RCAC October 2012

rcac@eastraleigh.org

5 participants
9 discussions

OCTOBER 29 | 4:00 PM: Raleigh City Council continues review of RaleighUDO. meeting 6

by Philip W Poe

WHAT: The Planning Staff will begin the meeting by responding to questions asked at the last meeting about Chapter 3, Mixed Use Districts. After the Q&A is completed, the City Council will receive an overview of Chapter 4, Special Districts. WHEN: Monday, October 29 at 4:00 pm. WHERE: 222 West Hargett Street, City Council Chamber. LIKELY HOT TOPICS: * Mixed Use Building Heights and Frontages. During the introduction of Chapter 3, Mixed Use Districts, many questions were asked about the criteria that will be used to apply the standards for building heights and frontages in a predictable way. Since rules only enable mixed use developments, there are also concerns about potential outcomes that don't support specific objectives in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan--e.g., a comprehensive transportation system. More information available here <http://raleighudo.com/blog/raleigh-city-council-continues-review-raleighudo %E2%80%A6-meeting-6> . Philip W Poe Five Points CAC co-chair 919.410.6772 one number dialing <http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html> pwpoe(a)att.net <mailto:pwpoe@att.net> www.fivepointscac.org <http://www.fivepointscac.org/> <http://www.facebook.com/FivePointsCAC> <http://www.twitter.com/FivePointsCAC>

13 years, 1 month

OCTOBER 22 | 4:00 PM: Raleigh City Council continues review of RaleighUDO. meeting 5

by Philip W Poe

WHAT: The City Council will begin work on Chapter 3, Mixed Use Districts, and the Planning Staff will provide responses to questions asked during the review of Chapters 1 and 2. WHEN: Monday, October 22 at 4:00 pm. WHERE: 222 West Hargett Street, City Council Chamber. LIKELY HOT TOPICS: * Mixed Use Building Heights. There are concerns about minimum and maximum heights. * Neighborhood Transitions. Although the inclusion of transition areas will help preserve the edges of residential neighborhoods, the rules as currently written are hard to understand. * Other Housing Patterns. The rationale for excluding backyard cottages and accessory apartments from density calculations is unclear. Is it an example of double-dipping? Click here <http://raleighudo.com/blog/raleigh-city-council-continues-review-raleighudo %E2%80%A6-meeting-5> for more information. Philip W Poe Five Points CAC co-chair 919.410.6772 one number dialing <http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html> pwpoe(a)att.net <mailto:pwpoe@att.net> www.fivepointscac.org <http://www.fivepointscac.org/> <http://www.facebook.com/FivePointsCAC> <http://www.twitter.com/FivePointsCAC>

13 years, 1 month

New images to help you imagine the impact of backyard cottages

by Linda Watson

I've posted two sets of photos on the Glenwood CAC Facebook page to help illustrate what may happen if the UDO definitions for the backyard cottages is adopted. The first shows a very narrow, long house<https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.493427184009082.119783.1545677512…>on Method. I've heard planners scoff at the idea that anyone would build or live in a 10-foot wide house such as my example Backyard Party Palace. I'd long thought this was a tiny house on stilts, but it actually two stories, with two levels for outdoor entertainment. It's larger than a backyard cottage could be, but still image 80% of this building along rear fence lines throughout your CAC. The second shows a chicken coop made from scrap material<https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.493463740672093.119789.1545677512…>just across the fence from an avid gardener in my CAC. This used to be a heavily wooded area. The new owners may have made the front of the coop attractive, but the view from neighboring garden sitting area shows unpainted scrap wood. One picture shows this coop from the lowest point in the neighboring garden. Remember that the height of backyard cottages will be measured from their fronts, not from the lot-line side. Imagine the Method house made of scrap material and positioned along this fence. Please note that I'm glad people can have chickens in Raleigh, but wanted to illustrate that not all backyard construction will be charming cottages, even when the owners live on the property. ... Linda Watson Chair, Glenwood CAC

