Will Council Put Parking Lots Before People?

Will Council Put Parking Lots Before People?

Council is being asked to legalize an illegal parking lot at 2601 Vanderbilt Ave near NC State. The applicant says the parking lot rezoning (Z-33-24) is a minor change, but in the big picture of West Raleigh’s sustainable growth, putting parking lots before people is a giant step backwards that will only legitimize more parking lots to come.

Will Council Finally Learn the Hard Way?

Will Council Finally Learn the Hard Way?

Council’s record of taking major votes without listening to stakeholders continues to disappoint. Now, having ignored stakeholders in the Blue Ridge Corridor, they stand on the verge of losing their taxing authority. With the Council elections coming in November, don’t make the same mistake again: engage stakeholders and act according to their wishes or prepare to be voted out of office.

Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse

Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse

On May 7th, Council will hear from the public about the idea of creating a self-taxing Municipal Services District (MSD) to improve safety, cleanliness and growth in the corridor. Our opinion is that adopting an MSD first puts the cart before the horse. Livable Raleigh recommends that Council follow the precedent of Raleigh’s existing MSDs: Begin by funding and adopting a strong Area Plan vision supported by all stakeholders to guide Council rezonings and investments. Then decide if an MSD is needed to manage safety, cleanliness and the adopted Area Plan vision.

Which Meeting Is Raleigh’s Future?

Which Meeting Is Raleigh’s Future?

As the new Council leaders work to restore government transparency, integrity and trust, we hope they’ll encourage the Planning Director to take a closer look at his scope of work for the new 2050 Comprehensive Plan. The new scope should seek out the best consultants, the best Comp Plan models (like Minneapolis), and the best practices for empowering resident input.

Seeking Redemption as Baldwin Fades

Seeking Redemption as Baldwin Fades

Come November, Raleigh voters may be willing to chalk up the vote to sack CACs as a bad rookie error. More telling will be if voters accept candid apologies for subverting our voting rights. If so, voters may be willing to give Branch, Forte or Melton another chance in office.