In the discussion of the 30-story Tower proposed for West Street, a location in a designated Downtown Transition Area, those opposed to the proposal have pointed out that it violates 4 City Plans and 47 policies. In response, those who are supporting the proposal make the claim that those plans are out of date and should be ignored. The plans are NOT OUT OF DATE. Let’s look at the facts.
The late great James West served on this Council from District C for ten years. Dr. West said “It is not the duty of City Council to ensure developer profits. The duty of City Council is to serve all the citizens of Raleigh, to improve their quality of life.”
HB 765 is currently under consideration at the NC General Assembly. If passed, the bill would eliminate any local control over zoning. HB 765 was written by the Homebuilders Association and creates statewide mandates, eviscerates conditional zoning, and bars council from considering residents’ opinions. Please ask your representatives to OPPOSE HB 765
Rezoning and adding more housing alone will not solve Raleigh’s affordability challenges. To make meaningful progress rapidly, we need a comprehensive strategy that includes building a diversity of unit types and price points, expanding Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH), balancing individual ownership and institutional investment, and incentivizing developers to ensure rezoned projects get built.
Livable Raleigh supports the separation pay for firefighters and we’re disappointed the City Manager chose to leave it out of her proposed budget; Council should correct this mistake.