City Councilor Jane Harrison, District D, sends out a monthly newsletter. The current edition, Winter Come Spring, provides some important insight into the New Bern Avenue mass upzoning proposal, Z-92-22. You can subscribe to Harrison’s updates (and all the councilors) here: Council Contacts.
In “Winter Come Spring” Harrison writes:
The rezoning case Z-92-22 impacts 744 parcels & 726 acres. Council requested to review the case in phases. I expect we will focus on the area farthest east in the corridor first which has less established neighborhoods and less resident concern. Council members also recommended consideration of adopting the base TOD without upzoning. The base TOD prohibits car-centric activities and makes sure that public spaces around transit stations are comfortable for people to walk and get on the bus. It encourages high-quality plazas, street design, and pedestrian connections, something everyone can benefit from. It also adds an affordable housing density bonus. The bonus provides 50% extra height if 20% of additional units are income restricted.
We need to examine the affordable housing bonus to ensure incentivization of below-market rate developments. The bonus is unlikely to be used if parcels are allowed by right to be 4, 5, and 7 stories. Stick-built construction is doable up to 5 stories and is lower cost than steel. Affordable housing units are more costly to construct in high rise buildings.
We should also consider waiting to upzone until new affordable housing initiatives are in place. For example, the City’s Housing & Neighborhood Department is exploring the potential for a direct voucher program for renters and incentives for new developments to accept vouchers. These programs can be true gamechangers in how we take care of everyone across Raleigh. We need meaningful support in place before not after such a massive rezoning.
Councilor Harrison also had this to say from the council table at the end of the Public Hearing on January 30, 2024:
I think there is a lot of good we can do here. But, I also do want to take abundant caution when it comes to the upzoning pieces. There is someone who wrote an email in favor of all the upzoning. I just have to read this quote because this is my fear.
“A small group of people will probably get forced out of houses they are renting. But, anyone who owns property in the area gets wealthier with the stroke of a pen.“
Harrison went on to explain that if council were to enact the upzoning immediately, all the other investments intended to protect the residents from the negative impacts of gentrification and displacement would not have had the time to come to fruition. She urged caution in how we move forward on any of the upzoning pieces.
Livable Raleigh Editorial Team
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