Slot homes deliver Low Livability/Bad Neighborhood Form. Livability relates to quality of life for both those living within the new homes, as well as livability of adjacent homes. It is important for cities to prohibit these. Raleigh’s Missing Middle makes this number 1 mistake. You can see it in the Woodcrest neighborhood whose residents brought the issue to the City Council’s attention over a year ago.
I listened and watched the transportation presentation with the expectation of hearing the options to bring this project within budget. That is what I had been told for the last six months. I was wrong again on all counts. With a Council primed to go on summer hiatus, Council made a decision that will haunt this Council for many years to come – cancelling the Six Forks Road Improvement project. I tried to speak before that decision was made, as some of you saw, but I was denied.
Raleigh was a perennial top 10 city when only being compared against other large cities in the Best Places to Live rankings. But, when the candidate pool was expanded most larger cities performed poorly. It seems smaller cities are more popular than large, dense, urban, vibrant locales. And, the difference isn’t due to cost of living or even traffic concerns. It’s quality of life.
Livable Raleigh calls on City Council to reform their approach to rezoning applications. Raleigh’s Comprehensive Plan, if followed, offers a clear path to sustainable, equitable growth.
By law, rezonings are legislative actions that must be judged for consistency with the 2030CP and SAP, not just technical compliance with the UDO. The proposal to allow 20- and 30-story towers in a transition area just 240 feet from a historic neighborhood and homes isn’t judged only by whether it meets basic zoning code requirements. It must also be consistent with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan’s long-term vision, the Unified Development Ordinance’s regulatory standards, and the Capital Boulevard Corridor Study’s location-specific guidance. City Council must check if a proposal matches the plan’s maps, policies, and long-term goals, not just whether it’s profitable or popular in the short term. This proposal fails this Three-Layer Test.
Livable Raleigh and other proponents of Missing Middle best practices have lobbied Council for years to engage in a community conversation toward adopting Missing Middle infill improvements on the books in other peer cities that actually promote affordability, compatibility and walkable transit access. The latest, and perhaps best rules so far, have been adopted by Sacramento, CA.