Raleigh City Council Meeting Summary - October 21, 2025
Raleigh City Council Meeting Summary - October 21, 2025
The Raleigh City Council convened for a regular meeting covering a wide range of public safety, planning, and administrative issues, with the most significant deliberation regarding the Big Branch Greenway Connector project and its impact on Anderson Forest residents, alongside approval of a new citywide noise ordinance and a resolution to limit annexation expansion.
Consent Calendar
- Unanimous approval of the entire consent agenda with no items removed.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Elizabeth Scott, Natalie Brown, and Community Members: Expressed strong opposition to the Big Branch Greenway's proposed route through Anderson Forest backyards. Scott asserted the project contradicts 1976 and 1989 master plans and violates legal easements forbidding construction through the forest. Brown highlighted severe flooding risks at the Big Branch near Six Works Road and safety dangers for trail users due to rising floodwaters. Kim Hovind and others emphasized that the city must honor the 40-year-old conservation easement and argued that condemnation sets a dangerous legal precedent.
- Carrie Bennington: Expressed concern regarding fiscal mismanagement, noting discrepancies between staff budget claims ($4.5 million) and public records showing estimates exceeding $7.3 million for the project.
- Taylor Stewart and Andrew Bennington: Argued that the city's public engagement surveys were flawed and biased. Taylor Stewart stated that the city misled residents by mischaracterizing backyards as wooded areas and falsely claiming easement rights; she noted that the most supported route was actually a street-side option, not the streamside proposal.
- Joseph Duncan: Called for a "vote no" on November 4th regarding the streamside plan, describing the survey results as invalid due to lack of sampling controls and misrepresentation of facts.
- Kwan Yu Chun (Representing Rashawn King): Expressed full support for the West Streamside alignment, arguing that greenways are a necessity for equity and safety for children, not just an amenity.
- Alex Bursette: Expressed support for the Big Branch Greenway to increase alternative transportation and urged prioritized attention to stormwater creek systems as critical infrastructure.
- Athena Wallin: Expressed support, stating the project would bring necessary stormwater improvements and environmental stability to a flood-prone area, though she criticized the postponement of a nearby roundabout.
- James Anthony: Expressed opposition based on safety concerns, citing indecent exposure incidents on existing greenways as a risk for families with young children.
- Mary Ivy Stewart: Opposed the streamside route, citing unsafe traffic conditions at Six Forks Road and misleading traffic data provided by the city.
- Shelley Fleming: Opposed the proposal, citing concerns about privacy, safety, and the alleged link between greenways and increased violent crime.
- David Levine: Expressed full support for the Council to accept the Planning Staff's recommendation for the new Big Branch Greenway.
- Mr. Greenways: Delivered a satirical speech expressing support for the greenway system while mocking city officials and citizens.
- Various Residents: Discussed unrelated traffic issues from the Chris Brown concert (Matthew Bush) and calls for increased homeless services and policing on Hillsborough Street (Nikki W.).
Discussion Items
- Big Branch Greenway (Segment 1B): The Council engaged in a contentious debate regarding the streamside route through Anderson Forest. Opponents argued the route violates existing easements, violates riparian buffer rules, and relies on flawed survey data regarding public support. Proponents argued the route is necessary for equitable access, stormwater management, and flood mitigation. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board's previous 9-to-5 vote against this alignment was frequently cited by opponents.
- Noise Ordinance: The Council reviewed a second reading of a proposed noise ordinance replacing subjective rules with objective decibel standards. The discussion centered on the efficacy of the new rules and the specific issue of a bar named "Bowstring" causing persistent noise issues. Councilmember Branch requested the hiring of a certified sound engineer to work with residents and business owners to determine if distance requirements are needed to mitigate sound issues, rather than immediately amending the ordinance. Councilmember Melton and Councilmember Jones expressed concern that passing the ordinance without clear engineering guidelines might cause "whiplash" for residents but agreed on the need for objective data before future amendments. The Council voted to approve the ordinance with an effective date of January 1, 2025, and authorized the hiring of a sound engineer for citywide consultation.
- Digital Billboards: Staff presented a proposal to permit digital billboards, noting that the original intent to remove existing signs in exchange for new digital ones was legally impossible under current North Carolina state law. Councilmembers Harrison and Powell argued that without the authority to declutter existing signage, there is no public benefit to moving forward. The Council voted to deny authorization to proceed with the text change.
- Annexation Resolution: Staff proposed a 12-month time-limited resolution to cap the expansion of the annexation boundary, preventing properties outside a specific black line from becoming eligible for annexation for a year after an annexation petition is processed. Councilmember Silver requested clarification on how eligibility is currently determined in staff reports. The Council unanimously adopted the resolution to start five days from the meeting date.
