Susan Burton: Spencer Ridge not worth tainting drinking water

Regarding the Dec. 13 editorial “ ‘Ridge line’ on project”: As a homeowner close to the proposed Spencer Ridge shopping center at Falls of Neuse and Raven Ridge Road in North Raleigh, I was shocked that the City Council sent this back to the Planning Commission.

Several of my neighbors and I personally spoke to 154 homeowners surrounding the property and 147 oppose rezoning, and the official CAC vote likewise was overwhelmingly against the proposed shopping center. Traffic, watershed protection and the fact that we just do not need another grocery store were the main reasons.

This property is part of the Richland Creek Watershed and is designated by Wake County Classifications as an area that will supply drinking water to Raleigh and cities to the southeast.

If City Council approves this rezoning despite the Planning Department’s determination that it is incompatible with the area; the CAC vote and community sentiment; and the Planning Commission’s 9-0 recommendation of denial, what will stop developers from turning Falls of Neuse into Capital Boulevard? What will happen to a vital drinking water source?

The Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map were developed not that long ago and for a reason. The city had a vision – what could a developer be offering that is so valuable as to destroy land in the watershed and bring in the pollution associated with approximately 10,000 car trips a day?

This story was originally published December 23, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Susan Burton: Spencer Ridge not worth tainting drinking water."