It is disappointing to see the project being scaled down, but frankly, with the bath that Sandreuter ended up taking on the oversized West at North Project, it is obvious that banks are putting pressure on Sandreuter to do something with the land. The truth is that the economy is worse than the media is portraying, and a project like the one originally proposed for The Edison is now probably more than 20 years away for Raleigh. In fact it will be at least 12 years before anything changes the Raleigh skyline.

With conditions as they are, we are lucky to see something proposed for this land. As it stands now, the block stands as a blank and a few run-down old buildings in the middle of a downtown that has much organic energy. We are now at the 3-year mark of a development drought in downtown Raleigh, and if we get too arrogant, we will lose all of the roaring momentum that Raleigh had six years ago. In other words we cannot afford to be too choosy now about downtown projects. Given the number of empty lots in downtown, we can afford to put up some bad projects because the momentum is what will eventually bring good projects, not our own stubbornness. Too much of that will make us a has-been. We need energy on the street, and this project does that.

Much hand-wringing has been going on over the last two days regarding the design of the project. I will caution readers, though, that the proposal looks more like a massing portrayal than a specific design, so even with this sized project, it can be something appealing. That said, the images look waaaaay too much like the horribly bland project on Glenwood where Tobacco Road is.

Hopefully the mass of building can be broken up with varied materials, colors, window frames, and window heights. Designers at North Hills East attempted this kind of breakup with windows and color on an EFIS-faced building, but forgot that relief also has to be in the design. Some sections should set back, others protrude. Another facet ignored is massive projects is the window height. North Hills is a godo project, but could have been great if the windows for each section were at differing heights. IT would have added some authenticity badly needed over there.

Nevertheless, I’m glad to see something going forward. I just hope that developers will still have some sense of pride in their developments while they try to please banks. Perhaps the name of the project should be renamed The Gillette, as the focus has clearly gone from being a brilliant idea to being something serviceable that we will one day throw away.

At this point I still don’t know if the restaurant will be in the old Audio Buys building or if it will go into the old Johnson’s Pharmacy spot (at Oberlin and Fairview). Word has been that the people who overhauled the old Audio Buys were hoping the space would be retail, but would upfit the space for a restaurant if that is the only potential suitor they could find.

There are many, many good memories of The Brewerrrryyyyyy (said in a monster truck-type voice). My first visit to the space was to see the Sex Police, a fantastic live band. They played The Lorax from a film projector on a movie screen behind them, which made the whole performance kind of artsy. Next was Detroit’s “Rhythm Corps” (in the Fall of ‘88 ) whose sound was eerily echoed later by a Seattle band named Pearl Jam. Earlier that week, if I recall, a woman named Melissa Etheridge apparently blew the roof off the joint. (back then she played rock music and was extremely energetic). The venue also played host to Jane’s Addiction, Black Flag, and many other big acts, however my occasional drop-ins were just to see great regional acts like Johnny Quest, Hootie and the Blowfish (gawd – did they play The Brewery every other Friday or what? It’s a tossup between them and Jennyanykind), Pipe, Mr. Potatohead, Follow For Now, Southern Culture on the Skids, Dillon Fence, and a few others.

What I loved about The Brewerrryyyy was the layout. The room was square with the band playing on a triangular stage in the corner, so sitelines were great, even after they bumped out the back. It was always scary-packed in there, too, and getting a beer from the likes of Nikki Coury was always kind of a mosh act (her father, an OBGYN, delivered me). Glenn Mitchener and Randy Richardson worked the door, so it was always fun to catch up with those guys when I went in.

Since those days, however, the billing has been decidedly metal, the barking dog variety, and I haven’t been back. I’ll miss my days there, but to be honest, they were gone long before the news hit Twitter on Saturday.

Times at The Brewweerrryyyyy were actually not my fondest in that block, however. The little place to the left of the The Breweerrryyyyy was once Mr. Ribs, a fabulous rib joint in the ‘70s. While those same ribs are now served at Crowley’s, Mr. Ribs was special. It was a dark restaurant with captain’s chairs and 4-tops throughout. However it wasn’t dark enough for me to recognize State’s tallest student, Junior Tommy Burleson. I was so excited to see one of my heroes that I squealed to my family that “Montie Towe” was sitting two tables away, which Burleson easily heard and responded with a laugh. (I say the opposite of what I mean sometimes when I get tired or overly excited).

The Cantina was also one of the most fun bars in the State ‘hood. The real deal there was a bucket of Rolling Rocks, which was pretty cheap (but not like the $3 pitchers at Trolls in Chapel Hill). They also were one of the first places in Raleigh to serve soft flour tacos, which weren’t bad.

While those memories live on, I have to say that this development can be a real seed to improvement through a section of Hillsborough street that needs some redevelopment. Hopefully it will be the first step toward a small, walkable urban village where students can afford to rent an apartment as well as a place to continue finding good “wholesome” entertainment.

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It appears this will be a 250-unit apartment building.

Mixed Use Project: Tucker/Boylan

Like we couldn’t see this one coming from a mile away. The appeal of Krispy Kreme lies in their hot, fresh product. The greasy, room temperature product has never been appealing, and was set for failure in City Plaza from the getgo. Had the chain focused on delivering hot, glazed doughnuts instead of variety at that site, there was ample opportunity for success. I still adamantly feel that a small, Hot Doughnuts Now stand in the RBC Center would be a booming success.

So what is next for this site? Success in City Plaza will not come from sales during special events. There aren’t many of these kinds of events and the plaza is not interesting enough to be the hangout the city was hoping it would be. It is the business that can attract a steady stream of customers from lunch thru the afternoon that will make it. For sure, the easiest slam dunk is a good, basic, hamburger or taco stand. This facility is essentially a food truck, so the aim should be to serve quick food that is good. Only Burger or Char-Grill would do well in this site because good burgers sell; period. Another idea is a taco stand featuring good ingredients. Chubbys and Los Cuates could handle the job. Food from Fonda Y Birrieria Jalisco would be even better (just get a better name!). The beauty of a taco stand is that it would attract tons of traffic during non-peak hours. There are many like me who could eat a good taco appetizer at any hour of the day.

Raleigh now sits in a position similar, but on a smaller scale, to Atlanta’s once the Olympics was over. The long-awaited event has passed, and it is time for the City to get back to making Fayetteville Street a “sustainable” destination for residents on every day of the year. There still is important work to be done.

The completed project now designates the new terminal with two concourses, C and D (map), though they are technically on the same hallway. The gates that opened in 2008 are on the C concourse, and the gates opening now are on the D concourse. Airports have now gone to new nomenclature with terminals numbered and their concourses distinctly designated with letters.

Terminal 2 is now the host of Air Canada (D5, D9), American Airlines and American Eagle (C17- C18, C20-C25), Continental and Continental Express (D1, D3, D6), Delta and Delta Connection (C1, C3, C7, C9, C14, C15), Frontier (C25), United and United Express (D5, D9), and US Airways and US Airways Express (D10-D13). The following airlines remain in Terminal 1, the one that should have been replaced: AirTran, JetBlue, and Southwest Airlines.

In May 2010, the RDU Airport Authority voted to spend an extra $500,000 in order to accelerate construction so the project could be completed before next week’s NHL All-Star game. Let’s hope that all of the media, tourist, and athletes all arrive in Terminal 2.

The terminal is gorgeous. It is the “first major airport to be constructed with wooden struts”, but those really only encompass the fascinating roof. Much stone is used to compliment the wooden tones in the ceiling, and the attention to detail is impressive. While the overall idea was conveyed with Phase I of the building, the true scale of the roof and use of light could not be appreciated until now. Whether it is with carefully placed artwork, mosaic patterns in the terrazzo flooring, or bag hooks at the bathroom sinks, an impressive number of details were considered in constructing the building.

