The RCAC has done its part. It is now up to the Council to bring this across the finish line. Yes, the additional benefits outlined in the Tier approach carry a cost, but this is not because of the addition of the CACs. The additional cost burden is because the benefits are being applied across the entire Engagement Network so that other organizations can share those same benefits that the CACs have enjoyed in the past.
The Glenwood-Brooklyn neighborhood group has hired The Brough Law Firm, PLLC to challenge this rezoning case. The firm is investigating what we believe are several defects in how the City has handled the situation. The City has laws and policies that are designed to create gentle transitions from slow, quiet neighborhoods to the busy downtown area. We believe that the City has ignored basic principles and is overrepresenting developer interests. There is no precedent for this rezoning at all. You can’t find a single high-rise this close to a historic district ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE.
The rezoning case Z-11-25 (2230 S New Hope Rd) proposes development on a reforested, environmentally sensitive floodplain area. This forest is one of the last natural buffers remaining along New Hope Road, protecting nearby neighborhoods from flooding, erosion, and extreme heat. The Planning Commission has already recommended denial of this case, recognizing the significant environmental and community risks.
The Athens Drive Community Library has been a valued part of SW Raleigh/Avent West Community for 47 years! The library opened inside the high school in 1978. In 2022, due to concerns of having the public in the school building during the day, the decision was made to move the Community Library out of the high school and build a standalone library on or adjacent to the high school. The Wake Commissioners agreed to help the community accomplish this goal by placing the Athens Drive Community Library Replacement on the 2024 Bond Referendum. The voters of Wake County supported the 2024 bond and now with the funding set, a site must be selected. The site for the library has become a major issue in the community since the county has not secured a site in the community which is being heavily developed and redeveloped. The promise made was that the library would remain on the campus or near the high school allowing the students to continue to have access to the library along with our community!
Every day of the year, tourists visit Oakwood to see our old houses that we work so hard to take care of. There are guided tours several times a week, and even tours by horse and carriage. We work very hard to be an amenity for the whole city. If you want a vibrant city, we are vibrant! This is only possible because we are a neighborhood, with people living in these old houses. Yet the Planning Department has been gradually rezoning our homes into office and commercial use. It’s no longer vibrant; it’s dead most of the time.