Archive for February, 2009

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PRR-Watch Members Participate in the Polar Plunge

Saturday, February 28th, 2009

Today’s rain didn’t stop people from coming out to the Polar Plunge and  5k Run ‘N Plunge.  President of the Pleasant Ridge & Ramsgate Community Watch, Tabitha Groelle, took a dip today into Lake Raleigh with her son Theo.  Jason Hibbets, Vice President of the Pleasant Ridge & Ramsgate Community Watch, participating in the 5k run that preceded the Polar Plunge event.

On Centennial Campus today, hundreds of people turned out for the Polar Plunge and 5k Run ‘N Plunge.  The NC State University Campus Police host this fundraiser to support Special Olympics of North Carolina.

This was the first year for the 5k, race results were posted this afternoon.

When asked why what the plunge was like, Tabitha said, “The water was really, really cold, but it’s lots of fun.”  Groelle also stated, “It raises money for a good cause, Special Olympics.”

Tabitha received a medal for the third most funds raised by an individual.
Jason Hibbets in the 5kTabitha takes the plungeTabitha and Theo

Posted in NC State, Other Organizations, PRR-Watch | Comments Off

DDNA Meeting Notes from February 2009

Saturday, February 28th, 2009

District D Neighborhood Alliance Saturday, February 21, 2009

A well-attended meeting of the DDNA that talked about the 2030 plan, the Planning Commission, front yard parking, Community services, and neighborhood organizing. (more…)

Posted in DDNA | Comments Off

Wake Transit Plan and Transit Legislation March 5, 2009

Friday, February 27th, 2009

From Capital Area Friends of Transit: Public Meeting March 5th on Wake Transit Plan and Transit Legislation

Please join Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker , NC Representative Deborah Ross, and transit officials Thursday, March 5 at 6:30-7:30 pm for a public meeting on the future of transit for Wake County. This will be a great opportunity to learn about the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s proposal for transit in Wake County and to learn how it might affect you. Rep. Ross will describe recently introduced transit legislation — HB 148 and SB 151. Plus, the Capital Area Friends of Transit (CAFT) will give an update on activities of our coalition.

This is a key meeting to attend, if you want to know what the latest plans and actions are for transit, and if you would like to make comments on the proposal. The public meeting will be held Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 6:30 pm in Raleigh’s City Hall, 222 W. Hargett St. (2nd floor). CAFT strongly encourages you to attend to learn more and to express your views on Wake’s Plan!

RTN CHANNEL 11 will air meeting live — so tune in if you can’t make it!

The proposed Wake County Plan for transit includes:

  • Doubling of bus service throughout the county, including express service to several towns beyond Raleigh.
  • Light rail from NW Cary through West Raleigh, NCSU, downtown Raleigh and up to Triangle Town Center

Here’s the map of the plan (click on “transit” section). For more information or to comment online, visit www.campo-nc.us.

Posted in Other Organizations, Transportation | Comments Off

PRR-Watch Sets 2009 Event Dates

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Last week at a Captain’s Meeting, members of the Pleasant Ridge & Ramsgate Community Watch looked at the calendar for 2009 and set dates for meetings and events. The organizations by-laws require the group to hold quarterly meetings, but members also participate in numerous other ways like the annual neighborhood clean-up event, called Street Sweep, and National Night Out ™ — a nationwide crime prevention event. Members should save the following dates:

  • Annual Meeting (Q1) – Tuesday, March 3, 2009
  • 5th Annual Street Sweep & Cookout – Saturday April 25, 2009
  • Quarterly Meeting (Q2) – Monday, May 18, 2009
  • Annual Yard Sale – Saturday, June 13, 2009
  • National Night Out / Quarterly Meeting (Q3) – Tuesday, August 4, 2009
  • September 2009 – Neighborhoods Month, Neighborhood Exchange (TBA)
  • Halloween Haunted Houses – Saturday, October 31, 2009
  • Cookie Exchange / Quarterly Meeting (Q4) – Tuesday, November 10, 2009
  • Holiday Lights – Sunday, December 13, 2009

These events will also be posted on Google Calendar under the public “Pleasant Ridge & Ramsgate Community Watch” calendar.