There was one unfortunate oversight, however: the choice of glass for the ticketing area’s South Wall. Apparently the glass did not filter enough light, so an enourmous curtain was created to tone the intensity of the sunlight that hits this wall most of the day. While the giant white curtain is dramatic, it will likely be dirty and unsightly in a few years.

Terminal 2 will truly be an impressive gateway for visitors and prospective business clients who enter this terminal. For those who do not arrive via the terminal, the building will certainly find its place among citizens’ driving tours for out-of-towners (unlike another award-winning facility that recently opened). Hopefully the airport authority can make necessary changes to Terminal 1 in order to bring it up to Terminal 2′s high standards.

If you are interested in visiting the terminal, be sure to park in the “Hourly 2″ parking area. The entrance bays are to the far left in the deck’s entrance plaza. Parking is $1/hr. You will not be able to access the concourses without a plane ticket, but the atrium and baggage claim areas can still be appreciated by casual visitors.

The project once showed 157 rooms planned, but now appears to be 126 units. The hotel will not have any special terracing or setback from the Glenwood Avenue sidewalk, but will only rise 5 stories on that face of the building.

Thanks, Chris!

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The three maps for downtown are the most interesting (map 1, map 2, map 3 – all pdf). The show alternative routes and possibilities for new crossing arrangements. One proposal puts the railway between Capital Blvd and Whitaker Mill Road. The other two put the railway on the Mordecai side of Capital Blvd.

The Task Force presentation falls on page 19 of the City Council’s 24-page agenda. So, while the agenda is not followed at a constant pace, and is sometime ignored, we can at least get a sense of when the presentation will be.

Apparently carrying the Bud Light name would result in scores of alcoholics in the area, so the City of Raleigh will have to make a contract with someone else, perhaps a company that serves palm-oil based fried food, radiation spewing personal electronic devices, or personal transportation devices people use in running up highway death tallies. Just so long as we don’t become like those people who live near the formerly named Molsen Center in Montreal. Now that is a bunch of worthless alcoholics if I’ve ever seen any.

The project stands on land formerly occupied by Sir Walter Chevrolet, one block to the west of the Raleigh Convention Center. That center was designed for future expansion into the lot. In the meantime Raleigh officials have erected a 5,500-seat, “temporary” amphitheater site which will host around 20 events per summer.

It is important to keep the long-range plan in mind when visiting the site, because it is bare bones to say the least. There are no velvet cloaks at the entrances. If you are expecting something nice like Koka Booth Amphitheatre or Time Warner Pavilion, you will be sorely disappointed. The stage is boxed in only by a very basic lighting rig that complies to industry shed tour standards. The bathrooms are in trailers, which is a step up from porta-johns in Moore Square. The concessions are all from temporary trailers and folding tables. There is no in-house video, and spot lighting is from extremely temporary scaffolding that looks like it could blow over in a 20 mph wind.

While all of those items are expected and excusable, there are some choices designers made that will severely hamper the experience, especially for those who drive long distances and pay first rate prices for shows.

The seating is somewhat similar to Walnut Creek in that it is arranged much like a baseball diamond. Around the outer infield arc there is “box” seating, which consists of stacking chairs separated by pipes, much like the boxes at Walnut Creek. Between the stage and this arc, however, there is nothing but a sea of concrete. Officials told me the plan is to place stacking chairs in this zone to simulate reserved seating. The problem here is that there is absolutely no rise from the front row to the box seats, so everyone in the entire infield will have to stand if Row A decides to stand (and you know they will). Are these the stacking chairs from inside the Convention Center? What happens during times like now when graduations and other events demand the Convention Center chairs? How is security going to control a crowd that has stacking chairs to throw?

