December 5, 2023 City Council Meetings
Highlights from December 5, 2023 Council Meetings
The UDO opens a Pandora’s Box
In my view, the UDO adopted in 2013, perhaps inadvertently, opens a back door to undercut the zoning rules.
Sloppy reporting leads to confused Raleigh residents
In the recent N&O article “Missing Middle, median income and more: The housing jargon you need to know” a mistake was made in the description of missing middle housing. The article conflated housing types with housing prices.
Density does NOT create affordability
You could have negotiated to include the same number of 56 affordable units as a community benefit for the increased entitlement given to the applicant while allowing them to benefit financially from 254 additional market rate units. Maybe even go crazy and ask them to increase from 56 to 60 affordable units while still gaining 250 units at market rate. A WIN-WIN for everyone.
Benefits of affordable housing extend beyond providing a roof over one’s head
Ultimately, the transformative capacity of affordable housing extends beyond providing a roof over one’s head. It acts as a catalyst for community wide improvements, positively impacting crime rates, mental health, incarceration rates and childhood learning. This isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s essential and it’s a key requirement for a thriving community.
Former Planning Director Mitch Silver is back – now as a lobbyist paid to undercut Raleigh’s planning rules.
Speaking before Council Tuesday, Nov 7, Mitchell Silver repeated a false claim he previously made at the Planning Commission – that the Glenwood-Brooklyn neighborhood cannot have Transition Area protection from 30-40 story buildings without first completing an expensive city-mandated Area Plan. But when a Councilor asked city staff if Silver’s Area Plan requirement was true, the simple answer was ‘No’.