Chris Crew was born in Morganton, NC and moved to Raleigh in 1964. He’s been a resident of Historic Oakwood since 1975.

Educated at NCSU and UNC-Chapel Hill, works for the State of NC in Public Safety. Preservationist, Cook, Trombonist, Brewer, Choirboy, Grandfather.

Chris spoke at a Hearing on zoning case Z-1-24 on June 18, 2024:

According to the UDO, 33% of Raleigh was rezoned in 2014. A description of purpose is laid out in the Ordinance, including the following:

Purpose C: To Conserve and protect the City’s natural beauty and setting, including trees, SCENIC VISTAS and CULTURAL and HISTORIC RESOURCES.

What percentage of that 33% resulted in Mixed, Multi-Story uses?

The UDO lays out a description of the benefits of Mixed-Use Districts:

Mixed Use Districts offer greater flexibility in use while still allowing for APPROPRIATE TRANSISTIONS BETWEEN residential/commercial/industrial areas.

Mixed Use is intended to provide attractive BUT COMPATIBLE buffers for residential districts.

Overlays add an extra set of regulations related to an environmental, cultural or infrastructure feature.

As a principle, Zoning variances associated with current relevant plans, ordinances and guidance should only be granted if it can be demonstrated that the zoning was applied in error. You’ve just heard and approved such a reasonable request. (Z-65-23)

You’ve recently granted some zoning variance that make community sense, because they specifically support the Comprehensive Plan in areas needing a boost. Others make sense because they just add a story or two without adverse impacts.

How many suitably zoned lots are there in Raleigh—vacant parking lots, defunct businesses? Promote re-development of these.

The properties in question for Z-1-24 are not “fairly close” to Oakwood and Mordecai—the proposed new property boundaries touch both.

The logical solution to a developer’s zoning “problem” is to work on a property already thus zoned, not just any old property in town.

There are good places to do this without negative preservation and neighborhood impacts. You have a trust and covenant with the people to put community good ahead of creation of specific profit opportunities for  individuals and ahead of arbitrary or capricious changes to our collectively designed and adopted ordinances.

Although the reports are unanimous, The Planning Department and Planning Commission reports on this do not make a healthy case for improperly applied zoning, nor does it demonstrate any particular social or community benefits. They do not give confidence that the existing 6” sewer and water mains can handle an additional 30-60 showers and flushes at 7am daily.

With no concessions to preservation of historic resources, viewscapes, affordable housing, neighborhood character or utility impacts, I urge you to deny this request in favor of the Preservation of two of our oldest and best-preserved neighborhoods.

NOTE: City Council approved the zoning case unanimously

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