RaleighForward Roundup | Volume XXIII

Articles we found interesting this week:

1. White People Flocked Back to City Centers and Transformed them, via the Washington Post.

2. The Tricky Challenge of being a ‘Neighborhood’ Mayor, from Governing.

3. Are Bike Buses the Future of School Transportation?, from NextCity.

4. This Doctor wants to Prescribe a Cure for Homelessness. Read it from NPR.

5. If you don’t believe institutional racism shaped racial attitudes in America, consider this article: Mississippi banned ‘Sesame Street’ for showing Black and White kids playing, in the Washington Post.

6. This article explores the implications for Charlotte as it loses engaged corporate leaders. As Raleigh has grown over the last couple of decades, it continues to struggle with the issue now confronting Charlotte. This makes it difficult for elected officials to generate support for regulatory reform and bold policy initiatives. Who’s in Charge in Charlotte, from Charlotte Magazine.

7. As urban sprawl consumes prime agricultural land, cities must find better ways to accommodate new residents in more dense, urban environments: N.C. ranks second in nation in potential agricultural land lost by 2040, in Morning Ag Clips. 

8. Here is an interesting affordable housing program by Housingwire.com that discusses various ways to address housing affordability.

9. This article discusses how affordable housing failed to develop in the Atlantic Yards project in New York City due to vague promises rather than contractual obligations, via ShelterForce.

10. Across the country, state leaders are putting the nation’s housing shortage at the center of their agendas this year. But it's still uncertain whether their proposals to solve the problem will gain traction and some question whether the plans go far enough. Read more here. (See also: Vermont legislators considering statewide legislation to address housing inventory, via WCAX).

11. City Council establishes a fund to help address displacement and gentrification associated with New Bern Avenue Bus Rapid Transit, writes WRAL.

12. Raleigh can relate: The U.S. needs more affordable housing – where to put it is a bigger battle, via NPR.

Council Meetings and Other Items of Interest:

1. Council held its regular meeting on 2/7 and conducted public hearings for several rezoning cases. The good news was that Council approved 5 of the 7 cases (4 approved 7-0 & 1 approved 6-1). Z-41-22 was held at the table for additional information from the fire department. One surprise related to Z-75-22 which is a request to rezone approximately 2.3 acres from Residential-4 to Residential-6. Under the current Residential-4 zoning, the owner could build 16 houses while the requested Residential 6 Conditional Use district would allow 25 townhouses. Councilor Jones, who represents the district, asked Council to defer the case to get more information on traffic impacts. It is hard to imagine that any substantial traffic increase could be caused by 9 additional homes. This kind of performative action does nothing but add unnecessary delay and increases the cost of badly needed housing in Raleigh. If this “paralysis by analysis” begins to become the norm for this Council, it will add substantial delays and costs to any new housing that does get approved. Recall 7 of 8 rezoning cases considered on January 24 were either deferred or placed in a Council Committee for further consideration.

2. Council continues “reimagining” the city’s community engagement program. During its February 7 Meeting, Council agreed to allow CACs to start meeting at Raleigh Community Centers without cost.

3. Planning Commission meets on February 14 and to consider a number of rezoning cases. Shaw University’s application to rezone 17 of its downtown campus properties (approximately 26 acres) is particularly interesting because of its potential impact on downtown. The request seeks to increase the development intensity of these properties by requesting Office Mixed Use and Downtown Mixed Use District with heights ranging from 3 to 40-stories. The goal is to align the zoning of each parcel with Shaw’s long-term plans, as well as to enhance the University’s financial stability.

4. As part of the City’s ongoing implementation of the Wake Transit Plan approved by voters in 2016, Bus Rapid Transit is a key component and is in the midst of planning (with the New Bern Ave Phase nearing the start of construction). To keep up, check out this page.

5. The City also recently created a webpage “clearinghouse” that lists every engagement opportunity available across the City. It is a great resource. 

6. Don’t forget that Raleigh staff will be hosting several “Missing Middle” informational sessions in February. The next one is scheduled for February 14 and then February 25. If you are interested or have concerns about recent regulatory reforms designed to encourage “gentle density” across the City, please consider attending one of these sessions. For more dates and times click here. Here is a link to some of the information that will be discussed.

7. Mark your calendar! Council has a budget work session scheduled for February 20, 2023. We’ll include posts about the budget throughout Council’s deliberations this Spring. The budget must be adopted before July 1 of each year and typically is voted on in June.

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