Need to introduce a 30story zoning option - currently the options are 20, or else jump to 40. So even if you wanted to build a 21 story building, you’d need to apply for and win approval of a 40 story rezone. Why limit the options so strictly?
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Completely agree. At the same time, if it’s zoned for 20 currently, as many properties are, it would still have to be rezoned to 30. I would prefer everything zoned for 20 downtown just be rezoned to 30 by the city and be done with it. I doubt that will go over quietly though with certain people. 
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I really wonder what would happen if a bold developer wanted to build a signature 50-55 story tower. Is the city really going to tell them “no we don’t do that here”
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I doubt our current Council would say that, but there’d have to be discussion about whatever phantom fire department issue there is, heights of proximal buildings (across from Raleigh Beer Garden is different than the Nexus site), and what kind of design there is. No one wants a 55 story Chick-fil-A hotel… I think that’s the one good thing about capping the zoning at 40 stories at the moment. It gives the City some creative control over the design for something that would be the most prominent building downtown.
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I don’t think there is anything to prevent a developer from doing something taller. They would have to get city council approval as opposed to doing it by right. Before the current UDO was adopted, everything required council approval. Now, you can build something by right and it only has to be approved by the planning department up to the limits of the current zoning. If you want to rezone, then you have to get council approval.
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I’d hazard a guess that RFD may not (currently) be able to properly respond to a scene at that elevation.
Is it a training thing or something? Cities all over the world have taller buildings. That can’t let to be our only limiting factor
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It could also be a fire engine issue. If they don’t have the equipment to get the water up that high then that could be problematic.
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When you are that high, the firefighters are dependent on the internal standpipe system to provide the water and not on any equipment that they have.
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Well there you go! I learn something new every day 
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The city could do something like that and it would speed up a lot of things. That’s a great idea I’ll email a politician on that.
RFD limit is 40 floors. I don’t know by they mean by they can’t get equipment up there in a fire.
Why 20 years ago when the attacks happened they couldn’t get up there in time.
So maybe the city should require zoning past 40 to have specific equipment for the fire department do when theirs a fire i’ll be handled.
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I wonder how much more they need in funding for the needed improvements.
Important public hearing for this project on the 1st. The nest I can describe it (and might not be 100% accurate) is that the project needs minimal adjustments to the street right of way on both South and Lenoir. tiny slivers. I hope it’s not a big deal and just moves right through. But March 1 is a big day for this one.
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It’s a no-brainer but April construction date might not be the case depending if the city council moves with urgency on this request or drags it out. Typical.
“Conduct the hearing. Due to outstanding issues to be resolved between the City and the applicant, staff recommends that the hearing be held open until the March 15, 2022, City Council meeting or that action on the request is deferred until the March 15, 2022, meeting. If council wishes to proceed with the closing, adopt the resolution ordering the closing with the conditions outlined.”
"Anne Conlon, Transportation
This hearing will consider the petition of Mr. Ken Thompson on behalf of CSRA Opportunity Zone Fund VI Owner LLC to close approximately 4,400 SF of West Lenoir Street and West South Street right-of-way located on the west side of South Dawson Street. The subject right-of-way is bordered by the parcels addressed as 320 and 328 West South Street and by existing West Lenoir Street right-of-way and West South Street right-of-way. The portion of West South Street right-of-way (approximately 100 SF) was dedicated as part of the Southside Urban Renewal Project NC R-65 (Wake County BM 1975 PG 100). The West Lenoir Street right-of-way (approximately 4,300 SF) was dedicated as part of the NCDOT Highway project that included the construction of South Dawson Street in this area (Project 8-2433101, Wake County HM0002-0076).
The petitioner has also submitted to the City a site plan (ASR-0044-2021) for the development of a 20-story mixed-use building with structured parking that encompasses the subject right-of-way area to be closed. The site plan was approved by the City (Administrative Approval Action dated 1/12/2022) subject to multiple conditions, one of which requires Petitioner to seek abandonment of the subject public street right-of-way. At the location of the proposed closure, West Lenoir Street is designated as Main Street, Parallel Parking, which requires a 73’ right-of-way and West South Street is designated as Avenue 3-Lane, Parallel Parking, which requires a 94’ right-of-way. The applicant seeks to close the right-of-way in excess of 36.5’ from roadway centerline on West Lenoir Street and in excess of 47’ from roadway centerline on West South Street.
The closure of this right-of-way as proposed is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and prior City Council approvals.
The City and the petitioner are in negotiations over the distribution of the property interests allocated by N.C.G.S. 160A-299 among the City and petitioner. Staff recommend that final action on the request be deferred until a subsequent City Council meeting once those negotiations are complete."
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So, here’s my challenging question on that narrative. If the RFD is limited by equipment to serve only 40 floors, shouldn’t that really be a total height issue, not a floor count issue? 40 floors of residential is shorter than 40 floors of commercial office, and the city council has decoupled the floor count from the total height allowances, haven’t they?
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They have i think uncapped height limit. So that’s a good question.
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here’s my challenging question. isn’t whatever issue they have a matter of engineering ability and money? i would think someone building a 50 story building would have plenty of both, so this shouldn’t be a hard issue