City Council: We Have A Problem

The neighbors support the current zoning which allows for 12 stories.

12 stories IS DENSITY

12 stories provides needed housing

It’s been about a year, but here we are again. I appreciate the time to talk to the Mayor and City Council members.

I’m here to speak specifically about the special item asking for a waiver for the 24-month waiting period for Z-54-22.

It does not meet the materially changed condition for that waiver that would improve acceptability and viability for this project because the transition zone at the site actually adds another inconsistency to the policies that this is already inconsistent with.

It goes against all four major plans that guide height, density, and planning in this area. Not only the Comprehensive Plan, but the Capital Boulevard Corridor Study as well as the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Guidebook and the Downtown Plan itself.

Read the details here: Raleigh Neighbors United 

Councilman Mitch Silver has talked many times about the Capital Boulevard Corridor Study being a key development guiding plan for this area. It designates very specifically three stories at the neighborhood edge, 12 stories well separated from neighborhoods.

The Comprehensive Plan, 30 stories, as this request would ask for, violates many different Comprehensive Plan policies, three different core definitions, as well as two different tables, one of which is the main height guiding table, LU2. This area is designated as general. Height is restricted to 3-12 stories.

Thirty stories would also violate the approved Downtown Transition Area that was applied to the neighborhood. Staff very specifically stated that any other rezonings would have a higher bar to come across because that was another policy that it would be inconsistent with.

While the area is not currently in a transit zone, I hope it will be soon because I want that ridership. I want public transportation. I want our city to grow and I want it to be vibrant, but the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Guidebook is very clear on transitions from density and height near stations to engaged neighborhoods, to engaged lower density. It has stated  “graceful transitions” as it’s quoted.

North Hills is shown as an example of how you can have height and density that doesn’t overwhelm a neighborhood, but engages that neighborhood.

Lastly the Downtown Plan specifically has illustrations that show 7-8 stories in this area.

Additionally, note that I don’t believe it meets the substantially changed rezoning request itself, because it isn’t a substantial change. Adding money to the Affordable Housing budget is admirable, but is a very small part of what their overall plan could be. It doesn’t take into account 33% of the additional units should be affordable for additional height. And this height was already given to the area. It went from 3 to 12 stories back in 2015. I would just ask that it be denied based on it not meeting the requirements.

Notes:

This proposal for 30 stories violates 4 plans, 47 policies, 2 tables, 3 core definitions and many text sections. Violations include: height, transition, density, transportation, and historical preservation.

Read the details here: Raleigh Neighbors United 

Raleigh does not have a lack of entitlement to build housing. Since December 2019 the City Council has approved rezoning requests for more than 101,000 housing units.

Z-54-22 was a previous request to upzone the property at the corner of Peace & West Streets from the current allowance of 12 stories up to 30 stories. It was denied by City Council by a vote of 6 – 2 in May of 2023. The developer plans to bring it back for another try.

A waiver requires material changes from the previous request or materially changed conditions. The only change to the proposal was $1.2M for the affordable housing fund, 0.4% of the project value with no built units onsite. This is not a materially changed proposal. The only changed condition since this case was previously denied is the designation of the property as a Downtown Transition Area which sets the maximum height at 12 stories. This does not improve the conditions for the rezoning but makes it less compliant. Rezoning Waiver Request 

A substantial change should have included a change addressing the biggest issue with the request which is the height as Councilor Harrison pointed out during the public hearing.

The City Council did grant the waiver. So, the request to upzone this property from 12 stories to 30 stories despite ALL the city policies it violates, will be coming back.

Table LU-2 – Recommended Height Designations

Downtown Transition Areas are identified in the map below by the blue highlighted areas. These areas are intended to be protected from the extreme heights of the Central Business District by offering “Appropriate transitions in height, scale and design.”

Map DT-2 Downtown Transition Areas

If a 30 story tower is approved at this location in a designated Downtown Transition Area, then ALL the other neighborhoods noted on this map and currently protected by Downtown Transition Areas (shown in blue) are at risk. This is a dangerous precedent to set.

The neighbors support the current zoning which allows for 12 stories.

12 stories IS DENSITY

12 stories provides needed housing

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