November 2 City Council Meeting

Afternoon Session

Recognition of Special Awards

Consent Agenda Process

  • Appearance Commission – Membership Categories – Rules of Procedure – Reappointments
  • Annexation Petition-AX-19-21-Deferral- Contiguous Inside ETJ – 5420 Ebenezer Church Road (District E)
  • Annexation Petition – Contiguous -Outside ETJ -2932, 2933, 3013, 3029, & 3033 Watkins Town Road; 1505 Old Watkins Road; and 0 Old Milburnie Road (District B)
  • Federal Community Development Block Grant – Supplemental Allocation – Funding Recommendations
  • Community Policing Development De-escalation Training – U.S. Department of Justice – 2021 Grant Award
  • High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Grant Award – Office of National Drug Control and Policy – 2021 Grant Award
  • Utility Station and Gas Pipeline Easement – Dominion Energy – Neuse River Resource Recovery Facility
  • Municipal Agreement – Traffic Signs and Pavement Markings – NC Department of Transportation
  • Professional Services – On Call Engineering Services – Dewberry Engineers, Inc. – Contract Amendment No. Two
  • Professional Services – Green Stormwater Infrastructure – Tetra Tech Engineering, P.C. – Amendment No. 10
  • Professional Services – Employee Health Center Medical Services – Allen Mask, MD
  • License Agreement – Greenway Trail Connection on City Owned Greenway Easement
  • Lake Johnson Trail Structures
  • Neighborhood & Community Connections to Parks and Greenways

Councilor Cox pulled this item for discussion because statistics show that District B is being shortchanged despite a 61% minority population according to 2020 census data. This is concerning because it seems to not conform to health equity guidelines. Staff responded that they did not take District boundaries into account. Councilors Stewart and Buffkin suggested moving ahead and looking to rectify with future opportunities. Councilor Branch asked that staff provide demographic data connected to parks.

  • Oakwood Avenue and Hill Street – No Parking Bike Lanes
  • Speed Limit Reductions – Starmount Drive, Quarry Street, Chatham Lane, Pemberton Drive, Arnold Palmer Drive, Gaston Street, and Hoyle Drive
  • No Parking Zone – 5700 Waycross Street
  • Multi-way Stops – N. Boylan Avenue at W. Johnson Street and N. West Street at W. Johnson Street

Report and Recommendation of the Planning Commission

  1. Planning Commission Report

The following items are scheduled for public hearing at the City Council meeting on November 16, 2021.

  • Public Nuisance Abatements (6 properties)
  • Rezoning Z-31-21 – National Drive (District E)
  • Rezoning Z-36-21 – Needham Road (District C, future)
  • Rezoning Z-38-21 – Knowles Street (District D)

2. Comprehensive Plan Amendments CP-4-21 Missing Middle Housing – 11/16 public hearing recommended

3. Text Change: TC-6-21 Tiny Houses – 11/16 public hearing recommended, but moved to 12/7 at Councilor Cox’s request

4. Rezoning Z-28-21: Watkins Town Road, on both sides of Watkins Town Road, between Watkins Road and Old Watkins Road (If annexed, District B) – still awaiting signed conditions, so can’t address today, but hope to schedule public hearing on 12/7

5. Rezoning Z-39-21: Whitfield Road, at the intersection of Whitfield Road and Battle Bridge Road, less than 1 mile from Battle Bridge Road intersection with Rock Quarry Road (District C) – 12/7 public hearing recommended

6. Rezoning Z-68-20 Hillsborough Street and Bagwell Avenue, at the northeast corner of the intersection (District D) – 12/7 public hearing recommended. Councilor Forte moves that it be sent to committee because of community concerns. Councilor Cox seconds motion. Mayor calls it a poor precedent to send something to committee before a public hearing. Motion to send to committee passes 5-3 with Baldwin, Melton, and Stewart in opposition.

Special Items

1. Rezoning Z-26-21: Old Milburnie Road (Adcock Assemblage), located approximately one mile from the intersection of Old Milburnie Road and New Bern Avenue (US-64) (District C). Approved unanimously.

2. Rezoning Z-40-21: Louisburg Road, on its west side, 950 feet south of Mitchell Mill Road (District B). Unanimous vote to hold at table. Councilor Cox indicated he wants to send this to committee because of public interest and concern. Councilor Knight suggests Council agree on a process for when to send rezonings to committee and when to schedule public hearing.

3. Text Change TC-12-21: Accessory Commercial Units – Draft Ordinance and Outreach Plan. Sent to Planning Commission by a 7-1 vote (Councilor Cox dissented). This will allow more commercial uses in residential neighborhoods.

4. Voter Participation, Education and Engagement Strategy

New Community Engagement Manager presented plans which don’t seem any new or different from current inadequate engagement strategies. Input on council terms and salaries would be gathered during the holiday season, with voter education beginning in February. Councilor Cox asks for more listening sessions. Councilor Buffkin says there’s been enough listening even though the Study Group took no public input and the mayor said the “lightning round” where members of the public had one minute each to comment would be just a first step. Buffkin pointed out that Wake County Commissioners just extended their own terms and are planning to increase their own salaries, so Raleigh should do so quickly as well. City Attorney says deadline for making changes depends on whether or not council wants to put these recommendations on a ballot or just approve on their own. Mayor says there will be further discussion.

Report and Recommendation of the City Manager

1. Carolina Small Business Development Fund – ARPA Small Business Assistance Grant Proposal. Approved unanimously.

2. Human Relations Commission ARPA Grant Recommendations. Councilor Melton recused because he is on the board of one of the organizations recommended for funding. Approved unanimously.

