Raleigh City Council Public Comment Session - September 8, 2026
Raleigh City Council Public Comment Session - September 8, 2026
The Raleigh City Council held a public comment session on September 8, 2026, hearing from over 40 speakers on several controversial topics. The majority of speakers addressed proposed data center development, rezoning case Z4325, a proposed juvenile curfew, and police surveillance technology. No votes were taken during this session.
Public Comments & Testimony
Data Center Moratorium
Numerous speakers urged the council to pass a 32-month moratorium on new data center development in Raleigh. Many cited environmental concerns, including water usage during a drought, increased electricity demand, heat pollution (a peer-reviewed study found data centers can raise surrounding temperatures by up to 4°F), and the risk of diesel generator emissions. Speakers argued that data centers provide few permanent jobs (e.g., one speaker noted Meta's $10 billion center employs approximately 300 permanent workers) and disproportionately burden historically Black and brown communities, specifically the proposed Radius DC project on Jones Sausage Road in Southeast Raleigh. They noted that Durham, Charlotte, Greensboro, and other municipalities have already passed moratoriums. Speakers from Sunrise Movement, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Democracy Green, and other groups voiced opposition.
Rezoning Case Z4325 (6309 Lichford Road)
Several residents of the Lichford Forest neighborhood and surrounding areas spoke in opposition to the rezoning request for 47 units on 6309 Lichford Road. Larissa Green cited Raleigh's 2030 Comprehensive Plan (Section 3.16) and UDO (Section 2.2.7) to argue that the density is incompatible with existing infrastructure and community character. Jen Lawson described dangerous traffic conditions on Johnsdale Road (no sidewalks, no curbs, no painted lines), and her family's previous flooding during construction. TJ Lansbury highlighted student pedestrian safety and the historical significance of the 1903 Lichford House. Jeff Sabawa recounted a near-miss with pedestrians on the road where one woman used an adult mobility scooter on the roadway. All urged denial of the rezoning.
Juvenile Curfew
Multiple speakers opposed the proposed citywide juvenile curfew. Josh Bradley argued it would penalize parents who work and give teens a record. Professor Lametia Whittington of Democracy Green suggested alternatives: extending Raleigh Teen Connect (RTC) programs beyond the current weekday schedule to weekends and high-risk periods, establishing supervised "Teen Zones" with 11 p.m. closings that include music, performing arts, and food trucks, and investing in youth programs. Isaiah Allen cited data showing a 4.2% decrease in Wake County juvenile crime year-over-year and a 22% decrease in downtown Raleigh crime, and noted that at least 27 of the 4th of July incident arrestees were adults aged 18-24. He argued the curfew is a reaction to a seasonal event and would restrict all Raleigh youth. Other speakers called the curfew a "control tactic" that would increase police contact and disproportionately affect Black and immigrant youth.
Flock Cameras and Surveillance
Justin Clifton discussed Raleigh Police Department's operating instruction 11007 for ALPR technology, noting discrepancies: the policy allows 90-day data retention (not 30 as the chief stated) and does not mention immigration (though the chief said RPD does not share with ICE). He noted that in other jurisdictions Flock has shared data without authorization. He requested that the council put the Flock contract to a recorded vote and require audits to come to the council, not just the chief. Josh Bradley also opposed the cameras, citing privacy concerns and noting other cities have ended contracts.
Other Testimony
- Octavia Rainey thanked the council for the Fourth Ward Entertainment District, thanking city manager Dr. Jane Harrison and Councilor Painter.
- Tim Niles argued that Raleigh's Comprehensive Plan can handle growth to 580,000 by 2030, but the council has added capacity for 35,000 more units via upzonings and missing middle, while population may reach only 530,000. He criticized the council for ignoring the plan and rubber-stamping density without infrastructure.
- Mamakai Sanders asked for a focus group to convert community centers into enterprise models and for considering a festival at Dix Park.
- Naya requested transparency on tax breaks and incentives (e.g., Pendo's $590,000, Lenovo Center renovations) and urged a data center moratorium and publishing incentive deal costs.
- Eugene Meyer criticized the rezoning of New Bern Avenue and the lack of a master plan for Shaw University 1,176 days after its rezoning; he also asked about vibrational studies for Estey Hall during Omni Hotel construction.
