Follow the Guidance Provided by the Planning Commission and Vote NO on Z-72-22

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 City Council on April 16, 2024.  

Shortly, you will be asked to vote on a Zoning Request involving removal of property from an established Historic District. Z-72-22 requests removal of a lot from the Prince Hall Historic District in order to circumvent guidance and regulations established in State Statute and the City of Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance. In the coming days, you will be hearing from a variety of stakeholders who will respectfully request that you consider and act on the advice of the Raleigh Planning Commission and DENY this zoning request.

NCGS 160A-400 Establishes the authority and certain processes for Cities to designate Historic Districts to engender the following benefits:

• • To stabilize and increase value and strengthen the economy of the state.
  • To safeguard the Heritage of the state by preserving important elements of culture and history
  • To promote use and conservation for the education, pleasure, and enrichment of residents of the cities, counties and the entire state.

The statute provides for the creation of cognizant local bodies and confers on them the authority to manage and maintain historic resources.

The job of a City Council Member is difficult—there are so many things that you need to know. Mechanisms exist to aid your decision-making. Commissions made up of subject matter experts filter massive amounts of data for you; advocacy organizations such as Preservation Raleigh and the Society for the Preservation of Historic Oakwood and concerned citizens acting as custodians of our heritage spend many years developing acumen, and many hours considering the implications of actions and proposals that come before you. Use the tools—rely on these committed groups and individuals to help you make wise decisions on behalf of your constituents and the city as a whole.

Z-72-22 represents the piecemeal nibbling away at protections offered to our culture and heritage for profit and in the name of density. There are many zoning requests that will come before you soon that provide benefits in terms of more housing, more job opportunities, and access and proximity to efficient public transportation. Examples include Z-54-23 and Z-36-23 S. Saunders St, and Z-46-23, Boylan Ave—these are in close proximity to historic resources, but do not have the negative impacts of Z-72-22.

FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE PROVIDED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND VOTE NO on Z-72-22.

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