Work Session
- Missing Middle 2.0
Lots of changes discussed, including allowing multiple ADUs on a lot, weakening residential infill compatibility standards, allowing even more density in what were single-family neighborhoods. And nothing about affordability or historic preservation!
Examples from other cities are cited, but they leave out important protections from those same cities.
Most of council is gung-ho to get this done asap. Councilors Cox and Forte ask for more public discussion and vote against.
- Boards and Commissions Dashboard
- 30 Boards and Commissions with ~250 active members
- New online dashboard presented; currently not publicly accessible
- Councilor Cox asks that individuals not be allowed to serve on more than one board or commission at a time in order to further promote diversity
- City Policy says a person can’t serve on more than two boards at a time, but study groups don’t count (which doesn’t seem to promote diversity)
- Councilor Melton says they are having trouble filling vacancies, but currently there are only 15 vacancies out of 250 positions. Also willing and capable people have not been reappointed to Planning Commission (Bob Geary, David Novak, and Edie Jeffries).
Afternoon Session
Consent Agenda
- Service Level Agreement – Public Safety/911 Communications – William B. Umstead State Park
- Authorize City-Initiated Rezoning Application – City Owned Property 414, 416 E Cabarrus Street, 424, 428 Bloodworth Street, 504, 508, 510, 514 S East Street
- Land Use Restriction – Notice of Residual Petroleum
- Transit Overlay District (TOD) Mapping: Rezoning Authorization
- Perry Creek Outfall Replacement Project
- Contract Services – GIS Software – ESRI, Inc. – Amendment 10
- Biltmore Hills Park Stormwater Control Measures Retrofits – North Carolina State University Design and Construction License Agreement
- 809 Welford Road – Concrete Pavers and Walkway
- 4505 Tryon Road – Stormwater pipes
- Bid Award – Walnut Creek Wetland Park Improvements – Span Builders, LLC
- Bid Award – Quail Hollow Main Replacement – Carolina Civilworks, Inc.
- Bid Award – Davie Street Water and Sewer Improvements – J.F. Wilkerson Contracting Co., Inc.
- Speed Limit Reductions – Riverbrooke Drive, Trassacks Drive, Crowfield Drive, Truckland Drive, Viewmont Drive, Hayling Drive, Smooth Stone Trail, Jetton Court, Ranburne Drive, Rendition Street, Oneida Court, Mark Oak Court, Twinfield Court, Rendezvous Drive, and Polite Lane
- Multi-way Stops – Dixie Trail at Churchill Road
- Two Hour Parking Zone “School Days” – 3300 White Oak Road
- No Parking Zone – Alexander Town Boulevard
- No Parking Zone – Deana Lane
Consent agenda passed unanimously except that Councilor Cox pulled D3 about rezoning downtown property and D5 about Transit Overlay Districts. Cox suggesting turning property over to land trust to promote affordability, but staff member Larry Jarvis said it was about increasing density. And, as we know, density on its own does not promote affordability.
Public Comment
- Donna Bailey on election terms, trust, elimination of runoffs, small area plans; no response from Council
- Christina Jones on community engagement, RCAC meeting tomorrow night with new Community Engagement Manager Tiesha Hinton; no response from Council
- Tara Robbins on express connector between Midtown and Downtown; Mayor asks staff to look into this and add to future meeting agenda
- Ross Yeager on litter; asking for more trash cans; Mayor thanked speaker and asked City Manager to have DRA and Glenwood South partnership meet to discuss; Councilor Melton asks to put in Economic Development & Innovation Committee; Mayor says it would be more expedient to have staff work with those two organizations; compliments speaker on his dog
Bill Madden on non-discrimination ordinance- Richard Johnson on democracy; Mayor says staff will present information on engagement
Gene Alpin on mask mandateHelen TartDeborah Leslie Green on treesCeleste Jones on non-discrimination ordinance- Kori Hennessey on non-discrimination ordinance
- Adina Safta on concerns about downtown
Judith Willis on Z-67-20
Report and Recommendation of the Planning Commission
1. Planning Commission Report
2. Text Change TC-22-20: Multiple Module Height Method – public hearing scheduled for 11/2
3. Text Change TC-13-21: Vehicle Fuel Sales Use Standards – public hearing scheduled for 11/2
4. Rezoning Z-31-21: National Drive, at its north end (District E) – public hearing scheduled for 11/16
5. Rezoning Z-36-21: Needham Road, on its east, west, and north sides, and Forestville Road on its west side (District C) – public hearing scheduled for 11/16
6. Rezoning Z-38-21: Knowles Street, surrounding the cul-de-sac of Hammond Center Drive west of its intersection with Hammond Road. (District D) – public hearing scheduled for 11/16
7. Text Change TCZ-5-21: Woodsborough Place, south of its intersection with Hargett Street (Zoning conditions change) (District C) – public hearing scheduled for 11/2
8. Rezoning Z-40-21: Louisburg Road, on its west side, 950 feet south of Mitchell Mill Road (District B) – applicant has asked that it be held until 11/2 meeting and then public hearing be scheduled for 11/16; Councilor Cox asks that it be scheduled during an evening meeting because of public interest; Mayor says that can be decided on 11/2
Special Items
- Human Resource Policies – Policies 300-34, 300-9A and 300-35
- 300-35 – Disability Accommodations – approved unanimously
- 300-34 – Military Leave Policy – approved unanimously
- 300-9A – Leave policy – passed 7 to 1; Councilor Cox dissented because of concerns regarding firefighter leave policy
- Presentation on leave policy and accrual – Councilor Cox asks that it be referred to Committee; Councilor Buffkin asks about increases in vacancies in Parks Department; staff will share more information in Spring
2. External Request for Text Change Authorization to permit variances to certain use standards. Authorize a text change to evaluate other development standards contained in Chapter 6 which should be eligible for a variance. Passed 7 to 1 (Councilor Cox dissenting).
