Raleigh's 2030 Comprehensive Plan & new zoning code

[orulz]

I looked over some of the plan online, and I like what I saw. They call for the wedge between Lake Wheeler, Hammond, and I-40 to become the southern extension of downtown, and the Capital Boulevard corridor to be the primary focus for growth to the north. These all make perfect sense, but they will require some pretty big changes with regards to roads and infrastructure to make it work. They haven't put together all the pieces to the puzzle. For example, for a downtown expansion up Capital to work, a transit stop will be required, but none is planned.

However I'm skeptical that the city will actually wind up following it to the degree that I'd like, at least with regards to land use. The last comprehensive plan called for a dense, urban node of development at Mini City, and instead we got perhaps the most hideous big box farm I've ever seen. (I notice that Mini City has been downgraded dramatically to be only one of a dozen "mixed use community centers" in the new plan.)

While the city has recently assumed a more urban-oriented stance on development, I think that more often than not, developers with money will continue to get their way, comprehensive plan be damned. To expect anything else, at least in the short term, would be to expect too much change too quickly.

[ncwebguy]

I wonder if someone from the council and/or planning board that approved Mini City saw it today if they would still be in favor of it? So many promises... Luxury apartments! A bank! *Two* grocery stores in the same shopping center! Unfortunately that shopping center never bothered to do anything than collect rent, and brought the rest of the area down with it. We can *hope* it isn't a parable for Brier Creek.... Though Mini-City did not have a golf course component, one of the adjacent sprawling two story apartment complexes to the east looks like two golf course holes were built in (Fairway apartments) to attract wealthier residents.

There are a lot of apartments and townhouses east of Capitol from Calvary to Spring Forest and west of Capitol from the 1/401 split to Millbrook, with industrial thrown in NW of Millbrook/Capitol and a neighborhood of houses south of Calvary/east of Green Road/north of New Hope Church/west of the lakes. Plus all of the retail was concentrated on the Capitol corridor. But it was still probably considered as "mixed use" when it was proposed as Brier Creek was not too long ago.

Has the city learned anything? It doesn't seem so. Have a plan and then ignore it when it comes to pushing dirt around. Unless the Planning commission becomes more objective and less of a rubber stamp.

The rail corridor between Wake Forest/Falls and Atlantic *could* attract a lot of TOD, since its industrial life seems to be over for the most part. But without rail service, the area will continue to be underutilized and a hard eastern edge to the more affluent part of North Raleigh.

[Jones_]

When it comes to auto-dependent commercial areas, nobody ever wants to live right on top of it. Who can blame them? Constant cars is unpleasant, and asphalt is not pretty scenery. Mini-city was destined to have low-income housing , because any housing up against it would be lived in by those who had to...not wanted to. Mini-city was the beginning of the push for residential development out to Wake Forest. I know. I grew up in Wake Forest starting in 1987. The talk amongst neighbors was without fail, "we are just 15 minutes from Mini-City". But again, nobody ever considered living next to it. But, cache is only as good as how new you are in that environment. As soon as the Target and Hannaford (now Lowes Foods) went in across Capital, and Wake Forest got its own shopping centers, Mini-City became the proprietor to the low income apartments behind and little more.

I, however, don't think low income apartments and tiny little stores is a bad thing necessarily. Those low-income residents still, primarily must walk to Mini-City. The bus still only comes every half hour at peak times. There are no bus shelters. Mini-City should have been bisected by a public road that connected Capital to New Hope. New Hope should have punched straight through to Spring Forest, and on to what is now Triangle Towne Blvd. Buses should travel all through this area and not have to return to Moore Square. Every single bus stop should have a shelter. The street tinkering creates a road with walkable sidewalks right into the shopping center. Also you get an alternate N/S route through the area (like Green Road is on the west). Also why was the SB 401 to NB 1 ramp never built? The traffic using calvary for that movement overwhelms people just trying to get in out of of south Mini-City entrance.

I think the inherent problem is obvious. The rush to grow outward (partly to beat the smaller towns to the ETJ)...catering to it with all available money, and the unwillingness to raise taxes to do any more than grow outward, has led to this current setup. To fix all this mess, you might have to bye private areas to say build through roads or get in LRT, or align roads (hello Highwoods-Westinghouse?).

[ChiefJoJo]

However I'm skeptical that the city will actually wind up following it to the degree that I'd like, at least with regards to land use. The last comprehensive plan called for a dense, urban node of development at Mini City, and instead we got perhaps the most hideous big box farm I've ever seen. (I notice that Mini City has been downgraded dramatically to be only one of a dozen "mixed use community centers" in the new plan.)

While the city has recently assumed a more urban-oriented stance on development, I think that more often than not, developers with money will continue to get their way, comprehensive plan be damned. To expect anything else, at least in the short term, would be to expect too much change too quickly.

[Jones_]

Does anyone see immediate lawsuits if zoning goes through significant changes according to the comp plan? There will be winners and losers, financially, quality of life, NIMBY's galore, implied transportation and transit (and parks, schools) that other agencies would have to provide (County, State...in theory anyway). Anyway, I think changing zoning without the owner petitioning for such a change is a huge hurdle not yet publicly addressed.

