It would be reasonable for you to believe that once Silver was elected to City Council in November 2024, just one year after being paid to represent the West St property owner, he would feel obligated to recuse himself from any future City Council actions related to this property. But, Silver has stated publicly that he has no intention of recusing himself from voting on this rezoning case when it comes before the City Council.
When this case came before you last, you rightly denied the 40-story request at Peace & West streets — acknowledging the need for a height transition next to moderate density residential. Since then, the Comprehensive Plan has been updated to reflect that transition zone — recognizing the clear need for compatibility between new development and established communities. Yet here we are again. The applicant is now seeking 30 stories—still wildly out of scale. The Comprehensive Plan designates this as a “Downtown Transition Area”—a place where height is meant to step down, not surge upward. A 12-story limit allows for nearly 550 units. That’s meaningful density.
2nd Developer Hosted Neighbors’ Meeting. We need to make ourselves heard. It is about all Raleigh neighborhoods and Raleigh’s Future. This is a BAD project for Raleigh and would set a dangerous precedent that will affect all neighborhoods. Wear RED and PACK the ROOM
The Capital Boulevard Corridor Study (CBCS) is an area plan companion to the Comprehensive Plan. The CBCS specifies the Historic Glenwood/Brooklyn Neighborhood (HGBN) and recommends heights in the study area ranging from three stories at the neighborhood edge, up to twelve stories in areas well separated from neighborhoods. Councilor Silver campaigned on keeping development consistent with our Plans.
The N&O has twice [April 15 & May 30] quoted Livable Raleigh describing council candidate Mitchell Silver as a “development lobbyist.” Raleigh residents have every right to question where Silver’s allegiances lie. Just ask the Glenwood-Brooklyn neighbors who were hit twice with his trendy but false pitch for 30-40 story towers next door.
At the April 4th Council meeting Donna Bailey shared a video showing Mary-Ann Baldwin’s embarrassing style of governing. Bailey’s video shows Baldwin abusing her elected position to promote a big donor’s rezoning by suppressing fellow Councilor Jane Harrison’s participation in the rezoning discussion.
When residents are telling you that your project is causing gentrification and displacement, your response should not be to double down and steamroll the people.
First we “Showed You the Money.” Then we “Followed the Money.” In this third of our series about the money in Raleigh’s politics, we examine the effects of Special Interest money pouring into the campaigns.
As a follow-up to Livable Raleigh’s previous blog, “Show Me the Money”, about the development community money spent in the 2019 City Council election, this time we look at the specifics for individual Councilors.
With your help, we are expanding our outreach and partnerships to engage voters and candidates about the most important city issues and highlighting the better answers Raleigh residents want and deserve.