Raleigh's 2030 Comprehensive Plan & new zoning code

[Beth Y]

Okay, it was a LEE-tal dry. I admit to texting my husband a couple times to keep myself awake, as he was sitting in Times Bar thinking I was an loser. The beginning of the talk was particulary awful, but it got more interesting when he actually got to the "meat" of the subject. What was all that initial stuff about anyway?

The thing I found most appealing about form based codes, having been involved in development issues in the past, was his discussion of the lack of political back and forth, where everything is up in the air for so long. I believe most developers hate having to go through long processes that waste time and money and may not get you anywhere. Do we really want only the developers or property owners that know the right people or that can afford the lawyers that know the right people to always get their way, while others with good ideas may be too scared of the HUGE question marks (and dollar signs) created by the flexibility and potential political wierdness that may result from a comp plan that is pure GUIDELINE.

I must admit, the first thought that ran through my mind when I heard they were redoing the Comp Plan was "why bother, it is not like it means anything most of the time anyway...it is ignored so much". Maybe less flexibility, as long as it is based on smart and solid urban planning, can be a good thing.

[ChiefJoJo]

Went to the first visioning session tonight--my reaction is that the people are way ahead of the politicians on the issues, which were mentioned as follows:

• controlling growth/better quality growth/ focus areas

• transit/transportation

• affordable housing

• sustainability

• downtown development

• energy & water conservation, green building

• open space preservation

• improving air quality

• reducing auto/oil dependency & sprawl

• increased biking and walking options

• historic preservation

• promoting the arts

• fostering cultural diversity

• equitable economic development

Maybe it's because of the "demographic" that attends these sorts of things (planning geek?), but I was really pleasantly surprised at both the turnout and the level of competency of the participants and how that led to a high-level discussion. At least among those present, there was a general awareness that Raleigh is a nice place to live now, but downtown still has a long way to go, livability concerns are more present than ever, and that we cannot continue business as usual if we want to remain a viable city and region.

[urbanvb]

So did anyone attend any of the meetings for city planning Raleigh 2030?

[ChiefJoJo]

Yes. See the above post for my reactions. There is article about the meetings today as well.

[ncwebguy]

I wanted to go to the North Raleigh meeting last night to see what their take on things would be (and because I couldn't make it on Tuesday or Wednesday due to work), but my wife didn't want to wait till after 9 for dinner.

Did anyone here go to the Thursday session?

[Rascal]

I also went to the Tuesday meeting. There were a lot of good ideas and progressive thinking, but I agree about the demographics point- even though it was a good turnout, it was less than one percent of Raleigh's population. I'd be interested to know how opinions at the Thursday North Raleigh meeting differed from the downtown one.

The need for policiticians who stick to the Comp Plan came up a lot. People were upset with how nothing was getting done on Hillsborough St. and how deep-pocket developers were still getting their way. Transit and affordable housing were popular topics too, ones that I hope the planning department won't wait until the adoption of the new Plan to act upon. When it came to downtown, everyone liked the progress but wanted to see more. Many were very attached to the downtown supermarket idea, although others were able to explain the retail-follows-rooftops issue to them.

Does anyone know more about what the focus of the next round of public meetings will be? I'm excited for the policy/implementation stage of this effort, when we can work out how to actually get the kind of growth and sustainability we want.

[Jones_]

Seems like the lack of teeth with our old comp plan has something to do with it seeming like only planners put this thing together. How about surveying all the connected parties on their needs first. How many units of affordable housing will be needed? How many fire stations do you want? I am not sure if enough of this goes on. Statewide water quality basin plans draw on the talent of every agency in the Division and the planners synthesize it into an action plan. Politicans seem to get their hands in things much more in local politics too. Sure, on the State level pork exists and a call from a legislator to your office means you drop everything else you are doing, but mostly the techies are left to their work. On the City level its like "nice pretty maps their fellas, but my shopping center is going here cause cousin Frank is willing to spend the money".

[ChiefJoJo]

Seems like the lack of teeth with our old comp plan has something to do with it seeming like only planners put this thing together. How about surveying all the connected parties on their needs first. How many units of affordable housing will be needed? How many fire stations do you want? I am not sure if enough of this goes on. Statewide water quality basin plans draw on the talent of every agency in the Division and the planners synthesize it into an action plan. Politicans seem to get their hands in things much more in local politics too. Sure, on the State level pork exists and a call from a legislator to your office means you drop everything else you are doing, but mostly the techies are left to their work. On the City level its like "nice pretty maps their fellas, but my shopping center is going here cause cousin Frank is willing to spend the money".

[ChiefJoJo]

Just caught this 30-min program linked on WRAL.com: what will Raleigh look like in 2030?

[Gard]

^^^

Thanks for the link. I find it interesting that Meeker mentioned the possibility of a commuter rail line running within Raleigh and then linking to Durham later. Could it be that the city has batted around starting its own light rail line?

