Raleigh City Council Evening Meeting: January 7, 2025
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Raleigh City Council Evening Meeting: January 7, 2025
The evening session of the Raleigh City Council on January 7, 2025, addressed three items: a street closing, a petition annexation, and a rezoning, all related to development in District B. The council approved all three items unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Street Closing STC-04-2024: Aaron Katz, representing JPM South Development, spoke in support of closing a portion of Old Milburnie Road, stating the road is a dead end no longer in use after the realignment for the 540 West subdivision.
- Annexation AX-20-24 and Rezoning Z-28-24: No public speakers appeared. One person (Charlotte Driscoll) was signed up for the rezoning hearing but did not attend.
Discussion Items
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Street Closing STC-04-2024 – Old Milburnie Road Right-of-Way
- Staff report by Amanda Jones (Transportation) explained that the portion of Old Milburnie Road is a dead end no longer used after the road was realigned for the 540 West subdivision. The North Carolina Department of Transportation requested the closure. The council voted to close the street, retaining private utility and stormwater easements. The closure aligns with Comprehensive Plan policy T 2.7.
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Petition Annexation AX-20-24 – 2608 Forestville Road
- Staff report by Hannah Rekow (Planning and Development) presented the annexation request for a 4.5-acre parcel owned by Habitat for Humanity, located outside Raleigh’s ETJ but contiguous with city limits. The annexation is paired with rezoning Z-28-24. The property is currently zoned Wake County R-30; proposed Raleigh zoning is Residential-10 Conditional Use. The development plan includes up to 30 townhome units, with at least 50% affordable to households earning ≤80% Area Median Income for at least 15 years. Conditions include a landscaped buffer, HOA maintenance, two-story height limit, and prohibition of apartment building type. The Planning Commission recommended approval 7-1. Staff noted a fire service deficiency (outside NFPA response times) and ongoing traffic improvements in the area.
- Council questions: Councillor Patton asked about the Fire Master Plan (Chief Griffin stated it is in phase 5, expected completion April 2025). Councillor Patton also noted resident concerns about traffic congestion and highlighted planned infrastructure improvements. Patricia Birch (CEO, Habitat for Humanity) confirmed no update from NCDOT regarding additional driveway access, and estimated home sale prices around $350,000–$375,000, with affordability via financing.
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Rezoning Z-28-24 – 2608 Forestville Road
- Same as above, the rezoning request to R-10 Conditional Use was considered jointly with the annexation. The council approved the rezoning with the consistency statement and adoption dates as recommended.
Key Outcomes
- Street Closing STC-04-2024: Approved unanimously. Motion to close the street while retaining necessary utility and stormwater easements.
- Annexation AX-20-24: Approved unanimously with an effective date of January 7, 2025.
- Rezoning Z-28-24: Approved unanimously. Motion to adopt the consistency statement dated January 7, 2025, and approve the zoning amendment.
- The meeting was adjourned after the rezoning vote.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. We will call the meeting to order. We have three cases tonight, and we will start with the street closing STC04 2024 Old Mill Burney Road. And we have a staff report. Good evening, Madam Mayor and Council members. My name is Amanda Jones of Transportation. I'm here to give a brief presentation on a street closure of portion of Old Millburny Road right-away. So the area indicated in red is the area being petitioned to be closed. There's another Old Millburnie Road that is actually used as the travel way. So Old Millburney Road is NC DOT right away, and the department has requested that the city process the closing through its normal procedures. Following the council's adoption of a resolution to close the street, a copy of that resolution would be provided to the department through because of the general statute. So Old Millburny Road was realigned with the development of 540 West, which is the subdivision to the east of Old Millburnie Road, to a four-way stop. This section proposed for closure is a dead end and it's no longer in use. If this were to be approved, we would want private utility and stormwater easements to be retained. And this does this closure does align with policy T 2.7 of the 2030 comprehensive plan. Okay. And lastly, I just showed you an aerial view of what it looks like today. Again, is a dead end. It is no longer being utilized. It once provided access to residents. But it is because of that subdivision that will now be part of the development. So it's no longer being used. 540 West, the subdivision, is the area located where you can see Honey Ivy Lane. When that came in, it developed a four-way stop and realigned Old Millburney Road, which is being used today for access. Great. Thank you, Ms. Jones. Questions. All right. Then we will open the public hearing. Do I need to smash the gavel? I don't have to. All right. We're opening the public hearing. We have one person signed up, Aaron Katz. Welcome. Evening, Mayor and Council. Yeah, my name is Aaron Katz. I work with JPM South Development. Uh new portion of the street was built. And so the portion that we're asking to be closed is no longer in use. Uh traffic flows along the new portion of the road. Um so it's really just a a leftover and a dead end. Um and it's a condition of our uh approved subdivision. Um yeah, happy to answer any questions that you have. Okay. Thank you. All right. We have uh any questions for Mr. Katz.
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