Some might say we want density on the bus line. But that is a joke!! Nobody who is paying half a million dollars for a condo will ever set foot on the bus! They will get in their car, which is parked in the parking garage in the building! I’ll bet even the people in the two tiny units making 60K a year won’t ride the bus. The City is using the excuse of a bus line to allow developers to knock down our neighborhoods.
Litchford Forest zoning case Z-43-25 was scheduled for its public hearing to occur June 2. Due to inadequate public notice in the N&O, the hearing could not take place. Council did NOT follow the normal process. Instead they did a HUGE favor for the applicant and sent the case back to the Planning Commission to allow new conditions to be added despite the applicant missing the deadline to add conditions. This is just one more example of the City Council bending over backwards for developers while putting neighbors through the gauntlet an additional time.
Behind the doors of Solid Waste Services, there are years of heartache. Years of lies. Years of betrayal. Manipulation. False accusations. Suffering stacked on suffering.
One of the things that has always made Raleigh special is the active involvement of its residents. Our city has long benefited from citizens who are willing to volunteer their time, share their expertise, and participate in shaping the future of their neighborhoods and our community. That tradition is worth preserving.
More than 75 residents gathered June 4 at the Tarboro Road Community Center for a Livable Raleigh forum on the city’s affordable housing crisis, where five longtime community leaders shared recommendations for addressing displacement and preserving affordable communities. If you weren’t able to attend you can watch the video now.
The City Planning Staff advocates on behalf of individual development interests. When was the last time Planning acknowledged any negative impact in their review of a zoning change request? Where is the advocacy for the people and for the plan they devised and adopted with stakeholder input?
In recent polling 85% of Raleigh citizens across all demographics support increased funding of Raleigh Police. So as we enter the 2027 budget cycle, I’m here to encourage continued investment in public safety. A safe city depends on a fully staffed and supported police department. And RPD still faces significant staffing challenges, with roughly 80 vacancies among its 798 approved officer positions.
I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongue. This is not about what is, it’s about what can become. A vibrant tree canopy to grow 24,000 strong. City of Oaks, Grow them with care. Give them clean water. And feed them fresh air. This is the future we ask you to share.
I am asking this Council to direct staff to implement a case-by-case evaluation process for TOD projects in established neighborhoods. Density bonuses should be contingent upon: Infrastructure Alignment, Public Benefit and Safety Verification. Raleigh needs smart growth, but blanket policies that ignore physical infrastructure risk displacing the very communities they intend to serve.
Eight neighbors from Litchford Forest spoke at the Public Comment Session asking City Council to uphold the decision of the Planning Commission which voted 8-1 to DENY rezoning case Z-43-25.