Raleigh leaders promised to change the rules for housing affordability. It’s starting.
Raleigh leaders took the first step toward changing the rules that developers have to follow to address housing affordability.
Several newly elected City Council members advocated changing the rules during their campaigns. They believe the city’s growing affordable housing shortage can be partly addressed by adding different types of homes throughout Raleigh.
During their first meeting of 2020, they’re started putting those campaign promises into action.
“I think we all want thoughtful growth that includes affordability,” said Council member Nicole Stewart. “The difference here, for me, is that if we focus on keeping things the way they are then we only keep them affordable for the people who already have them.”
Downtown Parking Rules
If a developer wants to build a commercial project in downtown Raleigh, the city has required a parking space for every 500 square feet. City leaders have taken the first step to remove that requirement.
Developers will still be allowed to add parking and many larger developments will, said Jason Hardin, a city planner. Smaller and medium-size projects might have had difficulty meeting that requirement.
The council unanimously approved the change, but it has to be reviewed by the planning commission and then brought back to the council for a final vote.
Cottage Courts
The council also wants to add “missing middle” housing, or homes that fall between single-family homes and apartments, like duplexes, tiny homes, town homes and cottage courts. Cottage courts are typically smaller homes that have a shared open space, parking or community building.
The council voted to start the process of allowing cottage courts in residential areas, including in less dense neighborhoods. This change, once it goes through the planning commission and is voted on again by the council, would allow 30 cottages per court.
After the meeting, Council member David Cox said he wasn’t willing to “fundamentally change” the make-up of single family areas by allowing cottages. He was the lone vote against the change.
In a blog post Wednesday, he said the council had moved “toward ending single family zoning.”
“When I moved to Raleigh 20 years ago I was attracted to city’s beautiful treed neighborhoods,” he said. “Today, we see the first steps towards transforming Raleigh by allowing high density everywhere.”
Infill development
The majority of council members did deny one change that most felt would make it too hard to build homes but others said would make development within a neighborhood more consistent and save affordable housing.
If the rule had been changed, it would have required developers to keep lot sizes about the same size as other lots in the neighborhoods. Some said this would prevent homes from being torn down and turned into expensive “McMansions,” while others said it would prevent homes from being built throughout the city.
“I want to make it easier to build housing, and it remains my goal for the city to look at allowing more housing options citywide in more residential zoning districts,” said Council member Jonathan Melton.
Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin asked if this would create a neighborhood conservation overlay district throughout the city, which city staff said it would.
The new council has been critical of this zoning tool, arguing it limits the new homes being built in neighborhoods by sealing off neighborhoods for new developments. But some neighborhood advocates say it’s one of the best ways to stop homes from being torn down and to maintain the character of the neighborhoods.
Building Height
The council also voted to remove the height cap for buildings seven stories and above. The city’s code had limits for height and stories for buildings, and removing the height cap will result in better buildings being built throughout Raleigh, Baldwin said.
