Will the New Council Fix our Crappy Missing Middle Infill Rules and End the Lawsuits?

Will the New Council Fix our Crappy Missing Middle Infill Rules and End the Lawsuits?

Livable Raleigh and other proponents of Missing Middle best practices have lobbied Council for years to engage in a community conversation toward adopting Missing Middle infill improvements on the books in other peer cities that actually promote affordability, compatibility and walkable transit access. The latest, and perhaps best rules so far, have been adopted by Sacramento, CA.

City Council fiddles while neighborhoods are sued

City Council fiddles while neighborhoods are sued

Raleigh builder is suing a whole neighborhood to have their restrictive covenants removed to enable him to build a development of 12 townhomes on two lots that are/were two single-family homes. District C Councilor Corey Branch, who represents the neighborhood, promised to do everything in his power to fix this. Branch has done nothing.

What’s really Missing from Raleigh’s Missing Middle policy?

What’s really Missing from Raleigh’s Missing Middle policy?

City Council is on Summer Break. So, we are re-running this blog as part of our Missing Middle Week. There has been a lot of talk about missing middle housing since the city council approved a text change to legalize it (duplexes and townhomes) city-wide. This is...

Pouring Gasoline on Raleigh’s Affordable Housing Bonfire

Pouring Gasoline on Raleigh’s Affordable Housing Bonfire

Raleigh’s highly promoted public information sessions about Missing Middle Housing rules got off to a rocky start last Wednesday evening, being held a year and a half late, after the city’s neighborhood densification rules began going into effect.

Text Change would eliminate residential zoning

Text Change would eliminate residential zoning

The proposed text changes will put the safety and comfort of our communities at risk by bypassing all restrictions and neighborhood protections by allowing unregulated businesses and unwanted traffic, congestion, and visitors to enter our neighborhoods from 6am -11pm every day/night. I did not purchase a home next to a gym, nail salon, sweepstakes parlor, burger joint, manufacturing plant, clock shop, or art studio because I wanted to live in a bedroom community, not a strip mall.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road… and Raleigh Residential Neighborhoods

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road… and Raleigh Residential Neighborhoods

Jennifer Irving Kochman is a researcher and editor.  Her family has lived in Raleigh for 15 years, and she is the parent of one son who attends a public high school in Raleigh, and another who went through the WCPSS as well, and now attends UNC-Chapel Hill.  Early in...

Council poised to eliminate residential zoning

Council poised to eliminate residential zoning

  Jennifer Irving Kochman is a researcher and editor.  Her family has lived in Raleigh for 15 years, and she is the parent of one son who attends a public high school in Raleigh, and another who went through the WCPSS as well, and now attends UNC-Chapel Hill.  Early...