Tim Niles is a founding member of Livable Raleigh and has been a resident of Raleigh for over 30 years.
At the September 8, 2026 City Council meeting he delivered these public comments:
Good evening Mayor and Councilors,
The News & Observer recently reported Raleigh’s population reached 500,000 in March.
Why is this important? Because it gives us real data for discussing housing, density and rezoning.
Raleigh’s Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) was designed to handle growth to from 450,000 in 2015 to 580,000 by 2030.
I don’t want to hear the common excuse that the Comp Plan is only guidance.
A city-wide rezoning in 2015 implemented a new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) handling a population of 580,000 bringing the law in line with the guidance of the Comp Plan.
From 500,000, we can project a population of 530,000 by 2030. Well short of the 580,00 you planned for.
We can follow your plan and provide all of the housing we need for anticipated growth.
Your plan shows us where Raleigh can handle density with both infrastructure and transit.
There is no urgent need to upzone properties. We can handle the growth if you encourage development where you planned for it.
Your plan doesn’t even take into account the additional by-right density you created when you implemented the Missing Middle.
And, from December 2019 through April of 2025 you upzoned properties to 110,00 housing units. Which added 35,000 more units than had existed under their previous zoning.
You’ve added capacity to the law with both Missing Middle and upzonings.
To recap. We may get to a population of 530,000 by 2030. Your plan handles over 630,000 when you factor in the Missing Middle and upzonings.
You’ve done a good job planning.
You haven’t done a good job encouraging development to follow your plan.
Developers know they don’t have to.
They bring any rezoning to you and as long as it adds density, you don’t care if it follows your plan. You don’t care if the infrastructure is there to handle it. You just rubber stamp it.
You have given up your power to manage amything.
Your plan can handle at least 100,000 more people than we are on track to welcom to Raleigh.
What’s the point in creating a new Comp Plan if you continue to ignore your current one.
Thank You
If you appreciate the kind of reporting we bring to you
|
Please donate $10 or $20, Thanks for supporting |
 |