Fallon Park, Five Points Rezoning Public Hearing

McMansions for Supper

September, 17, 2007 , by Chad

As the teardown issue continues to steamroll across the public eye via blogs, articles and community groups a critical juncture is forthcoming. The public hearing for the possible rezoning of the Fallon Park and Five Points area is tomorrow, the 18th at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber of the Avery Upchurch Municipal Building. The proposal submitted by CommunitySCALE requests the rezoning of 140 properties in the Five Points and Fallon Park areas. Rezoning would require new houses to sit on at least a quarter of an acre and sit 5 feet farther from their neighbors and 10 feet farther from the road than the current zoning requires.

This proposal is largely in response to teardowns and the grotesquely obese housing infill disease spreading around Raleigh. Proponents of the zoning revision hope this ordinance will require developers to appropriately match existing development in scale and setback. There is of course plenty of opposition.

This neighborhood zoning debate highlights the greater issue of architectural appropriateness in Raleigh. It will undoubtedly be interesting to hear both sides of this issue tommorow.

The Avery Upchurch Municipal Building is at 222 West Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh.

Fallon Park/ Anderson Heights/ Bloomsbury area, east of Glenwood Avenue, including properties on portions of Anderson, Oxford, Beechridge, Breeze, Hales, Medway, Dunhill, Pine, and Byrd Streets. Approximately 66 acres, comprising of about141 parcels, are requested by Nell D. Joslin, Philip S. Letsinger & Lorraine R. Blake to be rezoned from Residential-6 & Residential-10 to Residential-4 General Use. (Staff contact: Dhanya Sandeep, 919-516-2659, dhanya.sandeep@ci.raleigh.nc.us )