Posted in PRR-Watch | Comments Off

Spring 2009 Raleigh Neighborhood College

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

I would encourage anyone interested in learning more about the City of Raleigh and how you can use that knowledge to improve your neighborhood to apply. I did this in Spring 2005 and gained a wealth knowledge. I’m happy to write a letter of recommendation for anyone that I know in the neighborhood.

From the City of Raleigh E-Newsletter:

APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR SPRING SESSION OF RALEIGH NEIGHBORHOOD COLLEGE

Interested in learning more about the City of Raleigh and its services? Attend the City’s Raleigh Neighborhood College (RNC). This program allows participants to meet and interact with staff from the City of Raleigh and Wake County and with fellow citizens.

RNC is designed for those residents who want to:

  • learn more about their city;
  • participate in City-based programming; and,
  • improve their quality of life.

Citizens who have participated in RNC have increased their knowledge about their city and have used the information to improve their neighborhoods.

RNC is a 13-week course hosted on the campus of Peace College, located at 15 E. Peace St. The City of Raleigh Community Services Department is now accepting applications for the spring session, which begins on March 12. Space is limited to 25 participants. Each Thursday evening class will begin with dinner being served at 5:30 p.m. Instruction will start at 6 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m. Dinner is provided at no charge.

For more information about the Raleigh Neighborhood College, call the City of Raleigh Community Services Department at (919) 996–6100 or email Kevin Smith, program coordinator, at kevin.smith@ci.raleigh.nc.us. Applications can be downloaded by visiting the City’s website at www.raleighnc.gov/communityservices.

Posted in Community Services Department | Comments Off

Rental Registration Due By April 30, 2009

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

From the City of Raleigh E-Newsletter:

RALEIGH RENTAL PROPERTY MUST BE REGISTERED BY APRIL 30

Effective March 1, all owners of residential rental properties within the City of Raleigh will be required to register any such properties they own under Article H Section 12-2175 of the City of Raleigh Code.

All such properties must be registered between March 1 and April 30 and renewed annually thereafter during the same time period. The penalty for a first violation of the ordinance is $100 per day of noncompliance. The second violation carries a fine of $200 per day of noncompliance. The maximum penalty for a calendar month is $2,000. (more…)

Posted in Lineberry Alliance, Raleigh City Council | Comments Off

Letter to Editor: 2030 Is Too Important

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

Below is my unpublished (to date) letter to the editor. I submitted this last week via the News & Observer online submission form and have been looking online for it everyday. So just in case they don’t publish it, the power of having my own blog allows me to post it now!

During the January 22 Raleigh City Council meeting, I formally requested a 30-day extension for public comments on the 2030 Draft Comprehensive Plan. It was denied by a 4-4 vote, with Mayor Meeker and three other councilors refusing to recognize the importance of citizen involvement. The N&O failed to cover this matter and instead elected to write about dog tethering.

In Southwest Raleigh, neighborhood leaders and I are heading-up citizen focus groups who are analyzing the proposed plan and submitting feedback to planning staff. While digesting the plan’s 380-plus pages, we and other citizens realized much more time is needed to fully comprehend its content and collaborate on how we can make this plan the best it could be for Raleigh’s future. More citizens are just realizing the implications of the proposed plan and how their neighborhoods, future transportation systems and other elements like urban form, environment, arts & culture, parks, and historic preservation, will be affected.

A public forum and panel discussion has been scheduled for 6:30 PM on February 11, 2009 in City Hall Council Chambers in order to facilitate additional dialog and input. I hope you’re present to listen and participate.

After all, this is Our Plan…Our City…Our future!

Posted in 2030 Comp Plan, DDNA | Comments Off

10 Feet Far and Tethered

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

From the City of Raleigh E-Newsletter

RALEIGH CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER DOG TETHERING LIMITS

The Raleigh City Council on Feb. 3 received a draft ordinance to regulate the unattended restraint or tethering of dogs.

