A little more than 50 years ago, Raleigh recognized the importance of historic preservation by creating special zoning known as a Historic Overlay District. Now we have 8 of these districts. City documents suggest that “designation of historic neighborhoods or communities as local historic districts is a successful tool for maintaining a quality of life and providing economic security. Preservation has been proven to stabilize property values and stimulate new investment in older neighborhoods.”

Our historic fabric has been under threat for decades and is getting threadbare in areas—particularly in areas associated with the African American experience in downtown Raleigh.

The logical solution to a developer’s zoning “problem” is to work on a property already thus zoned, not just any old property in town.

It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. The trust bestowed in you is set forth in the Comprehensive Plan and the UDO and its premises designed and adopted with considerable stakeholder input for the long run.