But the same 15 that show up for every one sure do. I wonder if any technology (Skype), etc. is being considered.
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That’s an interesting thought. What if all CAC meetings were recorded and available for people to watch on a YouTube channel? Could they set up a system where you have the option to register via your email and address, and then let people watch the video and vote electronically? Maybe make it so that any time within 48 hours of a meeting you were able to cast votes? You could let the people at the meetings vote there by secret ballot and turn those in to the CAC coordinator who could then add the digital votes before publishing results.
That would let everyone who was interested at least have some chance to give input. If you have small kids you don’t have to hire a sitter to go to a CAC. It would make the votes anonymous, which helps because it can be uncomfortable to vote against your neighbors who are sitting right beside you. They could also do this to standardize the voting across CACs. They could use a consistent form and you have the meeting video as a documentation that the vote was handled properly. It wouldn’t come up to look back at the meetings unless there was a complaint, but having the vid record allows that option.
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There’s zero reason to even take a vote. Just let people have a way to register their comments with their approval or concern for the development and present those to the planning commission and council. That will force people to at least come up with a reason to be against the development and gives the PC/CC more to go on than a non binding vote.
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This sounds like a good idea.
- Record the presentation at the CAC meetings, post online.
- Have comment cards for those at the meeting.
- Have an online survey for those who can’t make the meeting.
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If they are part of our process, then just like CC meetings they should be recorded and available online. Unedited.
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Slow your roll @OberlinSouth, that sounds a bit too progressive and just makes too much sense. There is no place for logic in our city government!!!
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Guess if can do that and need and address to register I would have to use a friends address. While do not live in Raleigh I think of it as home and want to see it be a leading city in may ways.
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City Council delaying this project over “west street activation commitment” and “commitment to reuse material”.
Awesome angry citizen chastised the city council member over why they’re so full up on these requirements but not more affordable housing conditions.
Since GoTriangle does not have a developer hired they can’t make these commitments.
This project will likely be approved at the very last moment as is tradition with the Council of No.
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These actually seem like two important things. West St activation more so than the material reuse. It also seems like these could be rolled into the RFP and or the final agreement with the developer.
But I don’t know who those things work.
The clock is ticking on those federal funds.
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I was under the impression AH was going to be baked into this project. That was announced months (years?) ago.
It’s illegal for the city to demand AH by state law, GoTriangle has offered 15% AH commitment if motion moves forward today as opposed to 10% they offered originally.
The citizen raising the very valid concern did not know what it’s illegal for the city to have AH as a requirement.
Couldn’t the developer just add a clause saying they’ll make every effort to reuse the old materials and add some artwork and a coffee shop to the West St side, and this get approved in 2 weeks?
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Not good enough for Russ, apparently. They want 100% assurance in written statement.
Maybe they could wait till Russ gets unelected. 
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They can’t they have only a few more day (a month I think) before GoTriangle will be forced to pay back the federal government more than $20 million dollars.
I’m confused. Didn’t the RFP show west street lined with almost 100% sidewalk facing retail spaces and the ground floor bus bays at the internal / back of the site? West St was also going to get pretty huge stations and bus canopies. Seems pretty active to me.
I wish the developer would be like, it’s good as is. Take the vote now and let Russ vote against our affordable housing project. Not everything has to be unanimous.
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Yes, that’s GoTriangle’s plan but since they don’t have a developer inline they can’t make a 100% factual and tangible commitment to what that means and can’t make a written statement about it. If they say 30 percent of the old brink will be used and it turns out that 30 percent of the old brink will cost the project an additional $100 million dollars the project will implode.
Russ wants the exact percentages and plans right now.
I should also make note that this land is considered a brownfield site and will require extensive decontamination before they can begin construction. This may likely require all existing buildings to be deconstructed including all walls. This is probably why they can’t commit to percentages and numbers right now.
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Personally I find forcing them to maintain the former walls to be absurd. I would love for them to be saved but if it isn’t possible or economically feasible I would much rather still get the building then have it sit as is.
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