News and Updates

Update: April 21, 2025

A Flaw in the Regulations for Development in Frequent Transit Areas  

A Frequent Transit Area (FTA) is any area within one-half mile of a corridor designated for Bus Rapid Transit (e.g., Western Boulevard). The flaw is the lack of transparency in the process by which the City allows development in these areas—the neighbors who will be affected are never notified of the proposed development.

To illustrate this flaw, let’s contrast how a developer would proceed in building a high-density facility outside an FTA versus inside an FTA.  

Outside an FTA

The first step would be to request a rezoning to allow for more dense development.The City of Raleigh has a very detailed process to be followed when one desires to rezone a piece of property.

Some of the requirements are:

1.  “A rezoning applicant must conduct a neighborhood meeting and attend a pre-application conference before they may submit a rezoning application.” Note the stipulation: the neighborhood meeting must be held before they may submit a rezoning application.

2. “For a first neighborhood meeting, you must send notice letters to property owners and tenants within 500 feet from the parcel boundary lines of the subject site.”

3. The document goes on to point out the reason for the neighborhood meetings: “The first neighborhood meeting is a way for the rezoning applicant to initiate a conversation with the community members most directly affected by the proposed rezoning.”

4. A second neighborhood meeting is required if the proposed rezoning meets certain criteria. One criterium is: “The proposed change increases residential density by an additional ten (10) dwelling units per acre.”  If a second meeting is required: “Applicants must invite owners and tenants of all parcels within 1,000 feet of the rezoning site.”

It is very obvious from the four points above that the City has set up a very good system to inform and engage neighbors of proposed rezoning that will affect their neighborhood. But in an FTA, that entire process of informing and engaging the affected neighbors vanishes.

Inside an FTA

When a developer desires to build a high-density development inside an FTA, no rezoning for higher density is required—the City has already done the upzoning by fiat, with no rezoning request required.   

This upzoning is codified in the Unified Development Ordinance. For example, consider a one-acre lot zoned R-10.  Outside an FTA, development would be limited to ten housing units. But within an FTA, a 55-unit apartment complex could be built, and it could be built with no notification to the surrounding neighbors of this massive change to their neighborhood.

Here is a real-life example of this opaque process in FTAs. In April of 2024, the City committed $1,250,000 to the Lorimer Spring development, a proposed 60-unit, three-story apartment building in a residential neighborhood—a neighborhood that falls within an FTA along Western Boulevard. The neighbors were not notified. We learned of Lorimer Spring only through a broker who was attempting to facilitate purchase of properties adjacent to the site.  In an October 29, 2024 email to a property owner, the broker stated in part: “The approved plan includes up to 60 units specifically for residents 55 and older, with limited parking.”

The Bottom Line

• Outside FTAs: The rezoning process informs and engages neighbors who will be affected by the proposed change that will impact their neighborhood.

• Inside FTAs: The City has unilaterally upzoned the area for high density and neighbors are not informed of developments that would have a much greater impact on their neighborhood.

• Change needed: The same requirements for the rezoning process should be applied to high-density development in Frequent Transit Areas.

Update: February 20, 2025

West Raleigh CAC meeting

The West Raleigh Citizen Advisory Council (WRCAC) will meet on Wednesday, February 26, at 7pm. 

This month Tim Morgan from Evergreen Construction will be present to talk about the proposed 60 rental apartments that will be age restricted to those 55 years or older. Will these be all affordable rentals? What is the income level that an applicant will need to meet to be eligible to live there? What other sites were considered for this development and why does this site fit the criteria for this level of density?

Captain Jonathan Manson from the Raleigh Police Department will also be on hand to discuss crime in this area of Raleigh. Representatives from the Transportation and Utilities departments will talk about the impact along Garland Drive if this proposed development moves forward.

There will also be time for community updates, and members are welcome to bring forward any topic for consideration at future meetings.

We hope you can join us via Zoom on Wednesday evening at 7pm.

Update: January 27, 2025

The West Raleigh Citizen Advisory Council (WRCAC) met by Zoom on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. The main agenda item was discussion of the proposed Lorimer Spring development in our neighborhood. First, our spokesperson Jane Fenn made a very informative presentation outlining our concerns about the proposed development. The text of her presentation is attached here as a PDF.