13 years, 1 month

Re: [RCAC] New images to help you imagine the impact of backyard cottages

by Southralcap＠aol.com

Everyone, It is one thing to have an accessory dwelling for relatives, but the UDO would not distinguish between "family occupied" and "stranger/renter" occupied. A not-so-good owner of a rental house in my neighborhood would add an accessory dwelling in a heartbeat and then rent it to anyone. He already has tried to buy a strip of the adjacent neighbor's property so he can turn the house into a duplex. And one of his renters has been caught on drug charges! Even now there is a steady flow of cars coming to that house for "short" visits. Police have been notified. The neighbor said no to selling a strip of her land because she wants to keep the character of our neighborhood as it is. If any yard in Raleigh is large enough for an "accessory dwelling" and the owners need room for an older relative or other family member, let them go to the Board of Adjustment and get a variance to add on their house. It is possible to add on to a house and give everyone involved privacy. Also, if one's elderly relative needs to be closer to family members, that elderly relative will progress to needing more attention and care and need closer attention for health and safety reasons. I personally know about those issues. For people who want an accessory dwelling for economic or security reasons, that might be fine now, but when that person moves or dies, will the next owner of that property disregard the character of that neighborhood and just think in terms of another unit I can rent? Maybe it is time for some of our developers to use the design model of Lennox Chase Apartments, 2534 Lake Wheeler Road, Raleigh, when putting residential infill in Raleigh neighborhoods. That way, we get the one home look with apartments that meet renter needs - especially affordability. If accessory dwellings are included in the UDO, Raleigh will change and not for the betterment of those of us who are Raleigh homeowners. Raleigh seems to be going overboard on increasing density at the expense of changing what makes Raleigh the place so many people want to live. That is not good for any of us! Mary Belle Pate In a message dated 10/16/2012 7:52:31 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, acpardo(a)gmail.com writes: Linda, all: I imagine "backyard cottages" will also be subject to the same inspections and code standards as other dwellings built in the city. They won't allow people to build shanties--at least not in the University Park area. To add to the conversation, some examples: I just bought a house near Raleigh Blvd. and Oakwood. The woman across the street from me is a grandmother whose household includes her husband, her sister, her sister's kids and the occasional grand kid. Behind this woman's house is an accessory dwelling. I won't call it a cottage because it isn't that quaint. Frankly it looks more like a converted shed. The woman's niece lives there with her two young children. A couple of assertions: - Although we live directly across from them, this arrangement has not disturbed us at all. - This arrangement allows the grandmother to provide housing and economic aid for her relatives, something she wants to do, and that they definitely appreciate. - This arrangement increases the density of my neighborhood (including the number of children), which I consider a good thing. I've seen this work well for several friends of mine too, mostly low-income people of color. For the older woman I know, it provides a sense of privacy and security to live in an accessory dwelling. For the younger couple I know, it gave them an affordable alternative to the standard apartment setting, and I can tell you there's a lot of hunger for that right now. In University Park, an older man I know is seeking this exact kind of arrangement because he wants to live surrounded by the green of a private yard and not by the parking lot of the nearby crummy apartment complexes he could otherwise afford. Every other house on several streets in Cameron Park has an accessory dwelling. Has anyone asked how it has worked out for them? While I think "backyard cottages" definitely warrant scrutiny and limitations, overall they stand to be a boon for low-income people, older folks, young couples wanting a sense of privacy--not to mention the homeowners who maintain them. The specter of shanties doesn't align with the reality of what I've seen. Ana Sent from my iPhone On Oct 15, 2012, at 1:01 PM, Linda Watson <_linda(a)lindawatson.com_ (mailto:linda@lindawatson.com) > wrote: I've posted two sets of photos on the Glenwood CAC Facebook page to help illustrate what may happen if the UDO definitions for the backyard cottages is adopted. The first shows a _very narrow, long house_ (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.493427184009082.119783.1545677512…) on Method. I've heard planners scoff at the idea that anyone would build or live in a 10-foot wide house such as my example Backyard Party Palace. I'd long thought this was a tiny house on stilts, but it actually two stories, with two levels for outdoor entertainment. It's larger than a backyard cottage could be, but still image 80% of this building along rear fence lines throughout your CAC. The second shows a _chicken coop made from scrap material_ (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.493463740672093.119789.1545677512…) just across the fence from an avid gardener in my CAC. This used to be a heavily wooded area. The new owners may have made the front of the coop attractive, but the view from neighboring garden sitting area shows unpainted scrap wood. One picture shows this coop from the lowest point in the neighboring garden. Remember that the height of backyard cottages will be measured from their fronts, not from the lot-line side. Imagine the Method house made of scrap material and positioned along this fence. Please note that I'm glad people can have chickens in Raleigh, but wanted to illustrate that not all backyard construction will be charming cottages, even when the owners live on the property. ... Linda Watson Chair, Glenwood CAC _______________________________________________ RCAC mailing list _RCAC(a)eastraleigh.org_ (mailto:RCAC@eastraleigh.org) _http://www.eastraleigh.org/mailman/listinfo/rcac_ (http://www.eastraleigh.org/mailman/listinfo/rcac) = _______________________________________________ RCAC mailing list RCAC(a)eastraleigh.org http://www.eastraleigh.org/mailman/listinfo/rcac

13 years, 1 month

Raleigh City Council continues review of RaleighUDO. meeting 4

by Philip W Poe

WHAT: The City Council will begin its review of Chapter 2, Residential Districts. WHEN: Monday, October 15 at 4:00 pm. WHERE: 222 West Hargett Street, City Council Chamber. LIKELY HOT TOPICS: * Other housing patterns -- includes the accessory apartment, backyard cottage and cottage court. * Lot sizes -- minimum lot sizes are being reduced for most residential districts. For example, the lot size for R-10 is being reduced 20% from 5,000 to 4,000 square feet for a detached house. Comparisons between the current and proposed regulations are available here <http://raleighudo.com/sites/default/files/zoning_comparisos.pdf> . Click here <http://raleighudo.com/blog/raleigh-city-council-continues-review-raleighudo %E2%80%A6-meeting-4> for more information. Philip W Poe Five Points CAC co-chair 919.410.6772 one number dialing <http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html> pwpoe(a)att.net <mailto:pwpoe@att.net> www.fivepointscac.org <http://www.fivepointscac.org/> <http://www.facebook.com/FivePointsCAC> <http://www.twitter.com/FivePointsCAC>

