In order to make important decisions with confidence, City Council needs good advice. The Planning Department should be working to provide you with a recommendation based on a full and rational analysis of all impacts, positive or negative, and consistency with the Comprehensive Plan. Their job is NOT to convince you the proposal is necessary and essential to the continued expansion of Raleigh’s revenue base.
Staff reports carry weight in Planning Commission and City Council deliberations. When they misclassify sites, turn a blind eye to policies, minimize area plans, and claim no adverse effects, they create the illusion of consistency where none exists and inflate the benefits while minimizing impacts. This clearly affected the Planning Commission deliberations and stunted debate necessary to make an informed decision.
Staff made 4 simple analysis errors. We go through each of those errors, show you the language from city documents that was misinterpreted and give you the updated results.
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.
By law, rezonings are legislative actions that must be judged for consistency with the 2030CP and SAP, not just technical compliance with the UDO. The proposal to allow 20- and 30-story towers in a transition area just 240 feet from a historic neighborhood and homes isn’t judged only by whether it meets basic zoning code requirements. It must also be consistent with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan’s long-term vision, the Unified Development Ordinance’s regulatory standards, and the Capital Boulevard Corridor Study’s location-specific guidance. City Council must check if a proposal matches the plan’s maps, policies, and long-term goals, not just whether it’s profitable or popular in the short term. This proposal fails this Three-Layer Test.
Approving Z-12-25 would ignore hard-won policies, dismantle critical protections, and set a dangerous precedent for high-rise development adjacent to neighborhoods across the city. It would place short-term interests above long-term success, undermining the thoughtful planning that has made Raleigh livable, walkable, and desirable.
If the City approves this level of height in a designated Transition Area adjacent to a historic neighborhood, it will effectively rewrite the 2030 Comprehensive Plan—not through public process and thoughtful formal amendment, but by precedent. A 30-story tower just 240 feet from homes would become consistent with adopted plans and policies, making it nearly impossible to deny similar proposals elsewhere. This kind of inappropriate, overwhelming height could then be justified beside any neighborhood in Raleigh, stripping away long-standing protections and eroding the integrity of the city’s planning framework. The consequences would be profound and lasting for Raleigh’s future.
Height transitions are essential urban planning tools that ensure livability, preserve sunlight, reduce heat, and maintain a walkable, human-scale city. Raleigh can and should grow—but it must stick to the plans that made it great. Ignoring these risks Raleigh’s future. Raleigh Neighbors United supports more housing and greater density, but it must be guided by long-term plans and include transitions, and urban design that will help Raleigh thrive. One-off rezonings like Z-12-25 undermine long range plans, affordability goals and set a harmful precedent for development citywide.
RDC’s last point is that they are meeting the guidance on transitions in proposing 20 and 30 story buildings, in a Transition Zone, 240 feet from homes in a Historic Neighborhood. Not only does this not pass a logical assessment it is not fully accurate. If one reviews the 2030CP analysis document and the 21 different policies guiding transition and buffering called out, they would clearly see the policy violations of Z-12-25.
If Z-12-25 is approved, it sets a precedent that 30 stories can be built adjacent to any neighborhood in Raleigh. The policies are clear: no more than 12 stories is appropriate in this area. Anything more violates core urban planning principles and undermines the framework that protects Raleigh neighborhoods. The Planning Commission will hear the case in August, and City Council will vote soon after. Once this precedent is set, it cannot be undone. The decisions made now will define what kind of city Raleigh becomes, whether we uphold sound planning principles and protect neighborhoods, or open the door to unchecked, inconsistent rezonings. We must act now to protect Raleigh’s plans, values, and communities and demand development that respects the city’s long-term vision. Sign the Petition!