[Jones_]

I have been in Charlotte for the past three days and wanted to mention some observations. They have two rail options, the light rail going one direction thorugh town and the trolley going perpendicular (though not crossing ) it. While most historic buildings are gone inside the I-277 ring, the towers downtown (BOA, Hearst) are ringed by many many mid-rise 3-10 story) residential buildings, at least one area appearing to be low income, but still nice looking ala Carlton Place. The light rail goes through their Convention Center. Bank of America Stadium is placed on teh edge of the Third ward and does not disrupt the CBD, but the Bobcats arena does interrupt the flow of traffic along an otherwise main road (Brevard) kind of the way our Wye stops Glenwood from shooting through to S Saunders. I really think a visit to Charlotte's downtown/uptown is beneficial as we rewrite our comp plan.

[bullcity76]

Went to the first visioning session tonight--my reaction is that the people are way ahead of the politicians on the issues, which were mentioned as follows:

• controlling growth/better quality growth/ focus areas

• transit/transportation

• affordable housing

• sustainability

• downtown development

• energy & water conservation, green building

• open space preservation

• improving air quality

• reducing auto/oil dependency & sprawl

• increased biking and walking options

• historic preservation

• promoting the arts

• fostering cultural diversity

• equitable economic development

Maybe it's because of the "demographic" that attends these sorts of things (planning geek?), but I was really pleasantly surprised at both the turnout and the level of competency of the participants and how that led to a high-level discussion. At least among those present, there was a general awareness that Raleigh is a nice place to live now, but downtown still has a long way to go, livability concerns are more present than ever, and that we cannot continue business as usual if we want to remain a viable city and region.

[bullcity76]

Remember the discussion we had about moving "downtownism" out of downtown? This bullet point will be a linchpin of that strategy. We need to export the best characteristics of the urban core to new neighborhoods. Let's hope this initiative holds in the final document.

[ChiefJoJo]

FYI, there's a community meeting on the comp plan on Feb. 11 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of God of Prophecy, 1200 S. State St. at the corner of Bragg Street.

[ChiefJoJo]

RALEIGH - City planners have announced the dates for three public workshops where residents can discuss issues and strategies related to Raleigh's Comprehensive Plan update. The workshops are part of a two-year effort by the city to update its Comprehensive Plan, a document that lays out how Raleigh should grow. Issues to be discussed include affordable housing, transportation and how to grow successful neighborhoods.

The workshops will run from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the following locations:

* March 25 at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, 2600 Rock Quarry Road;

* March 26 at Moore Square Magnet Middle School, 301 S. Person St.; and

* March 27 at Tabernacle Baptist Church, 8304 Leesville Road.

In 2, 1-hour small-group discussions you will have the opportunity to share your ideas on the issues, new policies, and potential strategies. Register and choose 2 of the following topics.

1. Affordable Housing — affordable housing for low income residents as well as the issue of housing affordability in general

2. Green City of Raleigh — all issues related to promoting ecological and sustainable development practices

3. Economic Prosperity & Equity — the city’s economic health as well as ways to “have the rising tide lift all boats” equitably so all parts of the city and population can benefit from economic expansion

4. Growing Successful Neighborhoods — managing growth and change in both established neighborhoods as well as better design and mixed use in new developments

5. Growth Management: How and Where Should the City Grow? — city-wide growth management, regional coordination, and sewer and water infrastructure

6. Coordinating Land Use and Transportation — addresses the need to better coordinate land development with transportation investments.

Residents can register for a workshop at www.planningraleigh2030.com.

[ChiefJoJo]

The N&O has a brief story on these ^ meetings scheduled for Tue-Thurs. It appears these meetings could be packed, which is good. I think there is a bit of a groundswell of realization in the city that some things related to growth need to change. These meetings are your chance to affect the direction the city takes going forward. I'll be attending the Moore Square Middle School meeting on Wednesday.

[ncwebguy]

Did anyone else go to these meeting? The media didn't seem to have any coverage of this after, though I don't know if there was much to report on. It sounded like there were a lot more people than the city was expecting, since a lot of people didn't register ahead of time. But they seemed pleased with the turnout. I wonder how many people showed up for the Tuesday or Thursday sessions.

I went to some of the Wednesday meeting... i missed the initial gathering due to work, but was in the first affordable housing session. For better or worse, it often went off track to discuss having affordable transit near the proposed rail line and bus service. Though it is good to see people thinking positively about mass transit, and how it makes it easier to higher paying jobs that may eventually reduce the cyclical nature of poverty.

I pointed out how Carlton Place was doing a good job of mixing affordable and market rate apartments, as well as retail, though the retail is still empty. They had a survey to fill out and make notes on, which they'll compile and look at while drafting the new comprehensive plan.

I was going to land use and transportation for the second session, but I had to leave early.

