February 20, 2024 City Council Meetings

February 20, 2024 City Council Meetings

HIGHLIGHTS At work session staff outlined plan for adopting a new comprehensive plan. A robust community engagement process is proposed. Hopefully they will include presentations to CACs. Comprehensive Plan Amendment CP-4-23: Downtown Transition Areas...

January 30, 2024 City Council Meeting Highlights

January 30, 2024 City Council Meeting Highlights

A. 7:00 P.M. EVENING AGENDA B. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER BY THE MAYOR C. MATTERS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING 1. Comprehensive Plan Amendment CP-7-22: New Bern Station Area Planning 2. Rezoning Z-92-22: New Bern Station Area Planning, 744...

Follow Planning Best Practices: Use BRT to Revitalize Neighborhoods, Not Remove Them.

Follow Planning Best Practices: Use BRT to Revitalize Neighborhoods, Not Remove Them.

Livable Raleigh’s position is that while adding density along BRT corridors is a desirable goal, the impact of the $97M New Bern Avenue BRT project alone will create a tremendous incentive for dense organic redevelopment that incentivizes economically viable affordable housing height bonuses up to 5 stories – and not above. The effect of the proposed 744 parcel upzoning, Z-92-22 (which ironically leaves out the zero-density Raleigh Country Club) will not only eliminate most opportunities to incentivize and negotiate affordable housing units, but will also accelerate the displacement of all low wealth and Black households in the corridor – in direct conflict with the city’s adopted ETOD vision to reverse displacement.

Guidelines for Deciding Rezoning Cases

Guidelines for Deciding Rezoning Cases

Livable Raleigh calls on City Council to reform their approach to rezoning applications. Raleigh’s Comprehensive Plan, if followed, offers a clear path to sustainable, equitable growth.

Density does NOT create affordability

Density does NOT create affordability

You could have negotiated to include the same number of 56 affordable units as a community benefit for the increased entitlement given to the applicant while allowing them to benefit financially from 154 additional market rate units. Maybe even go crazy and ask them to increase from 56 to 60 affordable units while still gaining 250 units at market rate. A WIN-WIN for everyone.

Former Planning Director Mitch Silver is back – now as a lobbyist paid to undercut Raleigh’s planning rules.

Former Planning Director Mitch Silver is back – now as a lobbyist paid to undercut Raleigh’s planning rules.

Speaking before Council Tuesday, Nov 7, Mitchell Silver repeated a false claim he previously made at the Planning Commission – that the Glenwood-Brooklyn neighborhood cannot have Transition Area protection from 30-40 story buildings without first completing an expensive city-mandated Area Plan. But when a Councilor asked city staff if Silver’s Area Plan requirement was true, the simple answer was ‘No’.

Councilor Harrison reverses course on making decisions based on policy

Councilor Harrison reverses course on making decisions based on policy

Councilor Harrison parted ways with the other three new members of Raleigh’s City Council (Black, Patton and Jones). The group usually forms a coalition that is more skeptical of intense development outside the Central Business District and close to established neighborhoods. Instead Harrison provided the swing vote for the pro-developer faction of Council and voted to approve the controversial rezoning of Shaw University. Minutes after being instructed by the City Attorney that this case is a LAND-USE decision, Harrison tossed out the land-use policies that should have guided her decision and based her decision on an irrelevant point about the Prince Hall Overlay District.

Raleigh must refocus its vision for affordable housing

Raleigh must refocus its vision for affordable housing

Intentional or not, staff’s interpretations of the Comp Plan and Missing Middle rules are not promoting affordability. Instead they promote the destruction of existing affordable units in favor of market rate and luxury units that drive up land and housing costs. Over 4,000 units lost each year according to the city’s own data, making Raleigh’s affordable housing crisis worse, not better.

Shaw rezoning, use your Head and your Heart

Shaw rezoning, use your Head and your Heart

Last week we explained why you know in your heart that the Shaw rezoning application should not be approved. Now we will explain how in your head you can understand the proposal is not in line with the policies of Raleigh’s Comprehensive Plan.