A few things:
Regarding downtown being split, I raised this issue during work session about additional election reform. If the council wants to add districts, I suggested a downtown district for that reason, among other reasons.
No one signed up in support of this rezoning except the applicant/attorney. I know it’s tough to make 7 pm meetings, but hearing differing, supportive positions will likely be very beneficial moving forward for this Council.
I sense your frustration. I assume the “congrats” isn’t meant for me, as I voted against denial. 
This is from your 2030 Comprehensive Plan that identifies those transition areas from downtown, this would make for a very logical downtown district.
Yes sorry if it was perceived that way. I appreciate your consideration on the voting, it was just a message to pass along to your colleagues.
Can’t speak for everyone but I greatly appreciate your transparency and perspective, and definitely the “no” vote on the denial. I don’t feel strongly about 12 vs 30 stories here, but the loss of park money is worrying. I just hope that the City remains committed to getting it done in some form or fashion, even if it takes a little longer. The plans look amazing.
So, the transition area is taken out of the actual downtown boundary, not beyond it? So, at less than 1.2 square miles of actual downtown, these transitions have to be carved out of that? SMDH
Oh it absolutely will now. Which also inevitably means it will only get more and more expensive as inflation and cost of materials continues to rise and rise and rise… we’ll be lucky to see this park in the next decade IMO. Look how long it took just to get started on Dix, and that came with massive outsider funding in addition to the city’s funds.
@JonathanMelton while I appreciate that these hearings are a means for the city’s residents and potential new developments’ neighbors to voice their opinions and complaints, and in your assertion, their support - my thought is that, regardless of who shows up to these hearings, at the end of the day there are logical decisions that the City Councilmembers are elected to be informed on and then vote on. I don’t foresee this council voting “yes” on something just because a handful more people came to voice their support over the inevitable group of complainers and uninformed or, often worse, MISinformed neighbors. The council should be trusted and- honestly- EXPECTED to vote with logic and reason FIRST, vs voting with whoever has the most complaints or most support from random people that weren’t elected to a position that gives them this power, in the first place.
In a reasonably governed growing city, Harrison would’ve said “Well, I understand we got more people who showed up with complaints, and while I respect their opinions, they are also not considering the implications of their request to deny. Therefor, with the information and knowledge on the situation that I have, that I was elected to have, I must vote logically and approve this rezoning - thus guaranteeing full funding and a faster build-out of a long awaited park, more housing, and more tax revenue for the city at-large. This is bigger than a few neighbors’ complaints that were able to show up to the meeting, and I know that there are many others who didn’t show up because they trust in us to make the right decisions.”
To further the devilish advocacy : Raleigh Development Company is local - also own 333 Faye - and while they’ve been patient gathering these properties ‘for 20 years’, this rezoning is a BIG swing for a BIG payoff…One might argue that their goals are mutualistic - balanced between doing good in their backyard and maxing out capitalizing on this property. By right they can build 12 stories today and I have a hard time understanding how a company could have a 20 year plan and not be ready to actualize on that by right entitlement. I also understand that they could go higher with this rezoning (and likely with a bigger outside partner to do so) which might yield benefits to their plans and the community through conditions built into this rezoning. I also understand that they rezoned this from 3 stories to 12 already, sat on it and are back looking for 30+ and haven’t really decided what they’re going to do but are dangling this carrot ('partnering to build the park, which would benefit the community and this development greatly) that some folks are jumping around excited about while other citizens may not be as excited about the carrot or the other rabbits flocking to their glen…Funny thing perspective.
So it’s time I keep preaching the same shit it’s tiring. But we have to mobilize now. Remember these 3 got elected because grandma and grandpa got out.
Was just watching the Canes game and got to thinking. Maybe the NHL should have the refs decide the correct call based on the opinion of who shows up in the stands. Same as our City Council wants to do apparently. Seems fair.
I definitely understand that this is an attempt to be magnanimous towards a colleague whom you disagree with on most things, but let’s be for real and acknowledge that the overwhelm of her support came from the fact that her name was printed on a pamphlet that the Wake County Democratic Party gave everyone as they walked into the polls, and not some incredible grassroots movement.
