Raleigh city leaders reconsidering rezoning proposal
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Some city leaders in Raleigh are ready to pump the brakes on a plan that would rezone 30 percent of the capital city.
Hundreds of people have turned out at two different public hearings, the latest Tuesday night to tell council members they're not happy with the rezoning plan.
Russ Stephenson, Councilor At-Large and Chair of the Comprehensive Planning Committee, told Eyewitness News he heard the public's feedback loud and clear.
"We've been running a sprint to get this thing done," he said. "Now, we've heard the neighbors' comments. Now they're finally tuned in. Now they understand how this is going to impact them. Let's take a long deep breath and say, OK how do we make sure that we can promote quality growth that also protects neighborhoods?"
Stephenson added that accomplishing both goals is the difference between growing a big city and growing a great city.
Stephenson said the goal of the Unified Development Ordinance is to take Raleigh from a car-oriented, low-density, suburban Greenfield development to a new compact, walkable, mixed-use, transit-friendly development.
It's a fine line city planners must walk.
"There were some zoning districts where we've added in some intense uses like bars that could now go in right next to neighborhoods," explained Stephenson. "Maybe that was not such a great idea. Let's back that out of there."
Raleigh resident David Cox has been to both public hearings and spoke out against the remapping proposal. It would put plans back on the table for a large commercial space at the corner of Dunn and Falls of Neuse Roads where he and other residents in May won a long-fought battle against a Publix grocery store coming to the area.
On top of that, he said many people are either still in the dark about the proposed changes or are still struggling to understand the rezoning map.
"We've heard over and over and over again that people did not receive notice of this remapping action until just a few days before the hearing," said Cox who filed in July to run for City Council. "That's a procedural failing and that can be corrected."
Stephenson said it could take a few months before the rezoning plan is revised and ready to put in place.
