First, Wake County commissioners voted unanimously to ignore Raleigh's desire for stricter development rules in the proposed Little River Reservoir watershed. Next, the state Environmental Management Commission issued a notice of violation to the city for failing to adopt tougher rules in the Richland Creek watershed in North Raleigh.

Finally, on Tuesday, the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners voted to annex 55 acres that Raleigh City Manager Russell Allen said would create a "huge issue" for the completion of the Little River watershed.

What gives? On the surface, it appears Raleigh is walking softly and carrying a toothpick. Referring to the county commissioners' vote on Little River, Mayor Charles Meeker said Tuesday that "all is not lost." Maybe not, but the recent setbacks do raise the question of whether the city needs to sharpen its powers of persuasion.

Perhaps the city could start sending watershed-themed gift baskets to these folks. Among the items we suggest including in the baskets are an autographed 8-by-10 of Upper Neuse Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks, a septic tank-shaped refrigerator magnet, a Russell Allen "We'll Get Rain" bumper sticker and a bobblehead doll of Raleigh's stormwater mascot, Neusie.

Here's a 'no' vote

Where the restaurant lobby and anti-tax Republicans failed, Lavonia Allison just might succeed.

The chairwoman of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People said her organization will "aggressively try to defeat" a ballot measure calling for a penny-per-dollar tax on Durham County restaurant bills.

The county got permission this week from the legislature to place the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Allison pointed to the weak economy, the rising cost of gas and groceries, and the fact that the city and county have each raised property taxes as reasons to not further tap people's wallets. She's particularly galled that the money will be used on cultural amenities such as a planned Minor League Baseball museum.

"Cultural amenities are nice, but with the challenges facing low- and middle-income people, many of them have little opportunity to enjoy cultural amenities," she said.

With Barack Obama's candidacy expected to attract a high black turnout, the committee's opposition could doom the tax.

"We will encourage the people to look at the tax as something that at this point in time we don't need," Allison said.

Crowder on housing, blight

Should Raleigh City Council member Thomas Crowder ever give up his day jobs as an architect and fashionista, he might want to consider becoming a tour guide.

On Monday, he took his colleagues on a tour of housing developments in southeastern and southwestern Raleigh that he considers poorly designed and constructed. The tour was ostensibly designed to make an argument for more design oversight on development.

The dozen stops were mostly places where multifamily housing had been haphazardly attached to a single-family home. The additions were legal under existing zoning rules, but Crowder argues that such construction exploits vulnerable low-income neighborhoods and leads to blight and crime.

"They'll charge by the room in some of these places," Crowder said.

The only council member who did not attend the tour was Philip Isley. Those who did had the pleasure of riding around in a white Parks and Rec school bus for 90 minutes. For the record, no pencil fighting took place, nor were any spitwads launched or ears flicked.

Crowder began the tour by making a direct connection between the design and appearance of properties on the tour and the crime and blight around them. Mayor Charles Meeker then suggested that the urban-architecture-proselytizing portion of the tour take place at the end.

"We'll all go out and see it and then put the Crowder spin on it," the mayor said.

Carrboro irked over fence

A new barbed wire fence has divided neighbors on Carrboro's Estes Drive Extension.

The fence separates Estes Park Apartments from railroad tracks, where some children had been playing. It also closed off a pedestrian walkway winding downtown.

To Mayor Mark Chilton, the barbed wire was extreme.

"This is not a prison camp or anything," he said.

Estes Park management says the issue is safety: keeping the children in and potential riffraff out.

Chilton has asked the complex to at least unlock the fence gate during the day, saving the path.

As of Friday, he said management had not responded to his request.

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