The radical members of the old council are still controlling the council and until now have been content to say that all the hullabaloo is from “rich white folks” in Hayes Barton, a crude way of interjecting race and class into the discussion.
As more and more people from across all sectors and neighborhoods discover how the Missing Middle, and its various iterations, is dangerous to their wallets and single-family neighborhoods they are rising up to challenge the base thinking.
The fraud continues that increasing density has anything to do with affordable housing is more evident every day. The density they are creating everywhere is already bringing increased gentrification, higher rents, higher land prices, higher housing prices, and pretty soon higher taxes as the assessor figures in “comparables,” “what a willing seller and buyer are willing to agree on,” and “the highest and best use of the land.”
The facts show that more naturally occurring affordable housing—NOAHs—is being destroyed than created.
Finally, the “text change” process is antithetical to public participation. Instead of public forums discussing and debating major changes to public policy, online responses to text changes go to staff and aren’t aired. At some point, they go into effect without much public input.
I don’t need to tell you that most people don’t follow the city website notices on the front end. This is a dishonest and sneaky way of passing laws.
Our song has been and continues to be:
Restore Raleigh Zoning. Repeal the Missing Middle!
If you appreciate the kind of reporting we bring to you
|
Please donate $10 or $20, Thanks for supporting |
 |