RaleighForward Roundup

Saturday, April 26th

BREAKING NEWS: Hayes Barton homeowners ordered to pay $28,000 to townhouse developer for legal fees!

The judge ruled that the Hayes Barton neighbors improperly sued the townhouse developer when the neighbors filed a lawsuit seeking to strike down the City’s Missing Middle ordinances. Since only the City has authority to enact ordinances, the judge ruled that the Hayes Barton neighbors should not have included the townhouse developer in the lawsuit. The townhouse developers sought nearly $50,000 in attorney fees, but the judge reduced the amount to $28,000. The neighbors can find solace in the fact that they were not ordered to pay the full amount.

The lawsuit against the City continues with discovery ongoing. RaleighForward will provide updates as the case winds through the judicial process.

Remember that some of the Hayes Barton neighbors also challenged an unfavorable decision rendered by the Raleigh Board of Adjustment upholding the City’s preliminary subdivision approval for the proposed townhouse community. This case is scheduled for the week of May 13, 2024.

The Hayes Barton neighbors have recently begun circulating this flyer attacking Missing Middle housing:

The next RaleighForward Happy Hour is scheduled for May 30 at 5:30. Mark your calendars and be on the lookout for location details.

Instead of a blog post this week, we wanted to share this handy guide to affordable housing terminology via Shelterforce.

Eric Braun, Founder

Articles we found interesting this week:

What Happens when a Highway Dies? Via Bloomberg.
The Hidden Costs of Homeownership are Skyrocketing, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Given Raleigh’s ongoing efforts to “redefine” its downtown, this article is instructive: “How Residents Rate Downtowns Around the World” from Bloomberg.
Making Rental Assistance Work Better for People Struggling to Afford Housing, via CBPP.
Many NC Mobile Homeowners are already cash strapped. Can they Handle What’s Next? From the N&O.
If Edinburgh can implement bike lanes, any city can, via Bloomberg.
Public Engagement. Who Killed the City? Via Southern Urbanism.
GoRaleigh Beefs up Service to Give Commuters More Options, from Triangle Business Journal.
New report identifies a yawning housing gap for hundreds of thousands of NC households, NC Newsline reports.
Here is a thoughtful blog post by Phil Veasley, a raleighForward Advisory Board member: “Transit Follows density”

Meetings of interest in the week ahead:

Meetings, events and items of interest this week:

The City is holding a community meeting on May 1 for residents interested in Council’s plan to increase the size of Council by adding 3 district seats and moving to 4-year staggered terms. The meeting will be held at the Chavis Community Center from 6:00-8:00 pm. Please consider attending. To catch up quickly on the issues and implications of these proposals, please click here and here.

Articles we found interesting this week:

Meetings of interest in the week ahead:

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