With the implementation of the new comprehensive plan and UDO, Phil believed there was a real opportunity for a more predictable and efficient process. Today, unfortunately, rather than following approved plans, everything seems negotiable. This undermines the whole idea of predictability and erodes the trust in the review processes and in city leadership.
In the More Homes, More Choices presentations, Patrick Young admits that the Missing Middle will not create housing that becomes affordable until at least one to two generations after it is built.
Tonight, I have given Council members a draft framework for creating housing that will be more affordable than what is being built under the guise of the Missing Middle.
In the last election for Raleigh City Council, only 2 out of 8 races resulted in a winner that received 50% or more of the vote. This isn’t necessarily the fault of the candidates participating in these races, rather this is the consequence of a plurality election with no chance for a run-off. Raleigh’s home rule charter gives the City Council the power to implement a nonpartisan primary that could be held at the same time as the state and national primaries.
I know you are frustrated. Every police captain assigned to this area has been frustrated. WE are frustrated. We are frustrated because the Sahara appears to be operating legally within current laws and zoning parameters. There are obvious loopholes in existing laws that allow this type of business to remain open until 5:30am.
First, the neighborhood meetings that are run by the applicant or their attorneys are not working. Since the developers run the meetings, the information that is being given is often very biased and not accurate coming from the applicant or their attorney. One attorney said in a neighborhood meeting that the Comprehensive Plan was no longer relevant. There was a city staffer there but they were silent.