[sax184]

Does anyone see immediate lawsuits if zoning goes through significant changes according to the comp plan? There will be winners and losers, financially, quality of life, NIMBY's galore, implied transportation and transit (and parks, schools) that other agencies would have to provide (County, State...in theory anyway). Anyway, I think changing zoning without the owner petitioning for such a change is a huge hurdle not yet publicly addressed.

[Jones_]

I don't think so. Raleigh does exactly what you're talking about all the time for developers without much fear; the Soleil disaster is a classic example. You're right, it is a hurdle, and there will be pushback, but zoning adjustments are a basic function of local governments, so I think the potential for legal action is low. Stopping zoning changes via lawsuits is probably as difficult as suing the highway patrol for issuing speeding tickets. Now, the potential for political action is another story. On the other hand, there is considerable vocal opposition to Wake County schools reassignment plans and there has yet to be a massive coup of County Commissioners over that one issue.

I hope Raleigh moves decisively on some of their key reforms in the comp plan.

[Gard]

FYI Public review of the plan starts tonight at Providence Baptist Church, 6339 Glenwood Ave. Registration starts at 6pm and review is from 6:30-8:30.

There are also reviews set for Wednesday and Thursday.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/wake/story/1364727.html

[DanRNC]

When will this thing be implemented? I have a feeling by the time this thing has been gutted and re-drawn to appease every person in Raleigh it will be time to formulate another plan.

[orulz]

According to the City's web page there is a public hearing on Thursday March 19th about the comprehensive plan. The revised draft will be presented. In addition, all the comments to the comprehensive plan received during the comment period have been summarized and presented.

[ChiefJoJo]

I attended the first half of the hearing. Most comments were very supportive of the overall planning process & staff's compilation of all the comments received from the public. It's generally an improved 2nd draft, and a very good plan, but not perfect.

Indy (Geary) has a story about it this week's issue: "Imagine Raleigh without Sprawl."

[ChiefJoJo]

I know the plan isn't final yet, but the city has advertised for a consultant to prepare a UDO bringing together the city's site plan, subdivision, and zoning codes. The city code is, of course, the document that enforces the plan. One of the outcomes of the plan is to urbanize (form & scale) more of the city's corridors, and one would hope that the code rewrite addresses setbacks in these areas (inside & *outside* of downtown) to ensure that urban design and pedestrian-oriented public spaces are emphasized.

Every time I ride by Oberlin Court II, I see a need for the proper "urbanization" of the outdated code, which in most cases makes good urban design illegal without a developer initiated rezoning... and design will be the key to selling the public that density can be aesthetically pleasing and an asset to our community, not a liability to be feared. Ensuring predictability from plan to development on the ground in transition areas will be key.

[Gard]

^

Indeed. I really think that the city is its own worst enemy in regards to setbacks.

[ChiefJoJo]

Even as the Planning Commission endlessly debates future land use map details within the comp plan, the city has picked Code Studio to rewrite the city's old and mostly suburban zoning regulations. It seems they've done some good work in Dallas & Memphis.

[RALNATIVE]

There was an interesting article in the N&O today, regarding an article that will appear in Raleigh Metro magazine this month:

Raleigh Risk-taking

I think that we all will agree with the following excerpt from the article:

If Raleigh is to attain its extraordinary possibilities, we must attract positive leadership at the city level. Our citizens must be engaged in and vote in municipal elections. The day of shepherding pet projects and neglecting others must cease.

What does the future hold for Raleigh? The necessary components for our success are in place. State and local government, the universities, technical colleges, the medical community, the arts community and financial, business and development communities must all work together -- not just in theory, but in reality.

[Jones_]

Funny that John Kane was one of two opinion writers. He did manage to hold back his real thoughts that downtown gets all the favors and he gets none (read...where's my parking deck?"). His presence in this piece is clearly to tout his risk taking Indiana Jones persona....which to some degree he is. I think he is really just a smart developer that knows this city and its tastes well. He is right though, that City gov't does lack leading edge gonads but maybe thats because they are smart politicians that know their constituencies well....

The quote is spot on.

[ChiefJoJo]

I agree with the concept of bold leadership, but it's very much in short supply today, unfortunately. However, if bold leadership is somehow conflated with the concept of the public subsidizing massive private and "free" parking decks at North Hills (or anywhere else, for that matter) then I couldn't disagree more.

I hope not, but my sense is this is a thinly veiled jab at Mayor Meeker for not supporting the taxpayer funded TIF giveaway at North Hills, which he and the other supportive council members were right to block. I very much support using TIFs in certain situations (transit, parks, other public amenities), but not for parking decks. Cars do not need any more subsidy than they already receive.

[ChiefJoJo]

There have been some late changes made to the comp plan's future land use map, and some aren't particularly happy about it. The article mentions that the plan may be adopted tomorrow.

[ChiefJoJo]

As many of you know, the comp plan was adopted recently. The next step is to draft a set of development zoning regulations that implement the plan. To find out more, attend one of these public meetings:

• Oct. 19, 6:00-8:00 p.m., at North Raleigh Church of Christ, 8701 Falls of Neuse Road

• Oct. 21, 12:00-2:00 p.m., at All Saints Chapel, 110 S. East Street

• Oct. 21, 6:00-8:00 p.m., at Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Meymandi Concert Hall lobby