Councilors this week approved a number of new sidewalk projects and the annexation of the future Pine Hollow Middle School site.
Two residents from a southwest Raleigh neighborhood, where more than half of the sidewalks are scheduled for construction, turned out to speak in favor of their installation, and each approval by Council was met with a round of applause from neighbors.
Elizabeth Driscoll, a homeowner on Ravenwood Drive, which will add 1,530 linear feet of sidewalk, said she appreciated the Council considering approval.
“We have a wonderful community, and I think the sidewalks would really enhance that and I think they would help better connect us to each other,” Driscoll said.
Following Driscoll and another neighbor’s remarks, Councilor Mary-Ann Baldwin noted it was “nice to see somebody here who’s happy about sidewalks.”
In addition to Ravenwood Drive, the Councilors approved 915 more feet of sidewalk on Melbourne Road, 985 feet on Tyrrell Road and about 500 feet on Northclift Drive.
Public Facilities
Councilors voted in favor of the annexation of 33 acres of northwest Raleigh land on which Pine Hollow Middle School is to be built. The school is scheduled to open in 2016.
Councilors also approved a motion that would not allow funding for the Public Safety Facility and Fire Station No. 12 to exceed their respective bond funding of $75 and $25 million.
Held Open
A number of the issues brought before Council Tuesday evening were held open for further review.
They included a change to the planning and Unified Development Ordinance code and a modification to the sign ordinance allowing for additional ground signage.
Two zoning cases were delayed as well, one which would allow for the continued operation of a bail bonding business in south Raleigh and another for office mixed-use building in southwest Raleigh off of Tryon Road.
Plans that would see the widening of Sandy Forks Road were also delayed and referred back to staff by Council. The $9.9 million project would see the installation of curbs, gutters, sidewalks, bike lanes and a center median on Sandy Forks. Some residents objected to the median especially, as it would prevent them from turning left into their driveways.