Behind the box seats is the only East-West arc aisle, and behind this aisle there is a large section of permanent, reserved seats which slope upward only slightly. At Walnut Creek this East-West aisle is cleverly sunken so people on the lawn are not disturbed. Not here. Patrons in the reserved seating area will have to stand in order to see the stage. That may be par for the course at rock concerts, but it presents real problems for stage productions like Rent and Chelsea Lately.

The remaining land behind the reserved seating is general admission lawn “seating”. While this area does actually have a steep rise, the view of the stage from at least 1/3 of the space, at least right now, is obstructed by tents for the soundboard and for box seating. Most likely these tents will have to go.

The entire seating area is exposed, so be sure to bring a poncho if there is any chance of rain. There is no shelter to speak of, which may present problems for some productions. The real catalyst for the project was the receipt of a framework for a tent to cover much of the seating area. We received this for free from Denver, but had to buy a new fabric skin, which apparently was cost prohibitive given the extreme bare-bones nature of this facility.

While sight-lines and shelter are concerns for this facility, the sound looms as the biggest. Raleigh’s newest landmark, the Shimmer Wall, borders Left Field, and will probably be known as the Silver Monster to musicians. The angle of the stage is such that the entire stage left bank of PAs will be aimed directly at the shimmer wall, and likely create an acoustical mess. Rap Bap….Rap Bap is what two snare drum hits will sound like for anyone along the 3rd baseline. It will be interesting to hear music from the right baseline as the music from the stage left bank will be hitting those fans almost a full second after the stage right bank hits.

For some reason the design of the amphitheater is within the confines of the arcing access road to the Convention Center’s service tunnel. A better design would have been to relocate this road directly adjacent to and parallel to W. Cabarrus St. This would have allowed the stage to be tucked back closer to the Cabarrus/Dawson intersection, thus allowing the stage to be turned more to the south. Perhaps a better grading plan would have allowed the stage to be lower than Dawson, and the outfield to be higher than McDowell streets. This would have provided much better sightlines.

The real advantages the amphitheater has (over most in the country, in fact) come from its location. Ingress and egress will be outstanding, and a very welcome feature to those who have sat in office building parking lots in Cary for well over an hour without moving. Downtown Raleigh has well over 10,000 parking spaces, and most of them are empty during the times of use for this facility.

For people who want to kick around after the show, downtown Raleigh offers the finest nightlife experience in the Triangle. In fact, there are over 70 places to drink in downtown Raleigh, and most are a short walk from the amphitheater.

The amphitheater will end up being a great move for the City Manager’s books, especially if weather and crowd control are not problems. Built on a shoestring that would even make Tom Fetzer proud, the place is positioned to be a huge cash-cow for the city. The facility is built to be in place only a few years, and if convention center expansion gets pushed back, a renovation plan will have to be in the works. Given the rise of the internet and the stagnation of the world economy, that expansion may be further off than anticipated. In fact, I predict that the expansion of the convention center will not happen until at least 2025, probably 2030.

What will probably happen is that after 3 summers, the city will probably realize that expansion is still just a long-term goal, and must then deal with mounting complaints about The Walt. I expect to see permanent bathrooms, more substantial field lighting rigs, permanent gold circle seating implemented in the short run.

Is this review premature? Perhaps. Yes, I have not heard a band in the facility yet. The problem is that nobody else had either. As of 21 hours before showtime, the time all of these photos were taken, the facility had no PA system, no lighting in place, the bathroom access ramps had not been built, no vendors were in place, no ticketing facility was in place, and no seating existed for the gold circle. A lot will have to happen before the paying public comes in two days. We’ll know a lot more about the facility by the end of the weekend.

This amphitheater should be dedicated to and named after Sir Walter Raleigh for three reasons:

1. It stands on the site that once hosted Sir Walter Chevrolet
2. We don’t have ANYTHING around this city named after Walter Raleigh. We have a city name and a statue downtown. No parkways, schools, public facilities.
3. The amphitheater could affectionately be known as "THE WALT". We don’t have a decent moniker for our civic center, large amphitheater, or professional arena. This gives us the chance to assign a good, fun, innocent name to the place.

