Raleigh rezoning proposal would allow denser development on hundreds of properties

Raleigh leaders are proposing new zoning for 744 properties along the city's first Bus Rapid Transit line to encourage denser development.
Posted 1/30/2024, 9:55:00 PM Updated 1/31/2024, 1:58:07 AM

THAT TO YOU RIGHT HERE IN THE

LIVE CENTER. BACK TO YOU.

ALL RIGHT, MARK, THANK YOU.

IN JUST UNDER AN HOUR, THE

RALEIGH CITY COUNCIL WILL HEAR

ABOUT THE FUTURE GROWTH ALONG

THE CITY'S FIRST BUS RAPID

TRANSIT LINE.

>> THIS NEW BERN AVENUE ROUTE

WILL BRING FASTER BUS SERVICE

BETWEEN DOWNTOWN RALEIGH AND

NEW HOPE ROAD. THE BUSES WILL

RUN EVERY 10 MINUTES DURING THE

PEAK COMMUTE. THE RAPID TRANSIT

LINE IS EXPECTED TO CUT TRAVEL

TIMES INTO DOWNTOWN BY 10 TO

20 MINUTES ROUND TRIP WRAL'S

MATT TALHELM IS LIVE TONIGHT.

THE CITY IS TRYING TO REZONE.

>> NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS TO MAKE

THIS HAPPEN. RIGHT MASK.

>> YEAH, DENVER, THE CITY ONCE

DENSER DEVELOPMENT ALONG THAT

BRT LINE THAT WAY MORE PEOPLE

LIVE AND WORK WITHIN WALKING

DISTANCE SO THEY CAN USE THE

BUS TO GET AROUND TO THE CITY

COUNCIL APPROVES THAT REZONING.

IT WOULD CHANGE WHAT PEOPLE CAN

BUILD ON HUNDREDS OF PROPERTIES

IN EAST RALEIGH.

>> THE PITCHED ROOF TOPS OF

NEW CONSTRUCTION TOWNHOMES

TOWER OVER THEIR NEIGHBORS.

JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM WHERE

OCTAVIA RAINY GREW UP IN

COLLEGE PARK. YOU SHOULD TAKE.

DOWNTOWN AND BRING IT TO NEW

BERN AVENUE. SHE'S JOINING

MATTHEW BROWN FROM THE OAKWOOD

NEIGHBORHOOD IN A FIGHT TO STOP

THE CITY'S DEEP OR TRANSIT

OVERLY DISTRICT REZONING OF

NEIGHBORHOODS ALONG NEW BERN

AVENUE THAT WILL RAISE THEIR

TAXES VALUES.

>> EVEN MORE THAN THEY'VE

ALREADY BEEN RAISED. AND THAT

WILL PUSH OUT HUNDREDS OF

PEOPLE. THEY WORRY THOSE

PROPERTIES WILL BECOME MORE

VALUABLE TO DEVELOPERS,

INCLUDING IN HISTORICALLY BLACK

NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY DON'T KNOW

THE HISTORY.

>> THEY'LL ALL THE CHAIN.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT CHANGE JUST

CHALLENGING. BUT IT SHOULD NOT

BE A DETRIMENT. THE REZONING

WOULD ALLOW DENSER DEVELOPMENT

WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE

CITY'S FIRST BUS RAPID TRANSIT

LINE. THE NEW BERN AVENUE BRT

WILL HAVE 10. IT STOPS BETWEEN

DOWNTOWN AND NEW HOPE ROAD THAT

HE O D OUTLINED HERE WOULD

COVER 744 PROPERTIES ALONG THAT

ROUTE AND ACROSS FROM SAINT

AUGUSTIN'S UNIVERSITY ON MOST

OF THOSE PROPERTIES, THE

REZONING WOULD RAISE THE

MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF NEW BUILDINGS

FROM 3 TO 5 STORIES. DEVELOPERS

COULD BUILD EVEN TALLER IF THEY

INCLUDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT

CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY.

>> FOR THE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT

MARKET TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE

INVENTORY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING

WITHOUT SUBSIDY FROM THE CITY.

WE WANT TO SEE THIS TAKE PLACE,

BUT WE WANT TO SEE IF THEY CAN

THEN DO BURNSIDE IS EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR OF THE NONPROFIT WAKE

UP WAKE COUNTY. HE SUPPORTS

THE ZONING CHANGE AS A WAY TO

ADD HOUSING AND CREATE JOBS IN

A PART OF THE CITY THAT HASN'T

SEEN AS MUCH INVESTMENT WANT TO

MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN SHOP

LIVE PLAY WITHIN THE AREAS.

THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY

HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THE

AMENITIES, EVERYONE TO EVERYONE

ELSE DOES AT A LEVEL IN WHICH

THEY CAN AFFORD.

>> NOW TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING

STARTS IN LESS THAN AN HOUR

AT 7 O'CLOCK HERE INSIDE THE

RALEIGH MUNICIPAL BUILDING IN

FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL ABOUT

3 DOZEN PEOPLE ARE SIGNED UP TO

SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS REZONING

3 DOZEN ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK

AGAINST. IT'S A VERY DIVIDED

RIGHT THERE. CITY COUNCIL COULD

MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT ON THAT