Latest news with #RaleighCityCouncil
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Raleigh bar, nightclub owners have ‘notable level of mistrust' of city, report says
There is a 'notable level of mistrust' between nightlife venues and the city of Raleigh, according to a new report. Enforcement of COVID-19 regulations, struggles after the pandemic and frequent changes to the city's noise ordinance have contributed to the mistrust between the city and bar and nightclub owners. That's according to a report, commissioned by Responsible Hospitality Institute, that was presented to the Raleigh City Council Tuesday afternoon. The city spent $100,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for a Social City Assessment, to analyze the 'strengths, challenges and opportunities within the social economy of the Fayetteville Street and Glenwood South districts.' 'I want to leave you with the idea that the earlier you engage with these folks about what it is that you expect of them as a city, and what you want them to do, and how you are happy they're here and you want to support them, the better,' said Jocelyn Kane, senior consultant for Responsible Hospitality Institute. 'And that night life and the social economy here is vital and important and not a nuisance to just manage it, but to support because of value it brings to your city.' The report focused on how to improve the two areas of downtown Raleigh — both central to the city's entertainment scene — that have struggled in recent years for different reasons. Glenwood South, a stretch of several blocks of Glenwood Avenue, bounced back quicker after the pandemic but faced numerous complaints from residents about noise, crime and other 'quality of life' problems. On Fayetteville Street, foot traffic has slowed due to hybrid work and safety concerns. The tensions go back to the pandemic, when the city was charged with enforcing the state's COVID-19 policies and restrictions. In April 2020, the city's Office of Special Events took over responsibilities for outdoor seating and private use of public spaces. Since many events were canceled during the pandemic, they shifted to 'COVID enforcement.' That enforcement was focused in particular on limiting capacity in indoor places — and in crowded Glenwood South bars — and mask wearing. 'So we were going to the businesses making sure that people were wearing a mask, that they were seated, that they were abiding by the governor's executive orders at the time,' said Whitney Schoenfeld, with the Office of Special Events. 'So we kind of ended up getting the perception of being the COVID police.' Since the end of the pandemic, the strained relationship between venues and the city has been exacerbated by changes to the city's noise and nightlife rules. 'Sound is just a very sensitive subject for both our businesses and our residents,' Schoenfeld said. 'So that's part of it it, too.' The Raleigh City Council updated its noise and nightlife rules earlier this year to crack down on loopholes that bars and restaurants were using to keep the loud music playing after a citation. The new rules, called 'turn down the sound,' require music to be turned down after a citation or face another citation. Clubs with outdoor, amplified music that get a citation are required to move the music inside for 24 hours. The News & Observer requested the number of noise violations reported in Glenwood South and downtown Raleigh so far this year. There were 158 noise complaints from January to September in 2024 with 12 civil violations and 18 criminal citations, The N&O reported previously. In early 2024, the city also changed from using a decibel reader to a 'reasonable person' standard because it was difficult to pinpoint exactly where the noise came from. City leaders said then it was hard for police to enforce. Sometimes the noise would end before police arrived and it required special equipment and training. Kane, with Responsible Hospitality Institute, said most of the cities they work with have a decibel-based enforcement. 'The folks that are really good at this and have spent a lot of time on this, also attach a specific number to each venue individually,' she said. 'The more set up for success you can make businesses, the better they can comply.' Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell, who was elected last fall, said the noise ordinance change seems to put police and businesses in 'a very awkward position' and leaves 'very frustrated citizens.' There are large, professional music venues like the city-owned Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown that know how to manage sound and how it impacts the surrounding area, she said. 'And then we have a cliff drop-off to a bunch of backdoor bars that are in an old gas station or a little house, and they're blasting music out,' she said. 