Certainly naming rights can be sold, but to honor the knighted one is the right thing to do for the long run. Remember Hardee’s Walnut Creek Amphitheater and the BTI Center? Naming rights may come and go, but a dedication is long term.

In August, the City Council approved a contract with Code Studio to assist the City in the preparation of a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).  The UDO seeks to implement, through code requirements and standards, the type of built environment as set forth in the recently adopted 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The goal of the UDO is to prepare development regulations that address contemporary development and zoning practices that are easily understood by administrators, the public, and the development community and support the goals and policies of the new comprehensive plan.

Lee Einsweiler of Code Studio will present how urban form can be integrated in the UDO and what tools may be used in Raleigh at the neighborhood and citywide level.  Topics to be addressed include:

• What is a form-based code;
• What tools are available to achieve good urban form;
• What are some examples of us ing form-based code and tools in other cities; and,
• How might the code and tools be used in Raleigh?

Mr. Einsweiler is a planner with more than 25 years of experience in a variety of settings. As a principal at Code Studio, Mr. Einsweiler’s projects involve planning, zoning and plan implementation. Mr. Einsweiler  is experienced in both conventional zoning and new code approaches. He has prepared pure form-based codes and successfully incorporated form-based elements into conventional codes.

Kane kindly responded that wheels were already in place for a very similar project, which was a huge relief to my family. The letter became the seed for the Raleighing.com project, but has not made an appearance on gogoraleigh. So, to celebrate gogo’s 2nd birthday, here is what started the whole blogging thing for me:

September 7, 2001

Dear Mr. Kane:

I am ecstatic that you are interested in redeveloping the North Hills Mall property. I grew up in the mall’s back yard and always felt that it could do more for our area. It is GOOD to have local ownership again!

I am troubled by the recent events with Neal Coker’s Oberlin project, and fear the same from some of the similarly short-sighted neighbors of mine in the North Hills subdivision. When I hear of residents intending to treat the 100-foot buffer like a forest preserve, I worry that logic is being trampled by an emotional fear of change. North Hills Mall is a dump, and it is time to put something there that makes Raleigh a better place to live.

One of the most cherished locations in the Triangle is Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street. It amazes me that more people haven’t tried to recreate that feel with other commercial properties. The area is pedestrian-friendly, slow-moving, and tree-lined. Unfortunately several developers in the area have blown opportunities to create another charming destination by choosing to slap down big boxes and a sea of parking spaces. A trip out Capital Boulevard reveals countless instances of uninspiring, faceless properties that will offer Raleigh no benefit in 20 years. You have the chance to develop a project that will shine over all of those anonymous boxes.

Enclosed is map of the property. I have no idea if it is even close to scale, nor do I know if the buildings portrayed are a workable size. I am a dentist and admittedly have NO CLUE how much square footage of rentable space it will take to make this work, nor do I understand any existing contracts, zoning laws, or current environmental issues concerning the property! However, this is an idea that can be far more charming and successful than the laughably-neon Cameron Village.

The concept basically extends Currituck and Dartmouth into the property and adds one street that extends from the back side of the existing plaza straight through the mall property. In this example the street is named after Isaac Hunter, whose land was near this property. Of course, all existing buildings on the mall portion of the property will be demolished.

The project incorporates two peripheral, yet convenient parking decks, a large hotel, and 13 buildings of varying sizes and functions:

Buildings A-D: This is the heart of the village. The intent here is to recreate a slightly urban version of the intersection of Franklin and Columbia Streets in Chapel Hill. The existing driveway contains the tree-lined vista that could be the cornerstone to the urban-town feel. All four of these buildings should have street-level shops and restaurants.