Under the proposed ordinance a dog may not be tethered for more than three hours total in any 24-hour period. The ordinance defines tethering as a means of tying out or fastening a dog outdoors on a rope, chain or other line for restraining a dog. The term does not mean the restraint of a dog on an attended leash. The purpose of the ordinance is to prevent the possibility of strangling when a dog becomes entangled in ropes and chains or surrounding objects. The ordinance also seeks to prevent dogs being left exposed to harsh weather conditions without access to shelter, and being unable to reach a supply of food and water;

Any device used to tether a dog must be at least 10-feet long and attached in a manner that prevents strangulation or other injury to the dog or entanglement with objects. A cable trolley system may be used to tether a dog for the allowed period as long as the stationary cable is at least 10-feet long and the dog can move perpendicularly at least 10-feet away from the stationary line. The line should be attached to the dog with a buckle-type collar or a body harness. The device used to tether can weigh no more than ten percent of the animal’s body weight and must allow the dog access to food and water. In addition to being a misdemeanor, a violation is subject to a civil penalty of $100.00 per day for each day of violation.

Comments - I’d be curious to see how the ordinance is going to be enforced and what department (RPD, Inspections, etc.) will be enforcing it. The draft ordinance obviously has good intentions for animal safety, but this seems like it will be another complaint driven enforcement issue.

I might have liked to have seen something about the invisible fences in this ordinance, particularly, adding a distance from the sidewalk / public right-of-way that invisible fences can be installed from. How many of those fences come right up to the sidewalk?

Posted in Raleigh City Council | 1 Comment »

Trailwood Hills Adds Additional No Parking

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

On the January 6, 2009 City Council agenda, item 22.4, titled, “Trailwood Hills Community – No Parking Zones” was passed. The item recommended an approval to amend the traffic schedule listed below.

It is recommended that No Parking Zones be established on one side of the following streets: Buck Spring Court, Cassimir Court, Farlow Gap Lane, Horizon Hike Court, Lower Dry Falls Court, Tanawha Court and Upper Dry Falls Court. This request was received from the Trailwood Hills Homeowners Association.Add to Traffic Schedule 13:

  • Buck Spring Court, south side, in its entirety.
  • Cassimir Court, north side, in its entirety.
  • Farlow Gap Lane, west side, in its entirety.
  • Horizon Hike Court, north side, in its entirety.
  • Lower Dry Falls Court, north side, in its entirety.
  • Tanawha Court, north side, in its entirety.
  • Upper Dry Falls Court, north side, in its entirety.

The HOA received their first round of no parking on their streets in December 2007. The streets outlined above, cover the majority, if not all the streets in their area. These measures were primarily taken due to insufficient width for emergency vehicles to pass if cars are parked on both sides of these streets.

Posted in Trailwood Hills, Transportation | Comments Off

2030 Comprehensive Plan Forum on February 11, 2009

Friday, February 6th, 2009

Public Meeting Notice: The Five Points, Glenwood, Hillsborough, Mordecai, Southwest, Wade, and West CACs will hold a joint meeting February 11, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. in the council chamber of the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex, 222 W. Hargett Street. The purpose of the joint meeting is to allow more public examination of and comment on the proposed Comprehensive Plan Update.

Agenda

6:30 – Greetings and Introductions
6:45 – Planning Staff Briefing on the Proposed Comp Plan Update
7:15 – Moderated Panel Discussion
8:15 – Questions and Comments from the Audience
9:00 – Adjourn

Please contact Mitchell Silver, Director of City Planning, at 919.516.2625 or Mitchell.silver@ci.raleigh.nc.us for any questions.

Additional Commentary… 

For the Lineberry Alliance members, the 2030 plan affects our neighborhood, how it could grow and mature -or- fail and die.  More importantly, the plan will determine future growth of our city and all neighborhoods for the next 20 years.

I’ve had a chance to get through the majority of the plan.  I noticed that the Trailwoods/Lineberry Small Area Plan is not part of the new document.  If any of you worked on that previously, you might be concerned.  Even if you didn’t, the existing plan that outlines our neighborhoods plan is not included.  Why?  How do you want to see our neighborhood grow?  More single family homes? More college style apartments?  More convenient & walkable mixed use / commerce?

Time is running out to comment on the plan.  Come to the forum with questions, concerns, and comments.  Learn about the plan.  Join the conversation.

I hope to see you at the citizens forum on Feb 11.  Bring a friend. 

Posted in 2030 Comp Plan, SWCAC | Comments Off

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