions, community engagement, Dix Park, and issues with GoRaleigh. A number of bus drivers are concerned about their own safety and other working conditions.
C. ADJOURNMENT