Building C is interesting. Its triangular shape can actually make it an architectural centerpiece of the project. It’s presence could easily be felt from the beltline, and would be a natural home to a business wanting to display its name on the South side of the building (a la Ernst & Young’s Highwoods presence). All of these buildings could be from 3-10 stories, yet still maintain the charm found on Franklin St. The street isn’t the only place a marquee restaurant could be found. Top of the Hill in Chapel Hill has been a remarkable 3^rd story success. A similar restaurant could easily be perched high on building C (as shown) or building B.

Buildings A, E, G, F – These are more street-level shops, especially buildings A and E. G and F could be whatever is needed from Barnes and Noble to a multiscreen theatre (which ought to be named The Cardinal!).

Buildings I, J, K – These are more street level shops with condos upstairs. Two-story condos above the street-level shops featuring rear balconies overlooking the beltline might be a big hit.

Building H – This could be a big-box store such as Target, Best Buy, or J.C. Penney. Since none of these stores really fit in the urban setting, this secondary location would work perfectly.

Building L – More street-level shops with offices or condos upstairs. This is the current location of the U.S. Post Office building.

Building M – Existing shopping plaza with storefront parking.

Hotel – The hotel could be something as nice as a Ritz-Carlton. Something on the order of 6 to 9 stories would work well. A hotel of this caliber would have a restaurant of regional stature, a rooftop pool on the back, and would make the North Hills project a focal point for travelers to the entire Triangle. The front door and driveway would be on the Hunter St. face of the building, and the alley between the hotel and building B would offer quick access to the parking deck for valet parking. The hotel would have a second floor access to the parking deck.

Parking Decks – Certainly some street-level parking can be offered throughout just as it is in some areas of Franklin Street. Parking Decks are located within a block of anyone’s destination, and should be easily accessible from these locations. Entrances to the D/H deck could be from Hunter St. and directly from Six Forks Rd. The main exits could be onto Dartmouth and Six Forks Roads. The B/Hotel parking deck could be accessed from an alley between B and the Hotel (for hotel customers only), from Currituck, or directly from Lassiter Mill Road. A pedestrian tunnel from the B/Hotel deck directly to building C can provide safe, sheltered, easy access for employees in the C tower. The tunnel could also be used by shoppers who want to cross Dartmouth safely. It is this kind of easy access (from parking to storefront) that will make North Hills a viable shopping destination.

What will make the D/H Deck really shine is a pedestrian bridge crossing Dartmouth over to building G. This would reduce the pedestrian traffic in the fast-paced entry segment of Darmouth and, if designed with charm, can be a fantastic gateway to the project from Six Forks Rd.

Parking around buildings I, J, K, L, and M should be diagonal storefront parking such as that found on Fairview Rd. approaching Five Points. Residents of buildings I, J, and K could park on the back side of those buildings.

Traffic Circle – There is a traffic circle at Hunter and Dartmouth. A large fountain or sculpture in the middle of the circle could act as yet another symbol for the project. Actually a circle could keep traffic flowing better than a signal if estimations of the Hillsborough Street renovations are correct. Also notice that the flat faces of buildings A and C compliment each other, as do the notched faces of buildings B and D. This architectural balance adds to the intensity of the center’s focus. Imagine the sense of place one would feel sitting at a sidewalk café in building B’s notch!

Service Access – All trucks could be restricted to Currituck Street and the alley between E and F. This should provide adequate access to all buildings quite well while providing a pedestrian-friendly, truck-free zone on Hunter and Darmouth.

The two biggest political problems will be the approval by those residents on Lassiter Mill Road and the overall traffic impact. Putting the main height of the project across Lassiter Mill Road should help minimize the impact on neighbors. If neighbors object to the hotel’s location, building D and the Hotel could be swapped, as long as the Dartmouth/Hunter face of the hotel still contains street-level shops and restaurants. (The main garbage collection area could be placed adjacent to Lassiter Mill Rd. if the neighbors complain about the possibility of a hotel!)

