“The lack of serious communication in the past few days is also symptomatic of an unwillingness to listen.” — Henry Sarnoff, Prof. Emeritus, NCSU
Fast tracking this project is a betrayal of your relationship with the citizens
Longtime Raleigh resident, Rachel Wooten, PhD, delivered the following remarks to the Mayor and City Council for public comment Dec 1, 2020 To Mayor Baldwin and Council Members, I have just sent an email to you as a member of ONE Wake. I am following up with a...
Profiles in Courage
As the largest development proposal ever seen in Raleigh, John Kane’s Downtown South Project challenges all the normal processes for judging community impacts and benefits. The political pressure for quick approval is equally off the charts, so much so that the City...
Baldwin & Council majority set surprise Dec. 15 public hearing on Kane’s “Downtown South” scheme: Fast-track to approval?
The Planning Commission is still looking at it, and City Council was not scheduled to meet again until January. You know, "Deck the Halls?" Until, that is, Mayor Baldwin and her band of Council followers stepped in to fast-track developer John Kane's "Downtown South"...
At Kane site in South Raleigh, residents choose a new neighborhood over a 2nd Downtown
Until Kane pitched his “New Downtown” scheme, the City showed smaller-scale “Transit-Oriented Development” on South Wilmington Street — because it’s a future Bus Rapid Transit corridor.
The Wake County Housing Justice Coalition gives voice to Raleigh residents threatened by a perfect storm of pandemic-magnified racial, environmental and economic injustices
Kudos to the Wake County Housing Justice Coalition (WCHJC) for their Virtual Public Forum on November 23, lifting the voices of those who would be most impacted by John Kane‘s Downtown South project. With the decline in local, independent investigative news reporting,...
Stick to the Plan — Raleigh’s Comprehensive Plan
Raleigh’s Comprehensive Plan makes a clear commitment to sustainability and focuses on the “interdependent relationships of environmental stewardship, economic strength and social integrity.” It emphasizes the provision of economic and housing opportunities for all segments of the population in all areas of the city… including “aging in place.” It strongly promotes protection, restoration and preservation of the environment and existing neighborhoods; “of careful infill development that complements existing character and responds to natural features” … “the conservation of urban, suburban and native forests” … “preserving its natural landscapes” … “wildlife and habitat protection” and on and on.
Planning Commissioner Nicole Bennett nails what’s missing in Kane’s “Downtown South” scheme: The Public Interest.
The public interest, Bennett says, must take into account the people and communities that will feel the impact of what is built. Will they see any benefits? Or only the negative consequences?
The more people want to speak to City Council, the less Mary-Ann Baldwin wants to hear. Really.
If more people sign up to speak to City Council, Baldwin suggests, that should result in all of them getting less time.
Bob Geary on the Downtown South rezoning: City Council’s 3 shady moves that need to STOP
To put it mildly, this is what you call bass ackwards. The benefits should be offered and agreed to first, before the rezoning is considered, and while the city still has leverage.