[ChiefJoJo]

^ I attended the meeting at Moore Square Middle... I can only give you my experience in the small group breakout sessions ("greenprint" and "transport/land use"), since everyone was separated for these discussions. Generally, I think the planning staff is well prepared for the type of input they are receiving.

I heard some creative ideas for greenprint, such as providing incentives for LEED developments, development rights for preservation of green space, low-impact design, water conservation features, etc... from density bonuses (mine) to express plan and permit review (ie, move to front of the line). In terms of development, I think most people understand that time is money and anything the city can do to leverage good quality green development through incentives is probably the way to go. Most thought the city should take the lead in going green to set an example, but there was a realization that costs will be a limiting factor... ie, green sounds good until the public is asked to pay more for LEED or LEDs through higher taxes. Again, I think this gets back to leveraging growth through public/private partnerships.

Our transport/LU discussion was a bit unfocused, not suprisingly, since everyone has their least favorite traffic signal or sidewalk. We talked about everything from the sorry shape of transit to regionalism (lack thereof) to why people ride bicycles on sidewalks. I think the comment forms will provide much more insightful feedback to the staff than the discussion did.

Again, I think the staff is mostly out in front in the major issues. Although I did hear some innovative ideas, for the most part this effort will be about tallying up the public comments to see whether the public generally agrees with the approaches they have outlined.

FYI, you can still leave your comments here on the various subtopics (growth management, affordable housing, etc) if you didn't make the meetings.

Here is the draft city vision statement BTW:

Raleigh Vision for 2030

Raleigh will be a city that cultivates innovation and creativity that expands the City

[miamiblue]

Thanks for the link ChiefJoJo.

I haven't had a chance to really go through everything there, but there are some interesting things in the housing section.

The City adopted a new Downtown Overlay District in 2006 which contains a density bonus for developers who include affordable for sale or rental units in their projects. To date, none of the residential developments constructed within the Downtown Overlay District have used the affordable housing density bonus.

[Jones_]

^ Ouch. I guess this is citywide? My view is skewed towards downtown, and everytime I drive past Cameron Court, Raleigh Apts, Boylan Apts, Grosvenor, St Marys Apts or any of the several quads around there I am hoping they don't get a look from a greedy developer. Actually a slowdown in construction for economic reasons might give us a chance to work out some of these issues before its too late.

[ChiefJoJo]

The new draft comp plan rollout will take place on Dec 3, 7pm at the Raleigh Convention Center. More public workshops will take place in January at locations around the city.

[Gard]

FYI the Raleigh vision plan gets introduced this week to the public. N&O has some of the details, which include funneling 60% of Raleigh's growth for the next 2 decades into downtown, several urban centers and major road corridors, which is estimated to be 72,000 residential units:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1314723.html

[Jones_]

Will this have any teeth I wonder? How do you funnel growth anywhere but where there is vacant land? Its little more than a pretty drawing without some mechanics behind it. I suppose the pretty drawing has to come first though. Funny....the focus centers more or less became that way all on their own, not by any doing of the city such as a wholesale adjustment to zoning or adding appropriate transit options. Will there be appropriate tinkering of impact fees? How will nimby's be handled when density is proposed next door to them? Is there even a comprehensive list of what all needs added/adjusted/fixed, in order for this plan to mean anything? Ok Mitchel....5 in 5 is basically over, now lets see the next list....

[Gard]

The first thing I think needs to be done is City Council needs to stop seemingly rubber-stamping some of the projects, like the endless amount of shopping centers that keep popping up around TTC. That area has a ton of potential if the city would stop the sandbox mentality for this area. I would like to see the city look much closer at projects the developer is proposing AND at their other projects they already have when they propose a new one. For instance, say the developer of Poyner place wants to develop the adjacent empty land with more spread out shops and seas of parking. What the city should do is look at the existing development they own next door and ask the developer WHY he wants to develop this land when he has plenty of room in his current development for these shops. If there is no justified reason (and I mean a really good reason), then it should not be approved due to the fact that he already has plenty of room on his existing shopping center next door. Also, City Council could use a carrot-stick approach, but charging high impact fees for empty land & sprawling shopping centers and charging ZERO for projects built into existing developements. This would make it more financially feasable for the developer to use land they already has because they would be reaping the savings from no impact fees.

The city could promote the benefits of this, as it would be a win-win for EVERYONE. The developer would save on impact and development fees/costs and still get additional rent revenue, the city would get more density, consumers would have to travel less and could even walk to many more places, and businesses get greater exposure to foot traffic with more people in less space. I see nothing negative about this at all.

[Gard]

FYI Raleigh rolls out the new growth plan tonight at an open house at the RCC: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/wake/rale...ry/1318605.html

The event will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is open to all Raleigh residents. Registration will begin at 6:30 p.m., and copies of the plan will be available.