You may have seen this sign posted in a number of locations throughout the City. It is advertising the official zoning public hearing for case Z-27-14, also known as the UDO Zoning Map. The hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday, July 7, at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. This zoning case is unique, as it proposes to rezone more than a third of the City’s land area, which equates to nearly 35,000 parcels.
There has been significant public engagement with this case, beginning with the initial public comment period that ended last September. City staff received, analyzed and responded to 1,750 comments. The Planning Commission then began its review of the draft map on October 21, 2014 and recommended approval on April 14. 2015.
The next step in the process involved review of the draft map by City Council. After reviewing the map and recommendations of the Planning Commission, Council voted on May 19, 2015 to finalize the Proposed Zoning Map for public hearing. Public comment on the proposed rezoning will be received during the hearing, after which Council may act on the proposal by rezoning any or all of the parcels. There are no time limitations following the public hearing within which the Council must act on the rezoning case, however the Council may consider modifications to the rezoning case for 30 days as long as any changes are more restrictive.
For those seeking additional information about this case, we have provided a wealth of resources on the UDO Remapping webpage, including information about how the public hearing will be conducted, the proposed zoning map, a list of common district exchanges, and agendas, reports and videos from various work sessions. We’ve even provided a brief tutorial explaining the basic principles of zoning, the history of zoning in Raleigh, and a description of the UDO which establishes zoning districts and implements the zoning framework.
Everyone is invited to attend the public hearing. It will begin with an overview by staff, including major milestones, process and methodology for creating and adopting the map, and information on next steps. When staff has completed their presentation, members of the public will be invited to speak.
Because of the scale of this rezoning request, a large crowd is anticipated at the hearing. For more information about what to expect at the hearing, including parking options and rules for speakers, visit the project webpage and read under the tab entitled “City Council Review.”
If you have questions about the hearing or the rezoning case, please leave a comment and I will respond as soon as possible. Or you may call the designated UDO Remapping hotline at 919-996-6363. This temporary call center has been established until July 7. If call volume sends you to voicemail, leave a message and you will receive a return call, generally within two business days.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the upcoming holiday weekend!
