Raleigh City Council Regular Meeting - April 15, 2025
Raleigh City Council Regular Meeting - April 15, 2025
The Raleigh City Council held its regular meeting on April 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM in the City Council Chamber. The meeting included a consent agenda, public comments, planning commission reports, a major tolling study update for Capital Boulevard, approval of $17.28 million in affordable housing funding, and several rezoning decisions. The council also heard public input on the FY 2026-30 Consolidated Plan and numerous other items.
Consent Calendar
- Solid Waste Services Code Amendments: Councilmember Jones raised questions about removing the city manager and council from the appeals process for administrative fees, increasing fees from $250 to $500, and eliminating the fire chief's role in trash burning enforcement. The Solid Waste Director reported about 5,000 residents receive backyard pickup. The motion to approve passed unanimously.
- Other Consent Items: Approved en bloc, including budget transfers for three affordable housing projects (Burrell Lofts, Lorimer Spring, Maple Ridge), Raleigh Rainwater Rewards for rain gardens and cisterns, a contract for RPD vehicle wrapping, and a NOAA grant for climate education.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Octavia Rainey (Fourth Ward Association): Requested $300,000 in CDBG funds for the Fourth Ward, emphasizing that urban renewal had destroyed the community. She asked for signage and inclusion in the Consolidated Plan.
- Mama Kai Sanders: Encouraged the city to apply for the All American Cities Award, noting Raleigh last won in 1975. She highlighted the importance of community engagement and compassion.
- Valerie Smith: Supported preserving Fourth Ward’s legacy, sharing personal memories and urging council to honor the community's history.
- Jonathan Kramer: Requested parking permit relief for his quadplex rental near NC State, noting that single-family and townhouse units qualify but quads do not. He suggested removing the permit sign or reclassifying the building.
- Nikki W.: Spoke on National Child Abuse Prevention Month and fair housing, using a fable to illustrate the ripple effect of ignoring problems.
- Athena Wallen: Advocated for reanalyzing stormwater creek management on private land, proposing community land trusts or easements to improve maintenance and environmental resilience.
- Hua Huang (UE Local 150): Urged council to meet with city workers before the budget hearing, calling for a $25 per hour minimum wage and budget reallocation to prioritize worker pay.
- Fourth Ward Community Members (during Consolidated Plan hearing): Rosa Rand, Dakia Davis, IKEA Williams, and others requested signage, historic district designation, and funding for preservation, reunions, and use of Dix Park. They emphasized the community's history and need for recognition.
Discussion Items
- Planning Commission Report: Bynum Walter presented five rezoning cases. For Z-70-22 (Glenwood Ave), a 60-day extension was granted after lengthy neighborhood negotiations. For TCZ-3-25 (200 West St / GoTriangle), council decided to bring it as a special item on June 3 with a public hearing set for July, due to concerns about payment-in-lieu of affordable housing and fairness. Other cases (Z-19-24, Z-47-24, Z-54-24) were scheduled for May 20 public hearings. Motions passed.
- Special Item – Z-39-24 (Honeycutt Road): Council set a May 6 public hearing despite a request from the Stormwater Advisory Commission for more time. The applicant added conditions for a multi-use path and no vehicular connection. Councilmembers debated emergency access but the motion passed 6-1.
- Council Contingency Items: Approved $13,628 for Governor Morehead School, Women's Center of Wake County, LGBTQ+ Center, and Communities in Schools, with funds to be encumbered by end of June.
- US 1 North/Capital Boulevard Tolling Study: CAMPO and Turnpike Authority presented four tolling scenarios to accelerate the $1.65-1.8 billion project, which has faced five delays since 2012. Councilmember Patton expressed concern for local residents who have no alternative routes; Councilmember Silver supported tolling to avoid further delays. Mayor Cowell noted the council would send feedback to CAMPO before their May 21 vote.
- Affordable Housing Joint Venture Rental Development: Annie Bauman Mitchell recommended $17.28 million in gap financing for six projects (Grosvenor Gardens, Heritage Park, Fisher Grove, Chapanok, Garner Station, Biltmore Hills) creating 670 affordable units. Council approved, noting that this would use most available funds for 2025.
- Design Review Commission Annual Report: Chair Will Gaskins presented trends (transparency, self-storage facilities) and the 2025 work plan. Council approved the work plan.
- Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board: Approved renaming John P. "Top" Greene Community Center to the John P. "Top" Greene African American Cultural Center and the park to African American Cultural Park, with $9.25 million in bond funds for renovation and expansion.
