Kerry O’Sullivan: City Council must do right thing

Regarding the Dec. 13 editorial “ ‘Ridge line’ on project” about Raleigh City Council’s mystifying decision to not make a decision on the rezoning case for Falls of Neuse and Raven Ridge roads in North Raleigh but instead return it to the Planning Commission: In addition to the concerns noted in the editorial, there are other curiosities that demand answers.

At the Dec. 6 hearing, the applicant didn’t even advocate for rezoning approval. Instead, the applicant asked that the case be returned to the commission for another bite at the apple.

Here’s where things get puzzling. In nearly 100 rezoning proposals in Raleigh since 2014, the Planning Commission has recommended against only four, including this case. In all likelihood this is unprecedented, i.e., City Council has never returned a case back to the Planning Commission after the commission previously recommended denial (unanimously, at that).

Clearly then, the council’s Dec. 6 action defies logic. As the editorial called out the larger implications for the city, our community awaits explanations from councilors. More important, we expect them to do the right thing in this case and uphold the city’s promises to balance growth with protecting neighborhoods and sensitive environmental resources.

This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Kerry O’Sullivan: City Council must do right thing."