"I think our new Comprehensive Plan is going to help tremendously in guiding growth. I think our biggest challenge is going to be helping people not fear density. We need to do a better job of having denser development, especially around transit stations and we’re moving in that direction.
But I think that a lot of people hear ‘density’ and think of 8- to 20-story towers in their neighborhoods, when what we’re really talking about is homes on smaller plots of land, townhomes, condos, four stories max. I think we have to help the public understand that density is not a dirty word, but at the same time we have to protect the transition areas, so you’re not square in the face of this huge massive development especially where you are in a well-developed historic area." -- Mary Ann Baldwin, 2009 (emphasis is ours)Not everyone knows that the University Park neighborhood is an established historic area and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. IMPORTANTLY, THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THIS HISTORIC AREA INCLUDES HILLSBOROUGH STREET.
Grow Raleigh Great supports Mary Ann Baldwin's 2009 position. In particular, with this latest information regarding the historic status the University Park neighborhood, we ask that City Council not confirm their vote for a 7 story tower on Hillsborough Street and follow the guidance of the Comprehensive Plan to approve a more reasonable 5 story structure (the maximum allowed under the Comprehensive Plan) to help preserve this historic neighborhood.
Grow Raleigh Great is a grassroots effort to advance development through a community developed Comprehensive Plan to preserve and protect neighborhoods.
Here is a link to the full story at the Raleigh Public Record: http://raleighpublicrecord.org/electionprofiles/2009/08/11/mary-ann-baldwin/
Contact: growraleighgreat@gmail.com