Keegan McDonald, Land Development Manager, Raleigh Planning and Development Department, attended the meeting and was helpful in answering questions regarding various City policies.

As has been pointed out many times, the main factor affecting how the property in question can be developed is its proximity to Western Boulevard, which is a proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor. Mr. McDonald pointed out that any property within one-half mile of a BRT corridor is in what the City has designated a Frequent Transit Area (FTA).  Property within an FTA can be developed at a much higher density than that allowed by current R-4 and R-10 zoning, especially if the development contains some affordable housing.

So, the bottom line is that because the proposed Lorimer Spring development is (1) within a Frequent Transit Area and (2) will contain affordable-housing units, technically, City regulations would allow it to be developed at the 60-unit size proposed.  

An issue that came up during the CAC meeting was a “cart-before-the horse” scenario: encouraging dense development along a BRT corridor long before the BRT system is completed. For some perspective on the amount of time to complete a BRT system, consider the first BRT system scheduled to be built, the New Bern Avenue BRT system. The first call for construction bids went out in spring of 2024 and received no bids. The second call, in the fall of 2024, resulted in one bid of $113 million, 58% over the City’s estimate of $72 million. The construction plan is being revised and will go out for bids again. The target date for completing construction of the New Bern Avenue BRT system is late 2028.

The BRT along Western Boulevard is still in the planning stages and would not be completed for several years. So, the question: is it desirable to construct high-density housing before a BRT system is available for the residents?

For more information on the Zoom meeting, please go to the WRCAC Facebook page.

February 26 meeting of the West Raleigh CAC

At the next meeting, spokesman Peyote Perryman has asked that city officials representing transportation, police, stormwater, and planning attend.  Also, a representative from the company proposing to develop Lorimer Spring, Evergreen Construction Company, is scheduled to attend. More information about the February 26 meeting will be sent out prior to the meeting.

Update: December 10, 2024

On Thursday, December 6, councilwoman Jane Harrison hosted a Zoom meeting with Ben and Kelty Brittle, Larry King, Larry Helfant (Livable Raleigh), Bob Geary (former planning commission member and one of the founders of Livable Raleigh), and Wesley Householder (Harrison’s policy analyst).

The most concrete information from the meeting was that because the area in question is within a Transit Overlay District, development can be denser than the current zoning of R-4 and R-10 permits.  

Transit Overlay Districts (TOD)

Raleigh is developing three Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes, one being along Western Boulevard. To encourage development along these BRT routes, zoning regulations in areas bordering the routes are being changed to allow more dense development. The areas affected are in what are called Transit Overlay Districts (TOD). The current zoning in these districts (e.g., R-4, R-6, R-10) is negated and more dense development is allowed. 

Below is a summary of some information on Transit Overlay Districts gleaned from the website. Our emphasis is highlighted.

Another complicating factor is that there is also a Frequent Transit Development Option (FTDO) that could apply to this property. This option allows tiny houses, detached houses, attached houses, townhouses, and apartments. We could not find a map showing FTDO. Here is the website for more information on FTDO.

Given this confusion about TOD and FTDO, Larry Helfant (Livable Raleigh) followed up by communicating our concerns to Patrick Young, the director of planning and development for the City of Raleigh. Mr. Helfant shared with Mr. Young that Jane Harrison inferred that the developer has the “right to build” since the property involved is within both the FTDO and TOD corridors. 

Mr. Young’s response: “Since no application has been submitted, there is no additional detail we can provide at this time, and I can’t answer the question about whether development would be “by right” or require a rezoning until they submit an application. I will let you know if/when something is submitted and answer your questions at that time. Thanks for your additional comments and happy to discuss further – regards, Pat”
Patrick O. Young, AICP | Director of Planning and Development

So it appears that we are in a “wait and see” mode.

A few other items:

• Jane Harrison did say that she wanted to hold a neighborhood meeting, so we will let you know when that is scheduled.

• Jane Harrison planned to meet with the developer after our December 6 Zoom meeting. The developer is Evergreen Construction Company.

• We have contacted Habitat for Humanity to see if they could suggest an affordable housing development that is more compatible with our neighborhood.