RaleighForward Roundup | Volume XXIV

Articles we found interesting this week:

1. Here is an interesting survey of the fastest-growing NC local governments produced by the NC League of Municipalities and the Association of County Commissioners. It explores how these jurisdictions are coping with rapid population growth and offers some suggested regulatory reforms aimed at reducing the cost of entitlements.

2. There's been a "flurry" of NC housing bills. What's in them, and what might pass? This WUNC article takes a look.

3. The issue of rent control arose in Raleigh when several City Councilors posted on Twitter their support for a rent control bill filed in the General Assembly (which is unlikely to pass). Cities that have implemented rent control remain some of the most unaffordable cities in the world (i.e., New York, Washington DC, and San Francisco). While the debate continues in NC, here is a study recently released by the City of Minneapolis which recommends against imposing rent control. And here is an article discussing the report’s findings.

4. As Raleigh starts moving the New Bern Avenue BRT route from the planning stage to the construction stage, it will be interesting to see how funding decisions are made for future routes, as well as commuter rail. The Incredible Shrinking Transit Plan, via Bloomberg.

5. Virginia is studying the possibility of using public land for housing for public employees. Read about it in Shelterforce.

6. Where are all the apartments for families? Read it from Vox.

7. Here is more research suggesting that relaxing zoning rules (i.e., Raleigh’s Missing Middle reforms) can sharply reduce the rate of rental increases.

8. And here is a contrary view about housing and affordability as it relates to relaxed zoning rules, from Bloomberg.

9. Here is an article exploring how cities, while impacted by the pandemic, remain resilient.

10. Rethinking single-family living: Roommates pay bills, create community: Yes, it requires some navigating with space and schedules, but families who take in renters say it's worth the effort. Via the Washington Post.

11. When Your Neighbors Become Your Overlords: How HOAs became an unnecessary necessary evil, via Vox.

12. Here is a nice article from the NC State School of Design that broadly explores housing affordability issues.

Council Meetings and Other Items of Interest:

1. Council will likely approve the reallocation of ARPA funding it received to assist people facing eviction due to the pandemic to finance future affordable housing projects. The City and Wake County received permission to reallocate those funds from the Federal Government.  Here is the agenda backup material that contains additional detail.

2. Council will also consider a revised cost-sharing agreement for an affordable housing community called The Pines at Peach Road.  The cost-sharing agreement will help make developing the community financially feasible. Click here for more information.

3. The public comment process is back on Council’s agenda. Council will consider what time to set the new public comment period. Public surveys and other engagement tended toward starting at 7:00pm rather than earlier in the day. Here is the agenda backup.

4. The City is asking Council to approve a grant to Southeast Raleigh Promise from the Public Project Community Support Fund. The Fund was established to support small businesses and residents impacted by the New Bern Ave BRT transit project. Click here for more information.

5. Rezoning Z-72-22 could have a significant impact on the development of the area South of Downtown. It seeks to rezone almost 32 acres located in the vicinity of Lake Wheeler Road and Maywood Avenue. The property is currently zoned for a mixture of residential, commercial, and industrial uses with a maximum height of 3-stories. The request is to rezone the property to Commercial Mixed Use 20-stories with Conditions. Conditions allow for a maximum of 3,000 residential units, 1,500,000 square feet of office and 200,000 square feet of retail, with the possibility of adjustments among those uses. The rezoning also includes a condition related to affordable housing. The original condition was structured as an impact fee but has now been revised to require the dedication of 30 units to be available for people making 60% AMI or below for a period of 10 years. There is also a fee in lieu provision of $40,000 for each of the 30 units. This kind of condition could raise potential legal issues if Council starts to say to future developers that their projects will not receive approval without a similar condition. If this happens, future developers could claim that the City is effectively imposing an illegal impact fee. 

6. In Z-59-22, Shaw University seeks to rezone 17 of its downtown campus properties (approximately 26 acres). This rezoning case is particularly interesting because of its potential impact on downtown. Shaw hopes to increase the development intensity of these properties by requesting Office Mixed Use and Downtown District 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. The rezoning has generated a significant amount of debate and controversy among Shaw University students and alumnae. This case has been pending for a while for additional community conversations; it’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out before Council.  

Finally, keep an eye out for the appeal of the Hayes Barton Missing Middle Preliminary Subdivision Approval. It’s still scheduled to be heard by the Board of Adjustment on May 8th.  

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