Traffic flow should not be a problem. Because this is a truly mixed-use development, there should be no particular swell in traffic like that seen on Capital Blvd in the afternoon. Offices and stores will cause much traffic during the day, while restaurants, bars, and movies tend to generated nighttime traffic. Because tenants of the project will be generating a mix of traffic flow throughout the day, the distribution of the traffic load will be even. This project will actually be safer than the existing situation because the additional traffic signal at Hunter and Lassiter Mill would reduce the accesses to Lassiter Mill Road in that area from the current 3 to 2.

There is growing resentment in the Triangle concerning the proliferation of strip-mall lined arteries. Several Durham residents already resent the plan for The Streets at Southpoint because they feel it will mock the struggling Downtown Durham. The North Hills project is different. It is not on virgin land, and it introduces a mature, eroding area to a more responsible use of land. If the project is architecturally charming, it could easily win over the hearts of Raleigh residents.

Regardless of what plan is enacted we will be excited to see the continuing progress at North Hills. Good luck!

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The chef, Aron Cremeans, comes from Restaurant Bateux in Beaufort, SC, and most recently Vines Bistro in Cary. The dinner menu (.pdf) features standard upscale tavern fare, but has enough range to be potentially a regular favorite. Prices are in the $8-$17 range, which is a price point for which this area, in this economy, is dying.

The restaurant will also host trivia each Tuesday (beginning 1/5) as well as competitions with Playstation and cornhole (I’m afraid to ask).

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According to the plan, the road will remain intact, and the stage will be set just inside the road’s arc, facing the SE (toward Memorial Auditorium). Also it appears that small, portable men’s and women’s restrooms will be placed at stage right.

At this point it looks like the center will not be convenient for visitors needing to use the restrooms. The other problems that will plague this facility is acoustics. The shimmer wall and a parking garage, both hard surfaces, will be directly uphill from the stage. Perhaps the design could be improved by rotating the stage about 20 degrees to the south, with a bias toward the stage right side of the audience instead of the planned bias toward the stage left side of the crowd. This would flatten the angle against the opposing hard surfaces and drastically reduce reverb.

While the facility will be smaller and not as nice as Cary’s Booth Amphitheater, the site is not meant to be used for very many summers. The long term plan for the site is for convention center expansion.

We still need a clever name for the tent-covered amphitheater….!

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The only real question that remains is whether or not the Boylan Heights community will be tolerant of the city’s newest venture toward progress.

The completion of the new facility frees up John Kane to begin construction on The Cardinal once the WCPSS moves their 5 MCUs away. Though nobody loves going to school in a trailer park, this has been a VERY smooth 15 months at the temporary site. The trailers were really nice and did their job perfectly. The only real drawback to the site was the lack of a gym and field for P.E..

The original plan was to move Root to a site that Wake County uses for displaced schools. IT is next to East Millbrook, behind Sweet Tomatoes out on Capital Blvd. During the summer of 2009, some people made some phone calls and “paved” the way for the site at North Hills East. Kudos to John Kane, his accountant, and the WCPSS for making it happen!

Shish Kabob will serve a range of specialties from gyro-style sandwiches in pita bread, to vegetarian dishes and salads, to the house specialty, char-grilled shish kabobs – chicken, beef, lamb, and kafta. Sandwich prices range from $4.50 to $5.95. In addition to a large assortment of gyros, classic options like hamburgers and steak and cheese hoagies are available. Shish kabobs begin at $7.25, while a three-kabob combination platter (including two sides and warm pita) is $11.95. The $7.95 vegetarian platter includes falafel, pita, and choice of two sides – tabouli, hummus, grape leaves, rice, pasta, or fries. A kids menu is also available, along with non-caffeinated, sugar-free beverage options.

Shish Kabob will be open from 11 am – 8 pm, Monday through Saturday and will offer sidewalk seating, carry-out, and call-ahead ordering.

Douglas’ plan involves creating a consortium of government agencies and corporate landowners to create a cooperative plan that would bolster the participants interests, and create an efficient living zone. The plan calls for changing Capital Boulevard out to Atlantic Avenue into a grand city avenue, lined with low-rise development, possibly centered around a public transit rail line. The plan also calls for connecting the Mordecai area over to Glenwood in two places, and adding nine different public park spaces.

