Wake County Superior Court judge, in a memorandum decision, indicated the City of Raleigh Board of Adjustment (“BOA”) erred last summer when it approved the City staff’s approval of the application to build a Missing Middle compact subdivision comprised of 17 townhomes at 908 Williamson Drive.
May 14 City Council Meetings
Highlights from May 14 work session and public comments session
Follow Planning Best Practices: Use BRT to Revitalize Neighborhoods, Not Remove Them.
Livable Raleigh’s position is that while adding density along BRT corridors is a desirable goal, the impact of the $97M New Bern Avenue BRT project alone will create a tremendous incentive for dense organic redevelopment that incentivizes economically viable affordable housing height bonuses up to 5 stories – and not above. The effect of the proposed 744 parcel upzoning, Z-92-22 (which ironically leaves out the zero-density Raleigh Country Club) will not only eliminate most opportunities to incentivize and negotiate affordable housing units, but will also accelerate the displacement of all low wealth and Black households in the corridor – in direct conflict with the city’s adopted ETOD vision to reverse displacement.
Guidelines for Deciding Rezoning Cases
Livable Raleigh calls on City Council to reform their approach to rezoning applications. Raleigh’s Comprehensive Plan, if followed, offers a clear path to sustainable, equitable growth.
Councilor Melton promotes “Alternative Facts”
Every month Councilor Jonathan Melton publishes a newsletter summarizing the actions of City Concil for that month. In his April report, he included a bonus from the May 2nd meeting which was an explanation for his vote on the zoning case Z-54-22, Peace & West Streets. It’s filled with misinformation.
Stick to the plan.
Contrary to comments by planning staff, the Comprehensive plan is the guide today, regardless of whether it gets amended in the future. The same is true for the Future Land Use map but, if this application is approved, the area zoning will be changed to accommodate the new building heights for anything being proposed in the future. As a local land use attorney has said, “you have the facts to come to a proper decision on this case without waiting for the details on a future Development Agreement that, in itself, will be controversial and an anchor on the City Budget for the next ten years.
Do City Plans Matter?
With the implementation of the new comprehensive plan and UDO, Phil believed there was a real opportunity for a more predictable and efficient process. Today, unfortunately, rather than following approved plans, everything seems negotiable. This undermines the whole idea of predictability and erodes the trust in the review processes and in city leadership.
What’s in a Text Change? The Case of TC-4-20, an Effort to Weaken Residential Infill Development Standards. (You expected something else from this Council?)
The City is on the verge of changing our rules about residential infill, and not in a good way. That’s our short take on TC-4-20, a “Text Change” that would amend and loosen the city’s zoning code – the so-called Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO.