The City is approving rezonings that directly contradict its own Comprehensive Plan and Small Area Plans, the documents meant to protect neighborhoods, historic areas, and responsible growth. When the government fails to follow its own rules, residents are left with no choice but to stand up and defend themselves.
It turns out that at that January hearing when North Hills traffic was lightly discussed, the referral to the Transportation Committee – which had been previously promised to opponents – was not for any review of North Hills traffic at all but rather for the Six Forks Corridor Project – a dead project that would have provided little if any relief for traffic congestion in North Hills.
Raleigh’s current plans provide ample opportunity to reach Raleigh’s housing and density goals without threatening the character that makes Raleigh such a desirable address.
Let’s move on from self-serving and counterproductive supply-side theories used to justify massive developments that are violating our neighborhoods and our adopted growth plans. Instead, let’s work with Wake County’s Affordable Housing Director toward solutions described in Livable Raleigh’s Affordability Agenda, to produce much more affordable housing and more growth according to our adopted plans.
The King Charles NCOD was adopted to preserve Raleigh’s first planned subdivision east of downtown. Neighborhood Conservation Overlay Districts are legislative commitments. They represent a balancing of growth and preservation through deliberate policy. Their credibility depends on predictability. If an overlay can be removed parcel-by-parcel when redevelopment pressure rises, its long-term stability becomes uncertain.
Mary-Ann Baldwin was successful in removing the public from the rezoning process with the elimination of the required meeting held at a relevant CAC. That meeting had a presentation with the applicant, a staff report by a staff member, and time to discuss all of the issues. And the applicant was not in charge. When that process was followed, the public had all of the information needed to make meaningful decisions. Now there is NO process for the public to hear what the staff report says until the Planning Commission meeting. How is the public supposed to participate?
Will Raleigh City Council Ever Face Up to Traffic Congestion in North Hills? Or Will They Just Rehash the Six Fords Road Corridor Fiasco One More Time? Find out together with us this Thursday!
The city is FAILING at providing even a fraction of what is needed for Affordable Housing. According to the last breakdown of NET LOSS of Affordable Housing, the city is losing 4,000-5,000 units a year. The Comp Plan and Missing Middle rules are NOT promoting affordability. Instead, the city continues to destroy our existing NOAH to build “luxury” housing.
Does anyone think Kane kicks in extra cash for more height out of the goodness of his heart? The simple business logic is that taller buildings add enormous profits to Kane’s bottom line. It’s just the cost of doing business to offer a small cut of his added profits to get his rezoning approved over the objections of impacted neighbors and conflicts with the community’s Midtown growth plan adopted by Council only a few years ago.
You often point to offered conditions as public benefits. The question is whether those benefits are proportionate to what is being granted. In the recent cases they were not. Doubling or tripling height should come with significantly elevated public benefits. You have leverage. Developers want to build here. Council can either insist on meaningful benefits or adhere to the plans we collectively agreed to follow.