'And there really are no standards. Nothing.' One suggestion is making sure housing developers are aware of the ambient sound on a Friday and Saturday night, Kane said, and making sure bedrooms are placed further away from a lively street. 'There's thousands and thousands of new residential coming that the ground hasn't broken yet,' Kane said. 'And the mixed-use conflict is coming. So how do we given the constraints and rules, encourage thoughtfulness on the side of the development?' City staff intend to review the report and bring back immediate 'low hanging fruit' that can be implemented soon and recommendations on longer-term plans. The full report will be shared to the public at 6 p.m. Wednesday at The Chapel at Dix Park.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Raleigh City Council reluctantly endorses making part of US 1 a toll road
The Raleigh City Council has endorsed charging tolls on Capital Boulevard between Interstate 540 and Wake Forest, but, as some council members made clear, not enthusiastically. The tolls will allow the N.C. Department of Transportation to accelerate plans to turn the congested four-lane road into a six-lane expressway, with interchanges instead of traffic lights. Without tolls, NCDOT doesn't anticipate having money to begin building the expressway until 2031, a decade later than originally planned. Rising costs and competition from other projects across the state forced the delay, NCDOT officials say; the latest estimate is that converting 10 miles of Capital/U.S. 1 to an expressway would cost $1.34 billion. 'With what's going on in Western North Carolina, that really is just a projection,' said city transportation planning manager Kenneth Ritchie, referring to the rebuilding after Hurricane Helene. 'Certainly costs will continue to increase and impact this project the longer that it draws out.' Under the option backed by the City Council on Tuesday, construction could begin in 2027 and be completed by early 2033. 'There are implications to saying no,' council member Mitchell Silver said. 'Doing nothing will be unsustainable long term.' The tolls would be collected by the N.C. Turnpike Authority, a branch of NCDOT. At the request of regional transportation planners, the authority studied tolling and presented four scenarios, all four of which would result in the six-lane limited-access highway: ▪ Scenario 1: Tolling the entire 10-mile stretch from I-540 north through Wake Forest as a standalone toll road. Would raise an estimated $800 million. ▪ Scenario 2: Tolling the entire 10 miles but adding it to the N.C. Turnpike system, which would allow the state to borrow more money. Would generate an estimated $1.4 billion. ▪ Scenario 3: Build and toll one express lane in each direction, again as a standalone toll road. The existing four-lane road would remain free. Would raise an estimated $100 million. ▪ Scenario 4: Build and toll one express lane in each direction and add them to the N.C. Turnpike system. With the additional borrowing power, the lanes would generate an estimated $600 million. The Turnpike Authority didn't provide specific toll costs, but said the rates for a fully tolled expressway would be similar to what drivers pay to use the Triangle Expressway in southern Wake County. This year, drivers with an NC Quick Pass pay about 23 cents a mile, though the rates rise a bit each year. The toll rates for the express lanes would vary during the day, depending on traffic. Council vote wasn't close The City Council voted 7-1 to back Scenario 2, in part because it would generate the most money. Opposing tolls was Megan Patton, whose district straddles Capital Boulevard north of I-540 and who said her constituents are generally opposed to the expressway itself. 'When I've taken this out to the community, every resident I've spoken to understands that no toll means no build,' Patton said. 'And for them that seems to resonate as being the better option than any of the tolled scenarios.' Patton understood, though, that the council would back tolls and the expressway. She urged that the tolls be cheaper at night or off-peak hours and that the road be designed to accommodate bus rapid transit in the future. At-large council member Jonathan Lambert-Melton indicated that he'd also heard from residents who questioned tolling the road. Lambert-Melton said he believed the project would move ahead with tolls anyway and that it was more a matter of which scenario the council wanted to endorse. 'People keep saying, 'Why do you want to put tolls on Capital Boulevard?' This is the N.C. Department of Transportation,' he said. 'This is not any of us saying, 'Let's go ahead and add toll lanes to a city road' or anything like that.' The council's endorsement will be passed on to the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, which does transportation planning. The CAMPO board, which includes representatives from cities, towns and counties in and around Wake County, will make the final decision on whether to ask the Turnpike Authority to toll Capital Boulevard.
