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The truth about Raleigh’s CACs
Since the February 4, 2020 surprise vote by the Raleigh City Council to abolish City support of CACs, you may have heard that Raleigh's Citizen Advisory Councils were not diverse or representative of Raleigh's population. This is simply not true as the above photo...
Must See Video on NOAHs: Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing
Believe it or not, Raleigh has some Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing and we believe these properties should be supported and protected. The Wake County Housing Justice Coalition (WCHJC) hosted an informative webinar on NOAHs on March 31st. They provided five...
Rezoning Cases — A Look Behind the Numbers
The graph below comes from a Triangle Business Journal article contending that developers are “flooding” the current council with rezoning requests because they are confident that their requests will be quickly and easily...
Adding density does not ease escalating housing costs, but does just the opposite, by driving up land values
The widening gap between housing costs and most incomes is caused by escalating land prices, not construction costs or zoning rules.
Indyweek on Citizen Engagement, Raleigh-style: Out With the Old, In With … a Plan to Have a Plan? (Maybe With CACs! Just Like the Old Plan!)
In his 18-page report to the city council last week, Mickey Fearn—the consultant the city hired to study and make recommendations on how the city can best engage its residents with government processes and initiatives—all but suggests resurrecting CACs, or “community...
Council once again ignores Planning Commission, engaged citizens, and Raleigh’s Comprehensive Plan
At the March 16 City Council meeting, Council voted 5 to 3 to approve rezoning case Z-45-20. Councilor David Cox, who represents the District, was joined in his opposition by Councilors Branch and Forte. The up-zoning of this property allows greater height and reduces...
When a Community Climate Action Plan is just a veneer
Lynn Edmonds spoke at the March 16 meeting of the Raleigh City Council. Her remarks are below. Lynn is Outreach Director for Public Schools First NC. A native of Durham, NC and 30 year resident of Raleigh, she is a longtime public school advocate and...
The cost of a TIG…. Millions and Millions? Not according to Mayor Baldwin
At the March 2 evening City Council meeting during Public Comments several speakers addressed the Tax Increment Grant, or TIG, that Kane Realty has requested for its Downtown South project. Mayor Baldwin was frustrated by the figures being quoted by these speakers,...
Kane’s Stadium: The “Benefit” Is All His. Whereas Affordable Housing Would Benefit the Community — With No TIG needed.
Q: What's our take on Kane Realty's plan for a soccer stadium/"entertainment venue" in his Downtown South project? A: It's a bad idea, especially when you remember that South Wilmington Street is supposed to be a corridor for Bus Rapid Transit -- and affordable...
Do claims made about Downtown South and a possible TIG stand up to scrutiny?
A recent article about a possible Tax Incentive Grant, or TIG, for Downtown South developer John Kane included several claims. Let's examine them to see if they measure up to a reality check. The article is here Raleigh City Council Considers a Program to Save...
Patrick Buffkin – Withheld Videos Revealed
District A Councilor, Patrick Buffkin, has held three virtual Town Hall meetings since the pandemic has shut down in-person gatherings. The first was April 28, 2020. The second on Sept 29, 2020. And, the most recent was Feb 11, 2021. All other councilors who have...
The NC Justice Center Opposes a TIG for Private Development
The NC Justice Center has written to the Wake County Commissioners and the Raleigh City Council expressing their concerns about the possibility of approving a Tax Increment Grant for the Downtown South project especially in this current environment of a pandemic and...
A taxpayer giveaway for a stadium right now is indefensible
For those who want to learn more about TIGs, please join Livable Raleigh this Saturday at 10am for a free community conversation with a panel of experts.
You can register at bit.ly/TIG-forum
Study Group on Council Terms/ Salaries and Voter Engagement/ Participation
City Council created a study group to explore if and how the council’s structure should change. That could include increasing terms from two to four years, upping council members’ pay (currently $17,412 for what’s considered a part-time job), and expanding the...
Can Raleigh Become a Leader in Addressing Climate Change?
Linda Watson, a former member of Raleigh's Environmental Advisory Board, sent the following letter to the members of the Growth and Natural Resources Committee and the full City Council prior to the 1/26/21 GNR committee meeting. She points out Raleigh's climate goals...
This Council abused its white privilege to suppress all Black CAC voices
One year ago, this Council used the excuse of ‘too much white CAC privilege’ to justify and conceal their own white privileged suppression of all Black CAC voices.
Feb. 4: One Year Today Since the CACs Were Gutted by Mayor Baldwin’s Council, and Still No Replacement In Sight
Today, February 4, is exactly one year since Mayor Baldwin and her City Council mates voted to gut the 18 Citizens Advisory Councils, leaving Raleigh without any functioning system for bringing citizens into city government. You may recall that Baldwin launched...
Hey Raleigh: You Could Lead … Follow … Or, Get Out of the Way.
When Mary-Ann Baldwin was a candidate for mayor, she had this to say about Durham: "Durham’s got it going on. Every time I go to Durham, I’m like, wow, this is happening. And that is leadership, plain and simple. [Durham Mayor] Steve Schewel has thrown down the...
Warning: Kane Realty’s tax “ask” for “Downtown South” project could cost us mere taxpayers $450 million — or more
For all the attention it's getting in the press -- which is none -- you might think that Kane Realty has given up trying to avoid paying property taxes on the so-called Downtown South Project. In fact, however, Kane's man Bonner Gaylord, the former Raleigh City...
Stewart and Baldwin: Don’t Speak TRUTH to Power. Speak NICE to Power!
Raleigh resident Tim Niles delivered the following comments at City Council's Jan 19 meeting during the public comment period. Following Mr. Niles' transcribed comments is a discussion of likely Councilor violations of Council's own Code of Conduct. Tim Niles: Last...