- Raleigh Historic Development Commission: Presented a historic context study of LGBTQ+ places in Raleigh, received as information. Councilmember Harrison requested a manager's update on follow-up recommendations like digital mapping and physical markers.
- Matters Scheduled for Public Hearing: The FY 2026-30 Consolidated Plan and FY 2025-26 Annual Action Plan were presented. Public comments focused on Fourth Ward inclusion and deeply affordable housing. The hearing was closed; staff will return with a final plan in May.
- Rezonings and Annexations:
- AX-31-24 (5300 Daleview Dr): Approved for immediate annexation.
- Z-31-24 (901 Nowell Rd): Approved with height limit condition.
- Z-35-24 (4409 Creedmoor Rd): Approved for a six-story hotel.
- Z-38-24 (1400 Edwards Mill Rd / Lenovo Center): Approved after revised conditions for community meetings and bicycle/pedestrian planning, despite opposition from Cardinal Gibbons students citing safety concerns.
- Z-46-24 (Pearl Rd): Continued to May 6 for additional screening conditions.
- Z-53-24 (John P. Top Greene): Approved to remove conservation overlay for park expansion.
- TCZ-41-24 (Louisburg Rd): Continued to May 6 for signed conditions.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously, including solid waste fee increases.
- Planning Commission: Extended Z-70-22 review by 60 days; set public hearings for May 20 for multiple cases; set special item for June 3 on TCZ-3-25.
- Special Item Z-39-24: Set public hearing for May 6 (vote 6-1).
- Council Contingency: Approved $13,628 in allocations.
- Affordable Housing: Authorized $17.28 million for 670 units (unanimous).
- Design Review Work Plan: Approved.
- Top Greene Renaming: Approved.
- Rezonings: Approved Z-31-24, Z-35-24, Z-38-24, Z-53-24; continued Z-46-24 and TCZ-41-24.
- Annexation: Approved AX-31-24.
- Appointments: Board of Adjustment – Keith Satiski; Design Review Commission – Claire Craven elevated to regular; Environmental Advisory Board – Jeffrey Bullard; Stormwater Management – Marinel Ubaldo; Bicycle and Pedestrian – nominations returned; Environmental Advisory Board reappointment – Denzel Burnside; Fair Housing Hearing Board – nominations returned; Hispanic and Immigrant Affairs Board – reappointed three members and elevated alternate.
- Closed Session: Entered to discuss potential claims and real property negotiations; no action taken after returning to open session.
Meeting Transcript
I couldn't even have the thing that you want to do. I think we can open it with you. Oh, no, no. Let's go to the code game. So that's funny. All right, welcome everybody to the City Council meeting. First item of business, as always, is the Pledge of Allegiance, and I'll ask Councillor Silver to lead us. The United States of America. And City Republic or which stands? One nation under God. Liberty and Justice. Next we had the consent agenda, and I believe there was one item pulled. Yes. Thank you so much. This is for Solid Waste Services. I have a few questions just on the change that's being discussed here. I'll just start. How are you, Mr. Jenkins? I got to watch uh the videos uh because I was absent last week, so you were there present. So it was nice to hear you over the over my break. But nice to see you today. Um on page two and three, it discusses removing city manager and counsel from the appeals process for residents on doing uh dealing with administrative fees. How many times, how many times has a case gone that far to come to us? So over the last year, well, mayor, council, city manager, Gregory Jenkins, the second interim director of Solid Waste. Uh over the last uh year, we've had two to four complaints. Out of those, three of them were around this for the same property. And I don't believe any of those, at least over the time I've been in room, have made it up to the city manager's office. So I was just wondering what is the purpose of removing that option if we don't really ever see it. Well, um, mainly because as we have transitioned that over to an administrative fee, uh, that's more consistent with how our practices are. It stays in house, it doesn't come up to the city manager or council level. Right. And we are raising those fees. Can you tell me what the fee was and then what the current fee will be after this is? I believe the current the past fee was $250. And I believe the current I don't try to get that in time. I think there are different levels. Uh $500. So we were doubling the fees from $250 to $500. Okay. And then page three also removes the solid waste collection design manual. That doesn't mean we don't have one, it just means it's removing it from what one is I think uh we're right now, we're working with planning on trying to updating and figuring out a better way to keep it up with some of the zoning changes that are going on. And so currently we're kind of tired without doing special exceptions. This would just give us more flexibility and start focusing on the long term uh what we need to have. But yes, we do still have it. It's just more of an administrative tool. Got it. And then can you speak to the number of incidents of trash burning that has occurred to warrant the addition of Solid Waste to the code? Because we are uh removing the fire chief from that option. Right.
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