It is a plan that actually makes a lot of sense and would replace some of Raleigh’s most pitiful areas with an actual desirable destination. Such a transformation is likely to be a win/win for investors, including taxpayers, as the tax base in these areas would dramatically improve. Getting everyone on the same page, as we’ve seen countless times, remains the beast.

Garbage Disposal Ban – Based on absolutely no scientific evidence, the entire city council (with the exception of Philip Isley) voted in a ban on new garbage disposal installations. The ban was later overturned after a political firestorm. During discussions Rodger Koopman stated that “we are at war” with soldiers living in less than ideal conditions and it is “our duty” to “suck it up once in a while”. Councilor Crowder stated that this would be the “only logical step toward healthy water”, yet the evidence actually points to the contrary.

Water Restrictions – This city council, in the aftermath of a highly unusual drought situation, imposed a water use policy that restricts residents from properly maintaining a drought resistant lawn. Watering laws are irrationally based on days of the week, rather than ideal watering times. There is a prodigious amount of information published by N.C. State University and the state’s Cooperative Extension Service, yet this city council never even considered conveying some of the simple and proven best-practices for drought resistant lawns.

Water Rates – After restrictions and diligent citizen behavior reduced water consumption by 7%, the city council voted to raise water rates 8.5% because the public works division was suddenly losing money.

House Replacement Law – Russ Stephenson and Thomas Crowder were strongly in favor of limits on homeowner’s abilities to renovate or replace their houses. Crowder wrote in an email “If a new house is to be developed on a site where a house was torn down, it would go to the Planning Commission for approval unless it does not exceed a reasonable increase in the existing area of the structure – say 10 to 20 percent in area and 10 percent in height.” Later he wrote “I spoke with Russ and I believe we are on the same page . . .The house being replaced is no more than 30% greater than the gross floor area of the original structure and the height is no greater than 10% of the original structure height.  To sum it up . . .if you have a 1,500 SF home you can increase it to 1,950 GSF.  Same analogy goes for height.”

Can you imagine living in a 1,500 square foot house and only being able to add 450 square feet, regardless of the neighborhood’s setback scheme, the condition of the house, the height of neighboring houses, and the condition of those houses?

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The problem with some of these incumbents is that they are willing to take drastic measures without thinking through the consequences. A garbage disposer ban would have led to scores of improperly DIY-installed disposers, additional loads on garbage hauling, increased animal control problems, and, as the research suggests, a sewer system with more clogs than is currently seen. The city imposed water restrictions, only to raise the rates, keeping the total burden on families the same or worse than before!

A severe limit to house replacement sizes would destroy the value of older homes inside Raleigh, and directly cause more suburban sprawl. Who would want to renovate a 1,200 square foot house in Five Points when all you could add is a little utility room and a closet? Young people would completely lose interest in older houses that were improperly built, and flee to the outskirts of Raleigh much like they did after World War II, collapsing the housing market in established neighborhoods.

Another problem with this quantitative approach to a qualitative problem is that many of Raleigh ugliest replacements and renovations would have still been allowed under these restrictions. Conversely, some of Raleigh most beautiful replacement houses would have been denied. (Link 1, Link 2). It would turn the Planning Commission into a draconian architectural review board, putting architects at the mercy of the commission’s whim.

Do we really want a City Council that makes irrational, negligent decisions? These decisions have direct effects on our lives, our savings, and our children. People were intensely interested in the presidential election last year, but to be honest, this city council election means far more. Only 10% of registered voters bothered to vote two years ago, and the effects have been chilling. We heard a lot about “change” in the last year. I’ll take some change! It’s time to instill some common sense, freedom, and empathy in the Raleigh City Council. Vote very, very carefully today, and make this city more attractive, more productive, and more beautiful than ever.