Raleigh City Council Work Session – March 11, 2025

The Raleigh City Council held a work session on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 4:00 PM in the City Council Chamber. The meeting included updates on the 2022 Parks Bond, the 2017 Transportation Bond, and the Reflecting Raleigh comprehensive plan process. Councilor Corey Branch had an excused absence.

2022 Parks Bond Update

• Parks staff (Shoshin Baker) and Engineering Services presented an update on the $275 million Parks Bond, which funds 23 parks and greenway projects.
• Over 12 engagement events have been held since the bond passed, along with online opportunities.
• The draft bond proposal was originally just shy of $300 million; Council set the final amount at $275 million, leaving a $20 million funding gap that staff have sought to close through grants and partnerships.
• Staff reported $10 million in secured federal funding, including a $1.5 million HUD grant for the Heritage Trail as part of a $3 million grant secured through Congresswoman Deborah Ross's office, with the other half intended for the Chavis Dix Strollway. Grant contracts were not yet executed and were in the quality assurance stage.
• Project status highlights: Dorothy Dix Gibson Play Plaza is under construction with a spring 2025 completion; Lake Wheeler Road, Strickland Road, and Leesville Road are in the bid award phase; Biltmore Hills Tennis Expansion, Green Road Park Improvements, Lakeland Trail West Loop, and a Crabtree Creek community connection are in permitting; John Chavis Historic Park, John P. Top Green, Method Community Center, and Walnut Creek Greenway Improvements advanced past schematic design; Neuse River Park and Neighborhood and Community Connections are in contract negotiation.
• An internal park bond dashboard was released in December 2024, with an external version expected in summer 2025, according to IT's Beth Stagner.
• Councilor Christina Jones commended staff for community outreach, including attendance at an ECAC meeting about Top Green.
• Councilor Mitchell Silver asked about public engagement in design; staff said schematic design is the key milestone for council review, with further detail available by request.
• Staff noted they are seeking additional funding and partnerships for remaining gaps.

Transportation Bond Update

• Transportation staff (Kenneth Ritchie) and Engineering Services (Byron Sanders) provided an update on delivery of the 2017 transportation bond.
• Capital project funding is roughly 60% from bonds, 25% from pay-as-you-go, and 15% from grants. Prior transportation bonds included $60 million (2005), $40 million (2011), and $75 million (2013), with the 2017 bond significantly larger.
• Staff cited a 67% increase in the National Highway construction cost index over the last three years, compared to 22% over the previous 14 years. The NCDOT Capitol Boulevard project rose from $465 million (2018 estimate) to $750 million (2023) to $1.34 billion currently.
• Cost and schedule drivers include real estate markets, materials, labor, engagement feedback, permitting, property acquisition, and staff resources.
• Completed projects include Tryon Road C, Pool Road, and Rock Quarry Road A. Atlantic Avenue and Blue Ridge South are under construction with expected completion in spring 2026.
• Barwell Road South's scope was reduced (from Rock Quarry Road to Tomahawk Trail, instead of Berkeley Lake Road) to stay within budget, while retaining the Pearl Road realignment; bid award is expected soon.
• Carolina Pines: after a bid rejection last week, staff found funding to deliver the project as originally scoped (Lake Wheeler Road to South Saunders); a bid award is anticipated.
• Lake Wheeler Road (a Parks Bond project managed by Transportation) had its eastern portion trimmed west of the railroad, but the Dix Park frontage is unchanged.
• Six Forks Road: estimated cost increased from $56.1 million (February 2024 direction) to $93.5 million. Staff are continuing real estate acquisition and will return to Council in May for a detailed discussion.
• Councilor Jonathan Lambert-Melton expressed frustration about Six Forks Road, noting residents in limbo and little room for further scope reduction. Mayor Janet Cowell said the cost increase would be challenging to absorb.
• Councilors discussed when to plan the next transportation bond; the city manager said a spring work session will review all bond categories and coordinate with the county, and noted FY2026 is not a bond year, making FY2027 the first reasonable option.
• Councilor Megan Patton raised concerns about public trust and the appetite for future bonds, citing deferred projects like Marsh Creek Road.
• Councilor Lambert-Melton suggested pre-template designs and said there can be too much community engagement; Councilor Silver agreed that public engagement must be weighed against cost escalation.
• Staff noted budget preparations are taking a conservative approach due to uncertainty, including tariffs, and that they will not bring a bond forward without county coordination and confidence in delivery.

Reflecting Raleigh: Next Comprehensive Plan Update

• Planning staff (Sarah Shaughnessy) presented the update on Reflecting Raleigh, the process for the city's next comprehensive plan, which will guide growth through 2050.
• The current 2030 Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2009 and amended in 2019; it includes 18 sections, over 1,000 policies, and over 1,000 actions.
• The new plan will be a more concise land-use guide with SMART goals, aligned with other plans and the CIP, and informed by robust engagement targeting underrepresented communities.
• The project has a 2.5-year timeline with five phases; adoption is anticipated at the end of 2027.
• Phase 1 engagement has included six themed community conversations (affordable housing, transportation and traffic, stormwater, trees, neighborhood change, infrastructure and services; public safety is covered under infrastructure/services). The Affordable Housing Summit was held in August, stormwater in December, transportation/traffic in February, and trees events begin on March 11. Neighborhood change is scheduled for April and infrastructure/services in May/early June.
• To date, staff have engaged 13 boards and commissions, 8 Citizens Advisory Councils, and 8 community organizations; over 2,000 people have participated in some way.
• Online survey respondents skew white, male, ages 25-35, middle/high income, homeowners, and well educated; staff are using in-person events with language translation, food, child care, and ADA accommodations to reach a broader cross-section.
• Input received so far covers engagement preferences, affordable housing, and stormwater; a summary report is due next week, with a full report at the end of summer.
• Phase 2 will include technical working groups and a citizen assembly of roughly 50 residents whose demographics mirror Raleigh's; a consultant is being sought. Phase 4 will include an artist-in-residence with Raleigh Arts.
• Councilor Silver stressed the need to communicate emerging constraints (land, water, natural resources) and trade-offs, and to provide a map showing where change is expected and where it is not. Staff said a data dashboard will be available at the end of summer.
• Staff confirmed that more than 75% of the current plan's 1,000+ actions have been completed, and annual progress reports were required under the prior plan.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken; the meeting was a work session for discussion and information.
• Staff will return with bid awards for Lake Wheeler Road, Barwell Road South, and Carolina Pines in the coming weeks.
• A more detailed Six Forks Road discussion with Council is planned for May 2025.
• Staff will present a work session in late spring on bond strategy and timing across all bond categories.
• The internal park bond dashboard is being finalized; an external version is expected in summer 2025.
• Comprehensive plan engagement will continue through June 2025, with a full Phase 1 report at the end of summer and plan adoption targeted for 2027.