You can see the famous circular First Citizens bank on the east side of Six Forks Rd indicated by the red arrow and the existing shopping center on the west side inside the red circle. This proposal dwarfs those structures and creates a solid steel and glass “canyon” along Six Forks Rd when added to the existing towers of North Hills East which look quite small themselves in comparison to the proposed new towers.
Neighbors,
I have sent you a lot of information over the last few weeks about the North Hills rezoning, and you have probably seen my blogs on Livable Raleigh and responses on Next Door. So has Council, and they have heard public comments and received your emails. What it comes down to is that Council still doesn’t get it.
The media gets it:
North Hills has transformed from a quiet neighborhood into an urban high-rise powerhouse with offices, hotels, retail, and luxury apartments.
“They should taper down towards neighborhoods,” a resident said. “We seem to be building North Hills the opposite way, with taller buildings along the fringes facing neighborhoods, and that just doesn’t go well with the neighborhood.”
The rezoning has three critical inconsistencies with the Midtown area plan and the Comprehensive plan that Raleigh is supposed to use for policy guidance that is intended to shape how the city grows and develops through the year 2030.
Policy LU 5.4 Density Transitions: Where two areas designated for significantly different development intensity abut on the Future Land Use Map, the implementing zoning should ensure that the appropriate transition occurs on the site with the higher intensity.
Policy LU 5.7 Building Height Transitions: When any mixed-use or non-residential area is separated from an area of low- or moderate-density by an intervening street other than a Major Street, building faces along the frontage facing the residential area should not exceed three stories.
Policy AP-MT 10 Land Use and Transitions: Height will transition gradually from lower-scale residential areas to denser, mixed-use areas.
However, recent approvals by Council indicate that they follow their own rules and create greater building heights without considering consequences.
As Jonathan Lambert-Melton has said, it is not just about building heights – it is about building placement. He is oh, so right.
The core tenant and primary inconsistency is that the proposed building will be developed on the perimeter of North Hills, where they will have maximum environmental impact. Of all of the buildings proposed, from 12, 20, and 37 stories, only the farthest southern building along Six Forks is away from residential areas. All of the others will put nearby neighborhoods into extended shade, increased wind, and temperatures, commonly known as canyon impacts. The North Hills area has been in development for almost twenty years. Recently, several office and residential units were added that stayed within current zoning guidelines. Don’t let this newest rezoning effort change the nature of the surrounding area just because North Hills was developed poorly and with continuing inconsistencies.
In an excerpt from the Public Hearing – Who decided that unchecked density and developer-driven growth are the new standard for a city like Raleigh? And more importantly: Why can’t we change course?
Here is a glimpse of the future if the North Hills rezoning is approved:
For more information: Where is the Transition to Neighborhoods?
Please wear red and attend the January 20 Council meeting. Please circulate this flyer to your neighbors so they can attend as well:
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