I want to clarify some misinformation that continues to be spread, from this council, about CACs and their role in Raleigh’s rezoning process.
Nicole Stewart is No Environmentalist
Mayor Pro tem Nicole Stewart has long been labeled the “environmentalist” on Raleigh’s City Council. Her career as a fundraiser for the North Carolina Conservation Network doesn’t make her a champion for the environment. It simply makes her successful enough at...
Rezoning Cases — A Look Behind the Numbers
The graph below comes from a Triangle Business Journal article contending that developers are “flooding” the current council with rezoning requests because they are confident that their requests will be quickly and easily...
Adding density does not ease escalating housing costs, but does just the opposite, by driving up land values
The widening gap between housing costs and most incomes is caused by escalating land prices, not construction costs or zoning rules.
When a Community Climate Action Plan is just a veneer
Lynn Edmonds spoke at the March 16 meeting of the Raleigh City Council. Her remarks are below. Lynn is Outreach Director for Public Schools First NC. A native of Durham, NC and 30 year resident of Raleigh, she is a longtime public school advocate and...
The cost of a TIG…. Millions and Millions? Not according to Mayor Baldwin
At the March 2 evening City Council meeting during Public Comments several speakers addressed the Tax Increment Grant, or TIG, that Kane Realty has requested for its Downtown South project. Mayor Baldwin was frustrated by the figures being quoted by these speakers,...
Kane’s Stadium: The “Benefit” Is All His. Whereas Affordable Housing Would Benefit the Community — With No TIG needed.
Q: What's our take on Kane Realty's plan for a soccer stadium/"entertainment venue" in his Downtown South project? A: It's a bad idea, especially when you remember that South Wilmington Street is supposed to be a corridor for Bus Rapid Transit -- and affordable...
Do claims made about Downtown South and a possible TIG stand up to scrutiny?
A recent article about a possible Tax Incentive Grant, or TIG, for Downtown South developer John Kane included several claims. Let's examine them to see if they measure up to a reality check. The article is here Raleigh City Council Considers a Program to Save...
The NC Justice Center Opposes a TIG for Private Development
The NC Justice Center has written to the Wake County Commissioners and the Raleigh City Council expressing their concerns about the possibility of approving a Tax Increment Grant for the Downtown South project especially in this current environment of a pandemic and...
A taxpayer giveaway for a stadium right now is indefensible
For those who want to learn more about TIGs, please join Livable Raleigh this Saturday at 10am for a free community conversation with a panel of experts.
You can register at bit.ly/TIG-forum