Axios
30-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Raleigh's massive Gipson Play Plaza will open in June
Across the Triangle, cities are pouring tens of millions of dollars into building new public gathering spaces for residents hungry to take advantage of new amenities in their fast-growing communities. Why it matters: Since it opened in late 2023, Downtown Cary Park has been a catalyst for downtown Cary's resurgence from an afterthought destination to one that attracts individuals and families from across the region. The $68 million park — featuring large play areas, common spaces and even a bar — has attracted new development and new businesses around the edges of the park. Driving the news: In June, Raleigh hopes to capture a similar energy when it opens Gipson Play Plaza in Dix Park. Gipson Play Plaza is a $69 million interactive area that leaders hope will serve as the new entrance to Dix Park and attract tens of thousands of visitors. A large portion of the plaza's funding comes from a $275 million parks bond Raleigh voters approved in 2022. It's one of the first phases of Raleigh's long-term plans to turn Dix Park into one of the leading urban parks in the country. Between the lines: Mitchell Silver, a Raleigh City Council member and former New York City parks commissioner, told Axios that cities risk falling behind if they're not investing in gathering spaces. "If we want to build a great city you have to have amazing public spaces," he said while on a trip with the council to Kansas City, where he learned about that city's park efforts. "We don't have many of those [great gathering spaces] in Southern cities," he added. "It's important to make [Dix Park] that social gathering place." Zoom in: The 18.5-acre Play Plaza will feature several playgrounds and gathering spaces, including a waterfall wall, picnic grove, food vendors and skywalks. State of play: The success of Downtown Cary Park comes up frequently at gatherings across the Triangle, with residents wishing something similar existed near them or as a source of comparison to existing parks. That was true in Durham last week, when its city council gathered to discuss making improvements to Durham Central Park and studied a presentation that featured images from parks across the country, including Downtown Cary's. A great city is "deserving of a great space like this," Durham City Council Member Nate Baker said at the meeting. He noted that he and his colleagues "look around to our neighbors in Cary and Raleigh and Dix Park and all of the work that is going into great parks." What's next: The Durham City Council will discuss making more improvements to Durham Central Park later this spring, and it's also studying the future of the historic Durham Athletic Park as another potential gathering space. Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams told Axios that improving those downtown spaces is a "high priority," but the price of those changes will need to be studied carefully, with many residents feeling the sting of large property value increases. Silver, for his part, hopes Raleigh uses the momentum of Gipson to invest more in its downtown spaces — specifically making Nash Square more active and bridging the roughly 1.5-mile gap between Dix Park and downtown.
Axios
17-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
To speed up Capital Blvd. expansion, the Triangle could add tolls
The Raleigh City Council appears ready to support using toll lanes to speed up the expansion of Capital Boulevard into a six-lane highway between Raleigh and Wake Forest. Why it matters: The section of Capital Boulevard, also known as U.S. 1, is among the region's most congested roadways, with an increasing number of commuters from fast-growing Wake Forest and Franklin County using it to get to and from Raleigh for work and shopping. But the long-planned widening of the roadway has been stalled several times, and it faces further delays due to competition from other projects and rising costs, according to the state Department of Transportation. Driving the news: The ultimate decision will be in the hands of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) — the regional planning organization for Chatham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston and Wake counties — which plans to vote on the matter in May. The Raleigh City Council, which was given a presentation this week on the potential of toll roads, indicated it would write a letter in support of the move. "The sense is, pragmatically, that this project will never get built unless there is some sort of toll," Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said at Raleigh's Tuesday council meeting, "and if there is a toll it would be best to do the whole road and not just express lanes." Zoom in: The N.C. Turnpike Authority has studied a 10-mile section of Capital Boulevard, stretching from Interstate 540 to Purnell Road at the Wake-Franklin county line. Currently, the project is not expected to begin until 2031 — though that timeline could be delayed. If it's transformed into a toll road, construction could begin as early as 2027. It is anticipated to be a six-year construction project, and only local governments can request a toll road. The N.C. Turnpike Authority has presented four options to CAMPO: Toll the entire 10-mile section, which would raise around $800 million and begin construction in spring 2027. Toll the entire section but add it to the Triangle Expressway system, raising $1.4 billion and beginning construction in spring 2027. Toll one express lane, which would raise $100 million and begin construction in fall 2030. Toll one express lane but add it to the Triangle Expressway system, raising $600 million and beginning construction in fall 2027. Options 1, 2 and 4 would require some legislative action from the N.C. General Assembly. What they're saying: Raleigh City Council Member Megan Patton said many residents in north Raleigh are worried they will lose crossing access to Capital Boulevard and be forced to use the toll road. She said many of her constituents would prefer that this project not happen at all. "I think everyone would probably agree, if we can get something not tolled, we would take it," Chris Lukasina, executive director of CAMPO, responded. "The real issue came in that this is the fifth delay [for this project already]. .... Do we want to wait two more years for what is likely another delay to the project?"