3. Rezoning Z-10-21: Creedmoor Road, approximately 200 feet south of its intersection with Sherborne Pl (District A); approved unanimously
4. Voter Participation, Education and Engagement. Authorized staff to bring back a proposal. Introduced Tiesha Hinton, new Community Engagement Manager.
5. Nondiscrimination Ordinance – Consideration of a Resolution that Would Allow Wake County Ordinance to Apply within the Corporate Limits of the City of Raleigh. Ordinance goes into effect in February 2022. Approved unanimously.
Report and Recommendation of the City Manager
- 911 Calls for Service Project Update – will be piloting some opportunities for improvements:
- Phase One: Analyze three years of 911 calls to understand call volume, type, response, and resolution
- Phase Two: Conduct research to identify potential response alternatives for identified call types
- Phase Three: Pilot select response alternative(s)
- Phase Four: Evaluate the effectiveness of pilot(s)
2. Raleigh Main Street Program
The City has been approached by a group of local entrepreneurs with a funding request to support the Raleigh Main Street Program. The Raleigh Main Street Program is a startup program for early stage food and beverage and retail entrepreneurs and is designed to empower local business leaders of color and those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Program proposes to offer resources, mentorship and support to early stage business owners from idea exploration to growing and scaling their businesses. Program participants would be able to participate in pre- and post-accelerator programming and would have the opportunity to be connected to test kitchen space, fundraising platforms and funds, pop-up shop opportunities, and business support resources.
Raleigh Main Street Program is seeking seed funding from the City in the amount of $584,965 to assist in covering the non-operating costs of the program including the purchase of equipment and facility upfit. In addition, the proposal requests the use of the vacant restaurant space on the ground floor of the One Exchange Plaza Building. This space was most recently occupied by the former Pizza La Stella restaurant and the group is requesting the City provide the use of this space in-kind for a three-year period.
Councilor Cox asks why this wasn’t handled as part of normal grant process the same as other nonprofits. City Manager’s answer seemed to be that it was related to previous relationships. So this council once again shows favoritism. Approved unanimously.
Report and Recommendation of the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission
- Bus Rapid Transit Recommendations – New Bern Avenue
BPAC requests:
- Removal of Existing Bike Lanes • BRT Project proposes to remove existing bike lanes on Blount Street and on Wilmington Street • Blount Street: retain existing bike lane and allow BRT to operate in mixed traffic for two blocks from Edenton to Hargett
- Loss of Street Trees • BRT Project will remove many of the existing trees in the New Bern Avenue corridor • Street trees provide safety and comfort for pedestrians • Requesting that the City petition NCDOT to allow the project to replant trees along the new sidewalks and in the median
- Lack of Dedicated BRT Lane • BRT lanes on New Bern Avenue end at Sunnybrook Road • Adding a dedicated BRT lane from Sunnybrook to New Hope will provide a safer and more comfortable pedestrian environment by creating a buffer between the sidewalks and high-speed traffic (staff says not in scope at this time)
Mayor asks staff to report back on where we are in process and what are potential issues.
Report and Recommendation of the Police Advisory Board
- FY22 Work Plan
Discussion about use of social media by Boards and Commissions.
Budget and work plan adopted.
Report and Recommendation of the Stormwater Management Advisory Commission
- FY21 Annual Report and FY22 Work Plan
Budget and work plan adopted.
