A new interactive map that overlays existing Google Maps has been published on the web, showing the future of Raleigh’s bike system. In our case, the future seems far away. The site takes the existing Google bike layer, which includes other Triangle spots like Durham and Cary, and lets the user add different layers of Raleigh’s bike plan.
Don’t take my word for it. Go see for yourself and check out the different layers and future bike plans at (more…)
At this month’s District D Neighborhood Alliance (DDNA) meeting, held on Saturday, June, 19, 2010, we had Kristen Rosselli, Director of Community Services take us through a branding report on what other cities and organizations are doing to promote geographical regions within their boundaries. We had almost 20 folks from across the district participate in today’s meeting. Read the rest of the notes for more details and see the attached presentation. (more…)
Information provided by Raleigh Police Department (RPD)
On June 14, Major R.W. Grayson of the RPD announced the release of “The Raleigh Police Department’s Response to Gang Activity: 2009 Public Report,” which describes the RPD’s broad and proactive approach toward gang prevention, intervention, and suppression. Highlights of the report include:
On the week of June 21, 2010, you’ll have a chance to participate in several workshops regarding Raleigh’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) on the topic of transitions. The was a big issue during the 2030 Comprehensive Plan update, Raleigh code currently does a poor job of defining how to transition from intense / dense types of development to areas like residential neighborhoods where single families home dominate the landscape.
Consider this: if we start to attract some of the neighborhood mixed use development to the edges of the Lineberry neighbrohoods and they would be 3-5 stories in height, what are the rules, regulations, and code that would dictate how those developments transition to structures like single family dwellings? The answer is two-fold: (more…)
Mary-Ann Baldwin
I got a chance to catch up with one of Raleigh’s At-large City Councilors, Mary-Ann Baldwin, for a five question email interview. If Mary-Ann can survive the Fire Department Operations 101 class, an orientation to the daily grind, risks, and rewards that Raleigh firefighters deal with daily, held on June 5, 2010, then certainly she can survive our questions. I’ve watched Mary-Ann on Raleigh City Council for the past few years and have become more and more impressed. She brings a much needed marketing and communications background and understands business principles such as communication, customer service, and team work. If you follow her on Twitter (she’s @maryannbaldwin by the way) then you know she’s interested in business innovation. See what Mary-Ann has to say about moving the Lightner Center forward, the gang situation in Raleigh (and how you might be wrong about it), how government can foster innovation, and much more in our interview with her.
1) City Council budget hearings are coming up this summer. How is city council going to deal with the budget shortfall and what sacrifices will the City and citizens have to make?
Like many private citizens who are cutting back and living on tighter budgets, the City must do the same. This means that Capital Improvement Projects are going to be (more…)
District D Neighborhood Alliance (DDNA) met on May 15, 2010 at the Whole Foods community room at Wade Avenue. District D Councilor Thomas Crowder was unable to attend so Jason Hibbets ran the meeting in his place. At-Large Councilor Russ Stephenson was in attendance. The group got a report on this years intercity Chamber of Commerce trip to Fairfax, Virginia from Councilor Stephenson. Additionally, we discussed the upcoming Raleigh budget review, Union Station, the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), and got an update from the neighborhoods around the district. (more…)
A few weeks ago, we told you about the New American House project, a great opportunity to have green, sustainable community right here in the Lineberry area. The City of Raleigh recently announced it now offers a green building certification program to construction professionals. See the details below for more information.
CITY OF RALEIGH ANNOUNCES GREEN BUILDING TRAINING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
The City of Raleigh Office of Sustainability has developed a Green Building Training Certification and Community Education Program. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly referred to as the stimulus package. (more…)
At last night’s South West Citizens Advisory Council (SWCAC), we had a great collaborative session on several different topics including building a CAC website, budget requests, and community gardens. Vice-Chair Anthony McLeod and Second Vice Chair Mary Belle Pate help to foster the group conversation and generate ideas. (more…)
Last week, Raleigh City Council decided to move forward with the drafting of the new development code that is an action item from the adoption of 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) provides the opportunity to rehash and rethink the current approach to development and will remove existing barriers to infill development, allowing the city to curb urban sprawl and build for a more transit-friendly city.
There are lots of opportunities for citizens to participate in the new development code process, but not many are taking advantage of it. One barrier is the complexity of the issues. Another is the fact that making law and code just isn’t sexy to most people. Since the new development code will become law, you have a chance to have a say in it. Essentially, you have a chance to make a law for the city of Raleigh. Look for announcements about future workshops, public hearings, and charrettes that you can participate in.
A citizen panel is trying to help bridge the gap between complex planning code and draw attention to big issues, (more…)
Russ Stephenson
I got a chance to catch up with one of Raleigh’s At-large City Councilors, Russ Stepenson, between his day job, city councilor duties, and a recent Chamber of Commerce Intercity trip to Washington DC and Fairfax, Virginia. Russ is very knowledgeable about a variety of topics. Often on City Council, he’s asking lots of questions to make sure he understand the issues. As an At-Large Councilor, he represents citizens from all of Raleigh. It was great to get his thoughts on the Lightner Center, Raleigh’s New Development Code, water conservation, city council goals, and community involvement.
1) How does the proposed Alternate Resolution to the Lightner Center [PDF] impact citizens in Raleigh?
Memo #2 referenced in your question was produced by Councilors Crowder, Gaylord and myself. It explains why we think the current Lightner Center proposal is more expensive and less secure than it should be. Memo #2 also describes an alternate proposal that accomplishes three very important things for the citizens of Raleigh: (more…)
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