Notes on the CompPlan

The City Council officially adopted the CompPlan on Tuesday 9/8/09 after almost a year of work through the Planning Commission, public input sessions and public hearings! During our official public Council work sessions we reviewed the Future Land Use Map and made some changes to the plan. Our goal was to make sure that the density plans for the future are sustainable, smart and that the surrounding areas would be able to accommodate.

Some of the changes relevant to District A:

1. The focus of the public hearing in North Raleigh was the Future Land Use Map regarding "The Chavis Tract" - the land at the corner of Ray Road and Howard Road. The Future Land Use Map shows this at a higher density than the surrounding neighborhoods would like. Currently it is zoned Residential-4 and the proposed change would make it Residential-14. The Council voted to keep this property low density. We felt, among other things, that the existing road structure did not have the capacity to be expanded to serve an increase in density.
2. We are adding the term “Preserves” to our parks nomenclature. Several of our parks will be reclassified as “Preserves” Consistent with Council’s intent to move forward with a countywide nature preserves management program, we have established a "Nature Parks and Preserves" classification on par with others, such as Metro, Community, and Neighborhood Parks. The initial definition would be as follows:
   
   “Nature Parks and Preserves are intended to be used for environmental education, scientific research, and public enjoyment in ways that do not degrade the natural resources on site. Nature Preserves contain and highlight examples of high-quality plant and animal populations, natural communities, landscapes or ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity and environmental health. Efforts are made to protect and manage significant natural resources in these areas through best practice management and stewardship. Opportunities for passive, natural resource based recreation may be provided that are compatible with the protection and enhancement of the natural area and the nature.
3. The property at the corner of Lead Mine Road and Millbrook Road will remain low density.
4. The neighbors in Cameron Village asked us to change some of the density on the Future Land Use Map surrounding their neighborhood from Medium to Moderate. We approved this request.
5. The land between Old Lead Mine Road and New Lead Mine Road, south of Forum Drive will continue to be low density.
6. Glenwood Ave West of Crabtree Valley - I have concerns about the proposed density for this corridor. I do not want to see it become another Capital Boulevard.
7. Intersection of Six Forks and Strickland- We need to take a close look at the proposed build out for this area. Is the future density called for going to be supported by the available and/or future transit plans?
8. Neuse River Greenway- We need to examine this in the plan and make sure that those corridors are protected. We need to again look at transitions plans for development leading up to Neuse River Greenways and the Neuse Buffers.
   

Early Voting

Early Voting is going on now through Friday October 3rd for all Wake County elections! The only site is at the Board of Elections at 337 Salisbury Street, on weekdays from 8:30-5:00. I f you have any conflicts with Election Day October 6th than this is a great option!

Since the voting trend for municipal elections is usually around 10% (or less), it is very important for you to get out and vote! This low turn out means that every vote counts, so the more you can help spread the word with your friends and family the more impact you can have. Local elections really do have an impact on your quality of life because of the close proximity of city and county governments to our daily lives. The City is responsible for your drinking water, sewer service, road maintenance, zoning and regulating developments, public safety, developing infrastructure and maintaining parks, just to name a few. I believe that getting involved in local politics is one of the best ways to help shape our community for the better.

I appreciate your continued support as I move forward into my second term. It is an honor that no one has chosen to run against me this election, and I look forward to continuing my work on the Raleigh City Council.

Council Agenda 9/15/09

Full text of 1:00 Council agenda online here.

Raleigh Council Candidates Square Off

A huge thanks to WakeUp Wake County, Wake County League of Women Voters and the Raleigh Downtowner for hosting this great candidate forum!

READ REVIEWS BY:

NEWRALEIGH.COM

MYNC.COM - video of Nancy available online!

RALEIGH PUBLIC RECORD

Transcript from Raleigh Public Record

Q: (moderator) What measures should the City of Raleigh take to protect the Falls Lake watershed and what measures should be taken to address stormwater regulations?

Nancy McFarlane: “There are many regulations we can improve on. One we’re considering is to increase the stormwater runoff requirements during construction. Silt is the biggest pollutant in Falls Lake, and it causes all kinds of problems. One of the things we are able to control is the amount of silt and stormwater that does wash off the sites. We’re looking at beefing up those, and they should be coming back for a vote before too long. The other thing we need to do is to start thinking about acting regionally. We can work together with municipalities to help beef up regulations.”

