On Tuesday night, the Raleigh City Council apporved a rezoning proposal that could reshape Raleigh’s skyline.
Developers asked leaders to rezone more than two acres of the downtown area to allow for a 30-story tower. City council approved the vote in a 6-2 vote.
Neighbors are upset about the developer’s plan to build a mixed-use high-rise building near the future Smoky Holly Park.
The park is situated near Peace and West streets.
The elevated height of the tower is a towering topic at the center of the debate.
This is only a rezoning request but future plans call for a 30-story high-rise with apartments retail and office space.
It would sit right across from the Publix grocery store on Peace Street. For perspective, that building is 12 stories, which is what the current zoning allows.
Some who live in the nearby Glenwood-Brooklyn neighborhood said the planned building is too tall and would negatively impact traffic. An advocacy group has also advertised broad opposition to the plan.
Meanwhile, petitioner Raleigh Development Company said the tower would increase density downtown and allow for more public transit and job options.
The high-rise could bring roughly 800 apartments.
Developer Chris Carter said with the push
back comes changes to the plan.
“This adds a lot of density to downtown that’s much
needed in a very sustainable way,” Carter said.
“We have a large affordable housing component as part
of this project and we have some significant height restrictions and step downs
to address the neighbors and some of the concerns we’ve heard from the
community.”
The restrictions cap the building’s height at 24 and 27
stories in most spots. The height would be limited even more so along West
Street, next to Glenwood-Brooklyn.
Roy Attride believes that doesn’t go far enough and is
against standards. He felt the proposed height of the project would overwhelm the neighborhood and created a model to illustrate how the project would impact the area.
“If you go against those policies and plans, you create
a precedent that would allow that height adjacent to neighborhoods without
transitions,” Attride said. “Glenwood-Brooklyn would be the first that would see this, but Five
Points has the same conditions.”
Both Carter and Attride agree more housing is needed, but where to build and
how high to go is what remains up for debate.
Meanwhile, some businesses on the site face possible relocation if the project moves forward.
East Coast Electric Speed Shop owner Jacob Torvert said that’s something he and his staff been preparing for.
“I would love to be able to stay here because, again, this has been a great location for us,” said Torvert. “We’ve been planning for this since we moved in here. Every delay has been a bit of a win because it means we can stay here a little bit longer.”
In August, Raleigh’s planning commission approved the height increase. City council will now have the final say.
Pricing for the units is not yet finalized.
After Tuesday night, council could vote on the proposal or defer for further review.