South Saunders Street south of Downtown

It’s under going approvals still. There’s a new zoning notice up at the site. Currently it sits as a huge mud pit and scourge on the neighborhood. They’ve been blocking the sidewalks and views of the crosswalks for over two years now.

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The most annoying thing about this project is that someone who lived a block north on Saunders is part of the Lambert company that owns the property. He just recently moved from the neighborhood. He also owns a real estate brokerage that has represented several sellers in the neighborhood. :face_with_raised_eyebrow: Another neighbor’s structural engineering firm is supposedly doing the engineering in the project.

I guess self interest doesn’t make up for major environmental issues (that shouldn’t have been a surprise with that local knowledge).

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I actually thought this was approved. The “development dashboard” on the city’s site has an “approved number.” Man. I was really hoping this was going to move forward (like this month)…

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Keep in mind that Crowder’s action took place only after two people were killed.

The SW CAC had repeatedly asked her what was going on with this intersection. Why were the crossing signals there but covered with “out-of-service” signs? We kept hearing stuff about it being a State DOT issue, blah, blah, blah.

People shouldn’t have to die to get functional crosswalks.

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It was approved in early January but with conditions. So I’m guessing the developer didn’t like the conditions as laid out by the city and have appealed or re-applied or whatever developers do.

Since these are now condos, shouldn’t there be a sales site or something like that by this point? This whole development is a cluster…

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This is so true, and the problem isn’t unique to Raleigh. I have almost the same sort of problem in Miami where a local intersection with both a very high vehicular traffic and very high pedestrian count has been left without any functional crosswalks as one key corner of the intersection undergoes a large mixed use project. After meeting with the city, they say that their hands are tied because it’s up to the county. They said that they didn’t have any mechanism to supersede the county. It’s ridiculous.

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We need a clandestine, rapid deployment team of guerrilla citizen-led crosswalk creators.

If you have a pedestrian problem… if no one else can help… and if you can find them… maybe you can hire… The sprAy-Team.

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Is Miami willing to forego traffic signals while this work is in progress? I’m not guessing not. So why is it OK to proceed without crosswalks?

It’s frustrating because people walking are not less important than people driving.

I’m reading Jeff Speck’s Walkable City Rules right now and he talks about needing to stop using labels like drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists and instead using “people driving, people walking, and people cycling.” We’re all people getting ourselves around. How you get yourself around doesn’t make your safety less important than the safety of someone else.

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Clever!!!

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I love it when a crosswalk comes together.

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Love Walkable City Rules! Great Read. There is a good video of him talking with Strongtowns as well. A Conversation with Walkability Expert Jeff Speck

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That’s a good one. I listened to the entire thing a few weeks ago.

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Earp’s Seafood has sold to an apartment developer. Given that this site is potentially on a future BRT line I hope there’s some added density. Though I am sad to eventually lose Earp’s, I hope they will just move locations. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.newsobserver.com/news/business/article227430044.html

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Rezoning request for Earp’s block:
https://www.raleighnc.gov/content/PlanDev/Documents/Zoning/Rezoning/RezoningCases/2019/Z-025-19.pdf

To NX-12-UL-CU

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That seems quick. I could have sworn the people who bought Earp’s said they wouldn’t be doing anything with the property anytime soon. And I didn’t think that was that long ago.

Consider the rezoning process. :disappointed:

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yeah, it could be YEARS!

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Rezoning Z-025-19 was presented to the SW CAC last night. It got the expected NIMBY welcome from the usual suspects.

“It doesn’t fit with the character of the neighborhood!” (correct - it’s a helluva lot nicer)

“What about all the traffic!”

“There’s not enough parking!”

blah, blah, blah.

Surprisingly I didn’t hear anything about saving Earp’s. Of course people want the developer to spend the money to have the building completely designed before the rezoning is complete so they’ll know exactly what it will look like. This way they’ll know exactly what they’re opposing. :roll_eyes:

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Is there any proposed massing or rendering at all? This property would be pretty valuable in 5 years if DTSORA and the Five Horizon projects get kicked off.

This whole area could turn into something similar to Southend in Charlotte.

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The new city council can’t start soon enough

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