December 2007
News & Observer, December 28, 2007
Raleigh City Council to weigh control of teardown replacements
SARAH LINDENFELD HALL
Independent Weekly, Dec 25, 2007
Taming Raleigh's teardown trend
BY BOB GEARY
News & Observer, December 3, 2007
Old building rules newly found
SARAH LINDENFELD HALL
November 2007
Point of View, Bob Mulder, News & Observer
Tax evaluations on line, News & Observer
Protest fervent on buildling limits, News & Observer
Rule would limit home expansions, News & Observer
Special Statement from Community SCALE
presented at Public Hearing on Interim text change
Special Series from the News & Observer:
September 19, 2007
Powell Toon
Duane Powell | News & Observer
September 18, 2007
Teardowns -- modest homes replaced with mega-dwellings -- are a growing Triangle-area concern. Some limits are in order.
September 17, 2007
Community SCALE, a new organization dedicated to preserving Raleigh neighborhoods, has petitioned to rezone portions of the Fallon Park, Anderson Heights and Bloomsbury neighborhoods.
September 16, 2007
How Big is too big? News & Observer: Sunday Q
As
more homes are torn down to make way for bigger dwellings, some bemoan
the loss of affordable housing and the changes in neighborhood character | Staff Writer
Local voices
Should teardowns continue unfettered, or should they be regulated?
People who live in that neighborhood do not know what is coming.
I repeat, this is not a battle of rights, this is a battle of where the line
needs to be between policy and market. The market is not inclined
to show respect for all things that are valuable until too late.
September 15, 2007
Headline Saturday WRAL-TV – focus on teardowns
Join WRAL's David Crabtree and Melanie Sill, the executive editor at the News & Observer, every week for in-depth discussion and analysis of the week's top headlines.
Headline Saturday also features a weekly preview of the Q Section discussion in the Sunday edition of the News & Observer.
Headline Saturday airs Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on WRAL.
This weeks guests will include Myrick Howard, Jim Baker, and Sarah Lindenfeld Hall from the N&O.
WRAL's Headline Saturday, Sept 15th can be found here.
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Raleigh Residents Fighting Growth To Keep Old Charm
Saturday, May 12, 2007 - 10:30 PM | NBC 17
Raleigh, NC – Raleigh’s historic neighborhoods have become hot spots to live. But some people who own older homes say the construction boom and all the big new homes are killing the very thing that make the neighborhood special.
When Boyd Harris moved into a small house on historic Sunrise {Ave] he didn't realize just how small development next door would make his home feel.
“It's losing some of the old character of the Five Points neighborhood, tearing down smaller cottage styles and putting up these giants beside them,” said Boyd Harris, Raleigh homeowner.
In a hot real estate market, some of Raleigh's old craftsman homes are being replaced by three-story houses.
“Some of these houses are not just big, they're massive,” said Larry McBennett, Community Scale Advocacy group.
Larry McBennett's group Community Scale wants city council to put limits on what ambitious builders, such as Luke Murray, can do.
“It's ridiculous. People like myself and the other builders are adding value to the neighborhood and creating a community for families,” said Luke Murry, Raleigh Developer. “In a two bedroom house you can't have a four person family moving in.”
Raleigh City council members are trying to find a balance. Council member Russ Stephenson proposes limiting height based on the neighbors.
“You would look at what's around you on both sides of the street and say take the average, and you can go 10 percent higher,” said Russ Stephenson, Raleigh City Councilman.
Builders say demand should continue to dictate what they build, even if it’s big. But, residents say without some limits soon, there won’t be an old Raleigh to save.
Raleigh planners are in the process of revising their building codes to address some to the issues created by growth in the area. They could pass a height limit before the end of the year.