Sierra Club Endorsement

The Capital Group of the Sierra Club announced their endorsements for the 2009 Municipal Elections. Locally, the Club has a comprehensive process that identifies candidates whom they think are friends of the environment. Nationally, the Sierra Club is the largest, oldest and most effective environmental organization in the country. They do a great job of educating their members about opportunities to advocate for the environment both with their own time and at various levels of government. Thanks to the Sierra Club for being such great environmental advocates!

I am grateful to have received their endorsement for the second time, and look forward to continuing to earn this honor through my work on City Council! I have worked hard for tougher stormwater standards to protect our local waterways, and also served as the council liason to the Upper Neuse River Basin committee. I believe it is important to always consider the environmental impact of developments and I have consistently proved that during my work as Chair of the Comprehensive Planning Committe .

Nancy wins Community Supporter Award

Nancy McFarlane was recognized as one of the Triangle’s most successful businesswomen by the Triangle Business Journal at the “Women In Business Awards” event on August 6 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Research Triangle Park, N.C. An active member of the Raleigh City Council, McFarlane was honored in the community supporter category. Winners are recognized for being an accomplished leader who has succeeded in her business profession and remained involved in serving the community. “I am honored to be grouped with such prominent leaders at the 2009 Women In Business Awards,” said McFarlane. ”Women play an important role in the local business community and this award reflects our many achievements.”

Nancy McFarlane is a Raleigh City Councilor, a pharmacist and the president of MedPro Rx, Inc., an accredited specialty infusion pharmacy that provides infusion medications and services to clients with chronic illnesses. MedPro Rx has consistently given back to the communities they work closely with by sponsoring many local NC events and giving annual scholarships to students with bleeding disorders all around the country. Passionate about maintaining and improving the quality of life in Raleigh, Nancy is strongly committed to the neighborhoods of District A. As chair of the Council’s Comprehensive Planning Committee and a member of the Budget and Economic Development Committee, she is active in campaigning for responsible development that protects not only the quality of life in Raleigh but also the environment. Nancy was a key player in the development of the Water Conservation Council, a group of community representatives that work to inform the public of the importance of water conservation, and she now serves as the organization’s co-chair.

District A - CACs

What is a CAC (Citizen Advisory Council)?
They are official advisory bodies to the City Council. The City encourages residents and neighborhood groups to be active in decisions affecting their communities by participating in their local CAC. They are meant to serve as a link between city government and neighborhoods. In turn, the City Council relies on CACs for advice on community matters, such as neighborhood quality, existing and new facilities and decisions on planning and zoning.

The elected chairpersons of each of the CACs serve on the citywide Raleigh Citizens Advisory Council, which provides a forum for collaboration and information-sharing. The RCAC meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm in the Council Chambers.

Find your CAC by viewing the map here or call (919) 966-6100.

The North Citizens Advisory Council will meet at 7:00 PM on the 1st Thursday of each month (September 3rd), at the Millbrook Exchange Park,1905 Spring Forest Rd., 27615.

The Falls Of Neuse Citizens Advisory Council will meet at 7:00 PM on the 2nd Thursday of each month (September 10th) at the Eastgate Park, 4200 Quail Hollow Dr., 27609

The Six Forks CAC meets Bi-Monthly, Odd Months, 2nd Monday (October 12th) 7:30 PM at Sertoma Art Center, 1400 W. Millbrook Rd.

Check out Upcoming Zoning Cases.

2009 Municipal Election Candidate Forum

Please come hear candidates discuss local public policy issues, including growth,

drinking water supply, transit, housing, infrastructure funding and more.

Raleigh City Council Candidate Forum

Thursday, September 10, 2009

6:30 – 8:30 pm

Doors open at 6:15

Temple Beth Or, 5315 Creedmoor Rd, Raleigh

Cosponsored by the League of Women Voters of Wake County

WakeUP Wake County

& Raleigh Downtowner

Light Refreshments

Free and Open to the Public

For more information, contact:

Karen Rindge, WakeUP Wake County, 828-3833, krindge@earthlink.net

Marian Lewin, League of Women Voters, 845-0064, mlewin11@bellsouth.net