Where do we stand with Transit Overlay District rezoning on New Bern Avenue?
On December 12, the Raleigh Planning Commission voted 4-3 to recommend a denial of the Transit Overlay District rezoning to City Council. The Planning Commission has a total of 10 members, which means that 3 members were not present to vote. The Planning Commission’s recommendation, however, is just one part of the legislative process. The request will then go to City Council who can make adjustments to the case to address concerns cited by the Planning Commission, which is that stronger anti-displacement measures need to be put in place to ensure that this rezoning benefits, rather than harms, vulnerable community members. WakeUP knows that this is an important issue to get right. While the case is still on the table, there is opportunity to adjust for community needs. If denied by the City Council, we have no leverage and no active process to protect these communities.
As we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, opposition to these policies and investments mostly stems from fears of gentrification and displacement in historically Black neighborhoods along New Bern Avenue. Due to a history of neglect and harm towards these communities, the fears from the community are real and understandable. However, WakeUP – and the residents who voted in favor of BRT in 2016 and demanded that Southeast Raleigh be prioritized – believe that the investment in frequent, reliable transit is needed in this area, especially for those who already rely on public transit living in neighborhoods along New Bern.
Without approving Transit Overlay Districts along planned BRT routes, the business as usual scenario makes more affordable types of housing (i.e. “Missing Middle” housing) illegal. The status quo does not incentivize affordability nor protect long-term residents who are already feeling the pressures of gentrification. The City, acknowledging the harm and lack of investment of past policy in these neighborhoods, has made real efforts to right these wrongs while ensuring the success of the transit line. These include banking land for affordable housing and community services, incentivizing affordability in new private development, and providing direct services and funding to existing residents, local businesses, and community-focused local organizations to prevent displacement.
While there are always unknown and unintended consequences of any policy decision, we believe that there needs to be a “yes AND” approach that prioritizes needed transit while also enacting solutions that protect the history and culture of these neighborhoods and their long-time residents – and allows for additional, targeted services to be enacted if and when needed.
This leads WakeUP to wonder: what can it look like if we get this right?
Community-centric Model: The Marian Cheek Jackson Center
This model for community-first development was borne of conversations with a local church leader, Rev. Troy Harrison of St. Joseph CME Church, and a UNC professor, Della Pollock, who were committed to preserving the oral histories of the people who “work, live, worship, play, and serve” in Chapel Hill’s historic “Northside.” These conversations spurred the formation of a coalition of local leaders, residents, and community organizations dedicated to preserving both the history and the future of these historically Black communities through community-centric development.
The Jackson Center model is committed to self-determination through “community-first organizing” – where the community is the primary consultant and strategic planner. This looks like:
- Recognizing the local expertise and leadership in the community
- Acknowledging that the people making decisions should be the residents who live in the neighborhoods in question
- Using community input through a number of tools driven by Northside Compass Group, a community-first leadership group that is accountable to community values and sets the direction for neighborhood development
This community-first model has led to land banking that keeps the land in the hands of the impacted community members and was developed in response to a decades-long decline in Black homeownership due to demand for student rentals, the cost to upkeep older homes, rising property taxes, and a sharp increase in investor-owned properties in these neighborhoods. With a $3 million loan from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2015 and a partnership with Durham-based nonprofit community developer Self-Help, the organization has been able to acquire properties in Northside to keep them in the hands of families instead of investors.
Land banking, in addition to other initiatives, have led to a number of community successes:
How can elements from this model be applied to New Bern Avenue?
| Land banking: |
| WakeUP has been hearing from our community partners that land banking would work well along New Bern Avenue to keep homes in the hands of families instead of investment companies. The City of Raleigh has recently begun an effort to bank land along New Bern Avenue, including Zack’s Grocery Mart and adjacent properties on the corner of New Bern Ave and Raleigh Blvd as well as the formerly state-owned DMV headquarters property. With private market developers and investors swarming downtown Raleigh, it is a major win for the City to secure this land for affordable housing and needed services. |
| Community partnerships: |
| Several organizations are already working towards a community-minded vision for New Bern Avenue, such as churches and community partners providing services to families, affordable housing developers like DHIC building affordable and mixed-income units for seniors and families, home repair nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together, and advocacy groups like Southeast Raleigh Promise. Greater communication and collaboration among these groups, the City of Raleigh, institutional partners, and the broader community could help shape the change and development already happening in the region to be directed by community interests instead of by the private market. |
| Living harmoniously: |
| It is not news to anyone that Wake County is rapidly growing, and southeast Raleigh is no exception. Intentional engagement between new residents, who may be accustomed to living differently than existing residents, can reduce conflicts over issues of culture and economic class. Opportunities for the new and old residents to come together to serve the community can encourage new residents to learn and appreciate the history of their new neighborhood, while allowing long-time residents to continue to feel comfortable and empowered in their beloved community. |
While the provisions in the TOD policy and other anti-displacement efforts such as the 2030 Comprehensive Plan Amendments (which passed recommendation by the Planning Commission!), there is always room to improve policies and programs to have a more community-centric approach. It’s time for a “yes AND” approach to Wake County’s growth and development.