Public Hearings
- Public Nuisance Abatement – Property Liens – approved unanimously
2. Annexation Petition – AX-16-21- Contiguous Inside ETJ – 5210 Beardall Street (District B) – approved unanimously
3. Annexation Annexation – AX-17-21- Contiguous Inside ETJ – 7700, 7708, 7716 Litchford Road (District A) – approved unanimously
4. Street Name Change SNC-2-2021: Denise Drive to Capital Center Drive – approved unanimously
5. Rezoning Z-24-21: Dawson Street, northeast of its intersection with Davie Street. (District D) – Councilor Cox asks about affordability; nothing included. So once again this council is giving away valuable entitlements for no community benefit. Mayor says she is uncomfortable discussing inclusionary zoning but doesn’t seem to understand the difference between mandatory (which would be illegal) versus voluntary, which is perfectly legal. And she didn’t have any trouble trying to bully a previous applicant into including a coffee shop that neither the applicant nor the neighborhood wanted. Approved 7 to 1 with Cox dissenting.
6. Rezoning Z-25-21: 9121 E Six Forks Road, at the northwest corner of its intersection with Baileywick Drive (District A). Councilor Cox asks a number of questions since this is in the Falls Lake watershed area. Approved unanimously.
7. Rezoning Z-26-21: Old Milburnie Road (Adcock Assemblage), located approximately one mile from the intersection of Old Milburnie Road and New Bern Avenue (US-64) (District C). Hearing closed so conditions can be added.
8. Rezoning Z-27-21: Old Milburnie Road (Simmons Tract), located approximately 1 mile from the intersection of Old Milburnie Road and New Bern Avenue (US-64) (District C). Approved unanimously.
9. Rezoning Z-34-21: Morson Street, on the south side of Morson Street between its intersections with Bloodworth Street and East Street (District C). Approved unanimously.
10. Rezoning Z-37-21: Falls of Neuse Road, on the southern side of Falls of Neuse Road, roughly halfway between its interchange with I-540 and its intersection with Strickland Road (District A). Approved unanimously.
11. Rezoning Z-60-20: Lake Wheeler Rd, Hammell Dr, S Saunders St, north and south of Hammell Dr at its intersection with Lake Wheeler Rd and S Saunders St (District D). Council did not grant Planning Commission’s request for an extension, so submitted without a recommendation. Councilor Cox asks about Dix Edge Area Study and affordability. Staff says Dix Edge Area Study will finish up early next year. Councilor Cox says rezoning would be more appropriate after Area Study is finished. Councilor Stewart asks about sharing parking with Dix Park. Approved unanimously.
12. Rezoning Z-67-20: 3249 Blue Ridge Road (portion of), approximately one third of a mile north of its intersection with Duraleigh Road (District E) – DELAYED
13. Comprehensive Plan Amendment CP-5-21: Area Plan Review
The request would amend Policy IM 4.3 Existing Area Plans to establish a 10-year review schedule for existing adopted area plans, after which adopted plans would be reviewed for relevancy and may be affirmed, amended or removed. The request also includes guidance on how to determine the relevancy of an adopted area plan.
Approved 6-2 with Councilors Cox and Forte opposed.
14. Text Change TC-9-21: Development Agreements
This text change amends the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) creating a new section in Art. 10.2. of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that incorporates the process for reviewing and approving development agreements as authorized in 160D Article 10 of the N.C. General Statutes. The general approval process consists of Planning Director review followed by a City Council conducted legislative hearing after which action is taken. TC-9-21 also defines the vesting and expiration policy applicable to development agreements.
Passed unanimously
15. Text Change TC-10-21: Conflicts of Interest, 160D References, Board & Commission Composition
TC-10-21 amends the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to reflect amendments made to state law (enacted as N.C. Stat. 160D) regarding local government’s authority to regulate land use and the development of land including (1) codifies current City practices regarding extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) representation on certain boards and commissions; (2) updates several state statute references in the UDO to reflect state laws that were repealed and replaced with new statute references; (3) incorporates NCGS 160D language regarding conflicts of interest into the UDO and; (4) amends the composition of the Appearance Commission due to recently taking on the quasi-judicial duties of the Planning Commission regarding design alternates.
Approved unanimously.
Report and Recommendation of the Economic Development & Innovation Committee
1. Downtown Raleigh Alliance – Public Realm Study (Outdoor Seating)
The Committee recommends directing staff to draft an ordinance which will include the new guidelines for streeteries and pedlets to be in place by January 1, 2022. Staff will work with the Downtown Raleigh Alliance to develop an appropriate fee structure. The draft will be presented to Council for consideration. Approved unanimously
Report and Recommendation of the Growth & Natural Resources Committee
Virtual meeting on 10/26 at 4pm re Wild & Exotic Animals. Will be taking public comment.
Report and Recommendation of the Safe, Vibrant, & Healthy Communities Committee
Virtual meeting on 10/26 at 11:30am re Z-53-20 and Cameron Park NCOD
Report and Recommendation of the Transportation & Transit Committee
No report and no pending items. Next meeting on November 18.
Reports from the Mayor and Council Members
- Councilor Buffkin – Town Hall on redistricting this Thursday