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City leaders mull next steps for Lenovo Center entertainment district. What they decided
Raleigh leaders are generally in favor of a new sports and entertainment district in the western part of the city, but they say there's still work to be done on the proposal. The Carolina Hurricanes and its development partners want to rezone nearly 81 acres surrounding the Lenovo Center to create a 'Raleigh Sports and Entertainment District.' The city's tallest buildings — up to 40 stories — would be allowed on the property if the rezoning is approved. Plans also call for housing, a hotel and a 4,000-seat concert venue. The Raleigh City Council listened to residents, primarily concerned with traffic, Tuesday night during a public hearing but did not take action on the rezoning. Council members decided to keep the public hearing open to give the applicant more time to add restrictions, called conditions, to the rezoning request. 'This development has an opportunity to be a real gemstone of the city,' said Council member Megan Patton. 'Also, if we don't do it correctly, we will just solidify it as a car-only destination.' City leaders asked the applicants to consider more conditions to address pedestrian safety and how best to keep in touch with neighborhoods and community groups as work continues on this project. Construction on the $1 billion development could begin later this year, if the rezoning is approved. It would likely be 10 to 15 years for the project to be built. Eight people were signed up to speak in favor of the rezoning, nearly all representing the applicants. This area is a 'city growth center,' said Jamie Schwedler, an attorney for the developers. 'This is where you all already elected to see the growth and investment in our community,' she said. 'There's plenty of policies talking about the economic driver for this area and where you want to see infill development. To match that we brought forth (this rezoning).' Five people signed up to speak against the rezoning, including students from Cardinal Gibbons High School, a private Catholic school across from the Lenovo Center on Edwards Mill Road. Many other students filled the city council chamber wearing Cardinal Gibbons gear. Students don't have many places that are safe to walk to before and after school, said Lola Holderness, a student at Cardinal Gibbons. 'This development could change that in a great way,' she said. 'In order for that vision to really work, we need to make sure it's accessible and, more importantly, safe. Even now, (going from) Gibbons to the current Lenovo Center area is not easy. Edwards Mill Road is fast, busy and not built for pedestrians, and once the new development is built, it will attract even more traffic.' Laura Ford, a nearby resident representing the Alliance For Reedy Creek Trenton Corridor, said the group isn't against new development but there are concerns about potential traffic increases. 'I personally have had to wait hours to get to my house,' she said. 'We have two ways into our neighborhood and we are very concerned about emergency access in our neighborhoods. They are directly impacted by the Lenovo Center growth.' The plans also call for a restaurants and retail space surrounding the renovated Lenovo Center and 11 acres of open space. There will be some affordable housing in the project as well. The development agreement requires 10% of the homes be at least 80% of the area median income. The proposal divides the property into four subdistricts: ▪ District A, 20 acres containing the arena and nearby parking, would not change in the near future but would allow up to 40-story buildings 'for future development should the Arena ever be redeveloped or relocated in a significant manner,' according to the plan. ▪ District B, the entertainment district wrapped around the arena near Stephen Stroud Way, could have up to 800 residential units and 890,000 square feet of non-residential space. The plans call this 24 acres the 'heart' of the sports and entertainment activities and would be an 'important connection' between the Lenovo Center and nearby Carter-Finley Stadium, which is not part of this rezoning. This section would be the only district zoned for up to 15 stories. There would be at three parking decks in this area. ▪ District C, the mixed-used district includes 15 acres, is closest to Edwards Mill Road and would have a smattering of retail, residential and restaurants with 'heights ranging up to 40 stories to accommodate a healthy mix of uses.' ▪ District D, the live/work district closest to the intersection of Wade Avenue and Edwards Mill Road, would have the highest concentration of offices and residential units. The 10-acre area, close to the interstate, would 'provide ideal visibility for a regional office campus.' This section would also allow buildings up to 40 stories tall. At least one parking deck would be included in this district. This deal was worked out with the Hurricanes to extend the team's lease at the Lenovo Center through 2044. The extension gave team owner Tom Dundon the right to develop the nearly 81 acres of state-owned land around the stadium. The case will be back before the Raleigh City Council at the 1 p.m. April 15 meeting.