- Athena Wallen discussed stormwater management, noting Raleigh has nearly 1,200 miles of waterways but fewer than 200 miles maintained by the city, and called for policy changes to protect riparian buffers.
- Several speakers also addressed environmental justice and the need to prioritize people over tech companies.
Key Outcomes
- No council votes were taken during the public comment session.
- Speakers made clear requests: deny rezoning Z4325, pass a 32-month moratorium on data centers, reject the juvenile curfew, end the Flock camera contract and require public audits, and improve transparency on corporate incentives.
- The council heard testimony that will inform future decisions.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, welcome everybody to public comment. As you know, uh we have two minutes per person because we had over forty folks signed up this evening, and I will just start at the beginning of the list with Miss Octavia Rainey. Good afternoon to everyone. I would like to say thank you for the fourth ward entertainment district. It was truly a blessing, and I like to thank Dr. Jane Harrison, the city manager, Miss Painter for all her hard work, all of the city staff, we all work together to make this happen. Just working on the fourth ward. So I am very excited about the fourth wood. And I will also mention that Councillor Lambert Melton is absent and excused this evening. Good evening, Mayor and Counselors. Josh Bradley, 1324 Spring Law on Court. Uh I I came today for three reasons, but I've got two minutes, so let's see what we can do. Um if y'all are considering a team curfew still, I would stop that because it's it it it it wouldn't work and it would be penalizing parents who work all the time or have kids start start their uh adulthood with a record, which would be very bad. Um speaking of the police state and surveillance. Um we should join the rest of the country and and then contracts with flock cameras and and Axos and any of the other things because statistically they don't really help us out, but they do really, really interfere with people's privacy. Um there are a myriad reasons that if I had more than two minutes, I could tell you why they're bad. But uh join the rest of the majority. There's good support on the right and the left to get rid of them and don't switch them out with another brand. The whole concept needs to go. Um the next thing uh I wanted to talk about was uh d related as the data centers, right? The man house the AI that are probably used to surveil the citizenry. Um it's never gonna be worth the environmental cost. It's never gonna be worth the increase to uh to electricity demand. It's never gonna be worth the cost of the water that it's used to build it. And Lord knows don't let them put a diesel generator to run it until we get on the grid, because that's just god awful. Um I think it's important that I know the moratorium is something you have to do due to state law, and a lot of people talk about we gotta be careful around the state law because they don't like us because we're a blue city, but it doesn't matter. They that it doesn't matter if you you stand up and resist or not, they're still gonna come after you, so now is the time to stand up, comrades. This is time to be strong in the face of the encroaching encroachment of fascism. And thank you very much. Thank you. Larissa Green. Larissa Green, I'm here in opposition to Z 4325. Tonight I want to acknowledge the planning commission's motion to deny this case, a motion grounded in Raleigh's own 2030 comprehensive plan. Section 3.16 states the destinate designation of an area with a particular land use category does not mean that the most intense zoning district described in the land use categories is automatically recommended. A range of densities and intensities applies within each category, and the use of different zoning districts within each category should reinforce this range and be based on infrastructure capacity, community character, protection of common open space, and prevailing density and lot size in the surrounding area. The flume is not a blank check for maximum density. And the reality here is clear. The infrastructure lacks capacity. We are we have already seen that acknowledged, not through a comprehensive infrastructure solution, but through the introduction of a gate. The comprehensive plan does not say that infrastructure concerns should be ignored and managed after the fact. It says infrastructure capacity should help determine the appropriate intensity of zoning in the first place. And compatibility matters too. Raleigh's UDO section 2.2.7 reinforces the importance of established neighborhood character and mitigating adverse impacts on surrounding homes. We cannot selectively apply our planning policies, embracing the portions that justify increasing density while disregarding the standards that determine whether the density is actually appropriate. Planning is not an exercise in determining how much can be forced onto a parcel. Compliance is not the same as compatibility. Please deny Z4325. And as you consider the broader future of Raleigh, say no to incompatible development, protect our NCODs, and ensure that growth strengthens, not erases the communities that already call this city home. Justin Clifton. Good afternoon, Council members.
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