Yeah Mr. Melton is a class act all the way, and it makes me rethink some of my impulsive reactions to things. But I completely agree that the local DNC endorsement of Livable Raleigh was an impactful and behind-the-scenes development in the last race. I’d like to think I can discuss things and find common ground with people of any political attitude, but I’ve made no secret of my Democrat leaning. To see this weird endorsement last year really pissed me off in regards to our local DNC. Not adding housing to solve a housing supply issue is idiotic, and the DNC endorsement carries weight. I would really like to see some outreach to them to make sure this doesn’t repeat itself.
Yet another reason why people should stop blindly voting along party lines, as you end up only doing yourself a disserve in most cases. I’d like to think this will one day change as Americans realize that both the Democrat and Republican parties are corrupt at their cores, and neither have our best interest in mind…but who am I kidding. Ok back on topic - Jane Harrison sucks, long live Smoky Hollow Park.
Yeah I think we can differentiate DNC with YIMBYs me and some other friends are cooking up a plan for next year.
Yup, I’m a broken record on this, but build more housing should be a progressive issue. We cannot let the NCDP take the other side on this one. Completely counterproductive and antithetical to their goals and aspirations as a party.
Need to get the messaging right in 2024 and prevent some insane endorsements.
I suppose I’m just showing up late to shout “I agree!” here, but, two thoughts on the whole affair (I was surprised at the denial, too).
Councilmembers have to recognize that the people who are actually capable of showing up to the meetings–even if they are at 7pm after the conventional “workday”–represent an exceptionally small slice of the population of the city, a slice that by and large benefit (whether they realize it or not) from denying new housing, keeping prices high, and limiting terrifying “change” in the city, and who similarly are among the least likely to benefit from affordable housing quotas and new parks. We simply cannot hold a council meeting at a time and place that would permit an actually representative slice of the city to show up. I’m sure that some councilmembers already understand this concept, but some of them very definitely do not. No matter how much I want to provide input to council on topics like this, if I need to be heading to my night shift or cooking dinner for my family, that’s going to take priority over the council meeting.
Not coincidentally, I comment on the zoning participation portal all the time, but I don’t have any real faith that those comments are going to reach council members. I do think city planning staff read them, and they respond to reasonable questions, and I suspect the planning commission at least is presented with a digest of the comments. But I think there are members currently sitting on the council who either are unaware the portal even exists, or do not bother to look at them.
If city council wants to increase broader citizen participation, the way to do that is to 1. Broaden the comment portal system to cover more topics that will come before the council, 2. Publicize that the system exists, and 3. Publicly during council meetings make a note of the comments that have been made, at least the breakdown of comments. Councillors should be given a printout of comments on topics before the meeting so they have a broader base to understand how people feel about a topic instead of just waiting for the handful of self-selected elites who can comfortable make a council meeting to sound off, and then following their whims.
Perhaps this already happens. I doubt that, because I don’t think decisions like this would happen in this case.
Second, any councillor seriously believing that the rezoning needed to be denied to preserve the small businesses on site is either too clueless to be on council or being deliberately dishonest. Those businesses do not own the property or the building and at least based on conversations I’ve had at Endless Grind, the owner has been pretty upfront with them that the building will come down one way or another once plans are filed, regardless of whether any particular rezoning case went through or not.
It’s hard to wrap your head around how stupid it truly is.
Here’s an idea, on our street downtown, they implemented a pilot program of installing speed humps for a couple months. Afterwards they sent out several requests from homeowners to vote on weather or not they should stay and be installed permanently. Would that process be too much to ask of the 50-60 odd neighbors who were SO passionate about this development ruining their lives? That way you can get an actual representation of what ALL the neighbors think. I put money on most neighbors voting in favor of this development and all the “conditions” that came with it.
I’m with you. Feels like maybe the Wake Dems have become an insular clique of purely like-minded people perhaps.
Round 2? I’m not sure if this is the right place to post it, but I see that there is a proposed amendment to the Comprehensive Plan that would explicitly designate this area a “transition area” (which the neighbors claimed was already the case).
It’s on the agenda for Planning Commission tomorrow - Sept 12.
This is a horrible idea. As I understand it, this little stretch of West is an area where we can have density without displacement. Can’t imagine why we would not want to take advantage of that.
