Blog

Details

Written by Stephanie Currier

Category: Development Services

Created: 31 July 2015

Happy hump-day! We have recently revamped a webpage called ”Inspections List.” I don’t think this page usually gets a lot of traffic, so I wanted to bring it to your attention as it is a great resource for anyone interested in understanding what types of inspections are required for each permit type. It also includes a graphic which illustrates the basic sequencing of inspections, and a list of the most common reasons for failed inspections by trade.

The information is pretty self-explanatory, especially for those that are familiar with permitting at the City. If, however, you need a little assistance in understanding the jargon or sequencing of inspections, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment here or contact the Development Services Customer Service Center at 919-996-2500.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

Details

Written by Stephanie Currier

Category: Planning

Created: 31 July 2015

Well a Friday DSinsider post is a bit unusual, but there is some important information that needs to be passed along at this time. Please reply to this post with any questions or comments you may have.

1. The City has responded to the large number of requests for additional time and information with regard to Z-27-14, the city-wide rezoning initiative also known as UDO Remapping, by establishing opportunities for outreach to its citizens. There are two different methods for direct interaction with staff to discuss the remapping process and outcomes.

Read more ...

Details

Written by Stephanie Currier

Category: General

Created: 29 July 2015

As we near the end of our #WhyRaleigh social media campaign, I wanted to acknowledge what a great job our intern, Jillian Lundy, has done with it. She has spent the last two months getting acquainted with “City” life and launched the #WhyRaleigh campaign which helped us gain momentum on Instagram.

Raleigh is frequently rated as a great place to raise a family, go to school, start a business, or further a career. But we really wanted to know what YOU love about Raleigh. So for the #WhyRaleigh campaign, we asked you to submit photos of anything in Raleigh that represents what you love about living here.

To date, we have received 228 photo submissions via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We were blown away by the participation and want to express sincere appreciation to all who contributed. Through your photos, we were able to showcase some of Raleigh’s greatest assets and characteristics. And it was fun to hear your stories explaining your love of this great city.

I asked Jillian what her favorite image was so I could use it for this blog post. There were so many great photos to choose from, but she was able to pick one that seemed to stand out in her mind as a great representation of Raleigh’s charm (it was also one of the most popular amongst our followers). The photo shown above, submitted by North Carolina native Anthony (@McLeod919), is a birds-eye view of a concert at Red Hat Amphitheater.  

The photo campaign has been a success, but it is winding down. You still have time to submit your favorite photo through Friday, July 31. Simply visit our Instagram page @RaleighPlanning and post a picture using the hashtag #WhyRaleigh. Be creative and we’ll repost and retweet the best images for everyone to see!

Details

Written by Stephanie Currier

Category: Development Services

Created: 22 July 2015

Update concerning the UDO Remapping case (Z-27-14) – Last night City Council continued the public hearing for this case. Comments from both hearings have been documented and the public hearing was closed. City Councilors are planning to conduct a workshop on July 27 to discuss a strategy for addressing the comments. We will keep you posted as additional information becomes available.

Last Friday, I and other City staff had the pleasure of touring one of Raleigh’s new high-rise apartment buildings, Skyhouse. The view from the rooftop is really beautiful. I could see North Hills, the Crabtree Valley Mall, and Dorton Arena. Closer by, I observed the construction of several other multi-family housing projects, including the Edison and Lincoln.

As we walked around the building, Paul Kallam, our Public Works Engineering Manager, and the team of project managers reminded us that the Skyhouse project was permitted via the Express Review process. And after chatting with Celia McCoy, one of our Express Scheduling Coordinators, I learned that this has been a busy year in Express. In addition to those already mentioned, several other multi-family housing projects were recently reviewed in Express including the L Building (which we also toured a few months ago), Post Parkside at Wade, Stanhope, Crabtree Creek, Links, Gramercy, North Shore Condos, Meadow Wood, Calvary Trace, Emerson Glen, Vue, Greenway Village, and Walden Wood.

I’ve blogged about this service in the past (search “express” on the DSinsider website). It is an expedited commercial plan review in which project managers, design professionals and trade plan reviewers are present and working together.

Read more ...

Details

Written by Stephanie Currier

Category: Development Services

Created: 15 July 2015

It’s storm season. A major weather event could impact us. Would you know what to do if your property sustained damage from a hurricane, tornado, or flood? How long should you wait to begin assessing the damage, or notify your insurance company to file a claim? And what should you look for to ensure that the contractor you’re hiring to repair your home is a reputable one?

Understanding that it can be a very stressful situation, we created a webpage to help those that are faced with this reality. Entitled “After the Storm: Frequently Asked Questions,” it provides guidance and information to help you determine what to do next. It also serves as a reminder that most work will require a permit and inspections from the City.

While this webpage is written from a Development Services perspective and specifically addresses what to do after a storm, it also includes a link to the City’s Emergency Management webpage called "Preparing for a Disaster." It provides information about specific types of disasters and helps you plan what to do before, during, and after a storm event.

I hope you find the information useful. If you've experienced storm damage in the past and know of any other topics that should be addressed on the webpage, please share those with me! I'd like it to be as comprehensive as possible. Thanks for reading!

Details

Written by Stephanie Currier

Category: Planning

Created: 08 July 2015

A reorganization of the Planning and Development Department has been in the works for some time. On July 1, the department officially separated into two departments.

The Department of City Planning, led by Ken Bowers, includes Long-Range Planning, Zoning Administration, Communications, the Urban Design Center, Real Estate, and Transportation Planning. The Development Services Department will be led by Thomas Hosey, who currently holds the position of Building Official for the City of Houston, TX. Thomas will assume his duties in Raleigh on August 3rd.  The Development Services Department provides services related to customer service, plan intake, and development plan review at the DSCSC and Litchford satellite office, as well as Building Inspections and Information Management.

Read more ...