Monday, Jan 11 the Board of Commissioners in Hillsborough, North Carolina voted to pass an ordinance broadly protecting members of the LGBTQ community from discrimination. The vote makes Hillsborough, a town with a population of 7,000 people, the first municipality in...
Raleigh’s Leaders’ Moment to Listen
Raleigh is at a pivotal moment, a moment where leaders must listen. For a city that has received so much praise for its quality of life as a great place to live, work, and raise a family, Raleigh’s leadership is being questioned by its most important stakeholders, the community.
Citizens Speak Out: When Council Silenced the CACs, Black Communities Suffered Most
The son of one of Raleigh’s first Black City Councilors speaks out against gentrification in Raleigh. He says this Council’s abolition of CACs “leaves Raleigh’s heart open to knives that will cut neighborhoods and communities up”.
Planning Commission votes 8-0 to deny current Downtown South Project and calls for a revised and improved project.
After six weeks of special meetings and intense analysis, the Raleigh Planning Commission found the Downtown South Project, the largest development proposal ever in Raleigh, to be fundamentally inconsistent with Raleigh’s adopted policies for environmental protection,...
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"...
Yolanda Taylor shares recommendations from the Wake County Housing Justice Coalition
Now that voters have passed an affordable housing bond in Raleigh, it's time to roll up our sleeves and remain engaged. Here are recommendations from the Wake County Housing Justice Coalition's Yolanda Taylor for a plan forward towards ensuring that Raleigh grows as...
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?
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.
City Council “Acts” to Fix the Affordable Housing Bond. Their Action Was Little and Very Late.
“My quick analysis is that the recommendations are better than nothing, but they fall far short of what’s needed to help those in the greatest need. … Raleigh, we STILL have a problem.”