13 years, 1 month

N&O op-ed on backyard cottages

by Linda Watson

Please consider sharing a link to my Point of View article on backyard cottages and the UDO<http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/10/2403195/trouble-in-raleighs-backyard…>today with folks on your mailing lists. Please ask them to sign this petition<http://www.change.org/petitions/raleigh-city-council-reject-backyard-cottag…>if they share my concerns. I hope to present the petition to the City Council on Monday at 4 p.m. Thanks again to Phil Poe for the RaleighUDO website and to all of you for a lively discussion at our last meeting. Linda Watson Chair, Glenwood CAC

13 years, 1 month

Scheduling workshop on UDO? UDO update

by Linda Watson

Do we have a date for our workshop on the UDO? Thanksgiving is early this year and I often work on weekends (come to Lunchbox Magic<http://www.cookforgood.com/blog/2012/10/8/good-habits-brown-bag-it.html>this Saturday!). Let's get this on the calendar so we can schedule around it for maximum participation. Thanks to Phil Poe for posting this clip of our last RCAC meeting<http://raleighudo.com/blog/lack-educational-plan-citizens-concerns-cac-lead…> . For those who want to see the drawings I'm holding up, please look here: Drawings showing many UDO regulations on a side and front views of one lot, plus my "student party palace" showing what the regulations will allow: http://raleighudo.com/blog/guides-and-example-how-far-can-you-go-udo-design… Petition against the backyard cottages (at least for now and as currently defined): http://www.change.org/petitions/raleigh-city-council-reject-backyard-cottag… City Council will begin talking about chapter 2, the main residential chapter, on Monday. Here is a News & Observer story abut the UDO<http://www.midtownraleighnews.com/2012/09/25/17518/raleigh-moves-closer-to-…>that seems to have appeared in only some of the regional sections (I saw it in the Midtown section). Matt Garfield accurately quoted my biggest personal nightmare but didn't begin to address how bad this will be for the city overall. Although my focus has been the backyard cottages, I'm deeply concerned about the mixed-use zoning, the in-fill standards, and the new quasi-judicial approval process. I just got a request from a citizen about the approval process for a new zoning case and realized with horror that I simply don't understand how this process will work under the UDO. The story ends with on his concerning note: Planning director Mitchell Silver told the council that “even if we spend a > year going through this code, there will be innovative individuals out > there.” > > A better approach, Silver said, would be to put the code into action and > make improvements as needed. > I'm not asking for a UDO that legislates against innovation, but for one that realistically protects neighborhoods and our city. Once someone has built a nightmare next to your house, it's too late to go back and make improvements. If we line Glenwood with strip malls or let landlords in Southeast Raleigh slap up second houses in backyards, *it will be too late to start the very long process of fixing something that we already know needs to be fixed*. Let's represent our neighborhoods by making sure we understand the UDO and improve it as needed. ... Linda Chair, Glenwood CAC

13 years, 2 months

ALERT: City Council cancels August 8th UDO review meeting

by Philip W Poe

The Raleigh City Council has cancelled its October 8th meeting to review the draft Unified Development Ordinance. The next scheduled meeting will be October 15th at 4 p.m. in the council chamber of the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex, 222 W. Hargett St. Philip W Poe 919.410.6772 one number dialing <http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html> pwpoe(a)att.net <mailto:pwpoe@att.net>

13 years, 2 months

OCTOBER 1: Raleigh City Council continues review of RaleighUDO. meeting 3

by Philip W Poe

WHAT: The City Council will continue its review of Chapter 1, Introductory Provisions. Time permitting, it will begin the review of Chapter 2, Residential Districts. Hot Topics Last Week: * Minimum stories in mixed use centers -- UDO enables but does not require mixed use buildings. * Requirements for tree conservation and amenity open space -- the Planning commission recommended a reduction from 15 to 10%. Likely Hot Topics This Week: * Measurement of building height -- under the UDO, most measurements are done at the front of the building. * Front loaded garages -- the Planning Commission eased the regulations for front loaded garages. WHEN: Monday, October 1 at 4:00 pm. WHERE: 222 West Hargett Street, City Council Chamber. MORE INFORMATION: click here <http://raleighudo.com/blog/raleigh-city-council-continues-review-raleighudo…> Philip W Poe Five Points CAC co-chair 919.410.6772 one number dialing <http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html> pwpoe(a)att.net <mailto:pwpoe@att.net> www.fivepointscac.org <http://www.fivepointscac.org/> <http://www.facebook.com/FivePointsCAC> <http://www.twitter.com/FivePointsCAC>

13 years, 2 months

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RCAC October 2012