Don’t we want to increase our housing supply, not decrease it?

Don’t we want to increase our housing supply, not decrease it?

Every day of the year, tourists visit Oakwood to see our old houses that we work so hard to take care of. There are guided tours several times a week, and even tours by horse and carriage. We work very hard to be an amenity for the whole city. If you want a vibrant city, we are vibrant! This is only possible because we are a neighborhood, with people living in these old houses. Yet the Planning Department has been gradually rezoning our homes into office and commercial use. It’s no longer vibrant; it’s dead most of the time.

City Council Meetings October 14, 2025

City Council Meetings October 14, 2025

Updates on the Comp Plan and the Mobility Study. Public comments on the noise ordinance as well as the Big Branch Greenway connector, changes to City Boards and Commissions, community engagement, Dix Park, and issues with GoRaleigh. A number of bus drivers are concerned about their own safety and other working conditions.

Planning Department Fantasy!

Planning Department Fantasy!

Our Comprehensive Plan says building heights should transition from the Central Business District to residential neighborhoods. The planner says 30 stories is transition. FANTASY!!

Selective Policy Emphasis and a Disregard for Neighborhood Protections

Selective Policy Emphasis and a Disregard for Neighborhood Protections

Are we just counting which policies are convenient for a project and ignoring the ones that aren’t? This isn’t about stopping growth. It’s about rejecting a project that ignores codified transition areas, disregards protections for historic neighborhoods, and offers no real public benefit for on-site affordable housing.

Smashing through the Guardrails of Policy

Smashing through the Guardrails of Policy

Amazingly City Staff identified no detriments from this rezoning case. This proposed development is very close to a historic neighborhood. Why is there no reference in this document to Section 12 of the Comprehensive Plan regarding Historic Preservation? The first comment reads “Lack of transitions around historic resources which can sometimes lead to jarring juxtapositions of scale and proximity that detract from the character of the historic resource’s setting.” Has anybody read this or is even aware of this section of the Comprehensive Plan? 

Will the New Council Fix our Crappy Missing Middle Infill Rules and End the Lawsuits?

Will the New Council Fix our Crappy Missing Middle Infill Rules and End the Lawsuits?

Livable Raleigh and other proponents of Missing Middle best practices have lobbied Council for years to engage in a community conversation toward adopting Missing Middle infill improvements on the books in other peer cities that actually promote affordability, compatibility and walkable transit access. The latest, and perhaps best rules so far, have been adopted by Sacramento, CA.