3. City Manager asked for approval to grant an additional $1 million to smaller agencies doing good work but who don’t have the resources for things like audits. Passed unanimously.

4. Staff is 80% vaccinated.

Report and Recommendation of the Human Relations Commission

  1. Human Relations Commission Annual Work Plan. Approved unanimously.

Report and Recommendation of the Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board

  1. John Chavis Memorial Park – Outdoor Track – Naming Request. Denied 7-1 (Force opposed).

Report and Recommendation of the Economic Development and Innovation Committee

  1. No Report
  2. Next meeting on 11/23.

Report and Recommendation of the Growth and Natural Resources Committee

  1. No Report. Informational discussion at last meeting regarding exotic animals.
  2. Next meeting on 11/23 at 4pm virtually.

Report and Recommendation of the Safe, Vibrant, and Healthy Communities Committee

1. Cameron Park Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District (NCOD) – Text Change Request. Approved unanimously.

2. Rezoning Z-53-20 – 4508, 4512, 4516, 4519, 4600, and 4707 Lead Mine Road. Motion to send back to committee failed 5-3 (Buffkin, Cox, and Forte voted in favor of sending to committee). Approved 5-3 (Buffkin, Cox, and Forte opposed).

3. Next meeting on 11/23 on 11/30 with Z-68-20 on agenda.

Report and Recommendation of the Transportation and Transit Committee

  1. No Report & No Items Pending

Report from the Mayor and City Council

  • Councilor Knight holding 12/1 Town Hall.
  • Councilor Branch holding 11/18 District C meeting.
  • Councilor Branch attended One Wake’s property tax meeting and committed to helping. Moved City staff work with county staff on the issue. Approved unanimously.
  • Councilor Buffkin asked staff to streamline and clarify amplified noise permit process. Approved unanimously.
  • Councilor Stewart asked that staff be directed to create three maps, use Council Terms Study Group to get public input, and get objective input and report back to February council meeting for public hearing. Councilor Cox said Council Terms Study Group is not appropriate group (too political) to review and that maps should be drawn up after public comment. Buffkin says Council Terms Study Group is appropriate. Motion passes 7-1 (Cox dissents).
  • Mayor Baldwin says Raleigh will mirror County’s mask mandate policy.

Evening Session

Public Comment

Normally public comment speakers get 3 minutes each. The Mayor and Council majority introduced new procedures to cut the time to 2 minutes if 20 or more speakers. Speakers were notified that their time was cut to 2 minutes, despite only 19 speakers having signed up.

  • Octavia Rainey on Infill Development negatively changing neighborhood character
  • Christina Jones on lack of community engagement, especially with regard to TC-19-20
  • Donna Bailey on Cameron Village/Hillsborough Street Small Area Plan and Z-68-20. Huge amounts of money and time were invested in creating the Small Area Plan which is only three years old. Respect the process and guidance.
  • Sergey Kesel on Parking issues. Mayor says these issues have previously been dealt with.
  • Julia Khoury thanking council for giving permission to continue playing amplified music on restaurant’s patio. Mayor thanks speaker.
  • Cathy Rudisill on Parking issues, especially rules about residential parking permits currently only applying to single-family homes. Mayor asks staff to look into the issue.
  • Cole McMullin on support for union. Mayor asks staff to review.
  • Jessica Mayer regarding parking
  • James Iademarco regarding parking in their community near Umstead. Mayor asks staff to follow up.
  • Frank Harmon against Z-68-20
  • Susan Maruyama on One Wake’s tax relief proposal. Mayor thanked Susan for acknowledging Branch and Forte. Mayor says there are state rules regarding current program and wants to help promote it. But what she didn’t say is that the current program doesn’t help enough people.
  • Cheryl Tung, League of Women Voters, on suggestions to improve Voter Engagement, especially around Redistricting.
  • Hwa Huang on Wake County Housing Justice Coalition’s Eviction Clinic and Affordable Housing and Gentrification
  • Douglas Johnson on Dix Park
  • Adina Safta on Fayetteville Street. Asked the mayor to resign
  • Richard Johnson on influence peddling
  • Kathleen Milligan regarding parking
  • Wanda Gilbert-Coker regarding gentrification
  • Gerri Miller regarding protecting large trees. Mayor says committee and staff are looking at this.

Public Hearings

1. Sewer Assessment Roll 1358 -Westinghouse Boulevard (District B). Approved unanimously.

2. Sewer Assessment Roll 1357 – Hill Street (District B). Approved unanimously.

3. Rezoning Z-67-20: 3249 Blue Ridge Road (portion of), approximately one third of a mile north of its intersection with Duraleigh Road (District E). Hearing continued from October 19 for applicant to offer additional conditions. Neighbor asks for additional time to negotiate. Council votes unanimously to approve.

4. Rezoning Z-46-21: South and Saunders, in the northeast quadrant of the West South Street and South Saunders Street intersection (District D). Approved unanimously.

5. Text Change Zoning Conditions TCZ-5-21: Woodsborough Place, south of intersection with Hargett Street (District C). Approved unanimously.

6. Comprehensive Plan Amendment CP-8-21: Rock Quarry/Battle Bridge (District C). Approved unanimousy.

7. Text Change TC-22-20: Multiple Module Height Method. Approved unanimously.

8. Text Change TC-13-21: Vehicle Fuel Sales Use Standards. Held for two weeks for staff to bring back more information.