- Lake Johnson Park Pool: Council authorized the City Manager to execute a partnership agreement with "Wolfpack Elite" to invest $2 million in upgrading the 40-year-old pool, extending hours of operation from 760 to 2,160 hours annually and creating a year-round heated pool facility.
Key Outcomes
- Big Branch Greenway: No final vote was taken on the Council agenda item; the discussion remains open pending further data or future meetings. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board's opposition (9-5) was noted as a significant factor in the debate.
- Noise Ordinance: Unanimously approved with an effective date of January 1, 2025. A separate motion (7-1) was passed to hire a licensed sound engineer to assist with citywide sound and distance matters.
- Digital Billboards: Unanimously denied. The Council voted to stop the text change process due to the inability to remove existing signs as a prerequisite for new digital ones.
- Annexation: Unanimously approved a 12-month resolution limiting annexation eligibility expansion.
- Lake Johnson Pool: Unanimously authorized the execution of the partnership agreement for the pool upgrade.
- Planning Commission: Unanimously set public hearings for November 18th for three zoning cases (Z925, Z2325, Z2525) and held two cases (Gorman Street and Western Boulevard) until after further consultation.
- Public Hearings: Unanimously approved abatement orders, annexation petitions (AX 2325, AX 3025, AX 2125), and rezoning requests (Z1324, Z0525, Z0825, Z1625, Z2225).
- Appointments: Unanimously approved Lindsay Pullham (Arts Commission), Scott Greenman (Environmental Advisory Board), and Mary Ann Baldwin (Go Triangle Board of Trustees). Nominated Adam Walters for the Planning Commission vacancy.
Meeting Transcript
And you can put that back and pass the task. Oh, look at the most important thing. Okay, we had uh no items removed from the consent agenda. Uh so do we have a motion? Move to approve. Right. Uh all in favor of the motion, aye. Aye. All opposed, nay. All right, so that passes. And next uh we have public comment. And we had a lot of folks sign up today, so because we only have an hour, we have a minute per speaker. And uh I believe your names will be up on this board, so if you want to kind of line up and uh you know, kind of get ready to come forth, but we'll start with Elizabeth Scott. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Elizabeth Scott and I live in the Anderson Forest neighborhood. Uh this Greenway Connector project has not been a fifty-year city priority. The nineteen seventy-six and eighty-nine Greenway master plans don't mention it. If anyone claims otherwise, I challenge you to read these documents. Had this trail been a tr had the Anderson Forest Trail been a a priority in nineteen eighty-six, the city would have never accepted an easement that expressly forbids greenway trail construction through Anderson Forests. Violating legal is easements and bending environmental rules to build a ten foot wide asphalt trail through a thirty-foot riparian buffer is not leading by example and could jeopardize a vital natural resource in a rapidly growing city. Natalie Brown. And finally, I want to wish Jonathan Nevermothan a happy 40th birthday. All right. All right, thank you. Uh Jane Hubbins. Big Branch near Six Works Road does not have a wide floodplain. Houses lie on the west side on a hill with a bluff on the opposite bank, creating a narrow channel for the water which drains much of North Hills to pass through, making swift and powerful floodwaters rise quickly. They carry locks, trees, other debris that funnel into a car culvert under Six Horts Road. Backyards can flood in ten minutes, and sometimes from heavy range just upstream. A downward ramp leading into rising floodwaters is dangerous for trail users and puts them at risk in being pulled under Six Works Road. When Crabtree Creek rises, stream flows here slow and stop, creating a re in our backyard a lake that lasts for hours and sometimes days. Receding waters leaves slippery mud and debris that would require a higher level of online maintenance. Thank you. Thank you. Monica Sanders not seeing her. Uh Nikki W. She's not Graham Whitehead. Good afternoon. I'm a student here. I live just off of Hillsborough Street, directly across campus from the Hill Library. Um I just wanted to talk about the increasing homeless population that's overrun Hillsborough Street in that area. Uh recently, my girlfriend was harassed by a homeless man. She even had to like run away from him because he was chasing her on foot. My roommate's girlfriend has mentioned instances of similar things happening to her. Um and even the other day when I was walking my dog, I noticed a homeless man who was defecating in the bushes. Um I've just I've noticed the increasing trend of you know them just you know not caring as much about the area and and even you know making it a pain for other people to walk up and down that street. And I you know, my girlfriend has told me that she feels unsafe even walking in the daytime. Um so I just wanted to come address that to y'all and hopefully something you know motion moves forward to clean up that area and find a safer place for them and ensure the safety of our students. Um could you just name the street you're referring to? Hillsborough Street, particularly between Logan Court and Brooks on on Hillsborough.
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