Raleigh Public Record (https://theraleighcommons.org/raleighpublicrecord/topics/news/page/166/)
The Wake County Board of Commissioners Tuesday listened to a proposed ordinance change that would require regular inspections of septic systems. The inspection system would be similar to that of vehicle inspections, with residents required to get one every five years from an independent contractor. Homeowners would likely pay $200 for the inspection, plus the cost of uncovering the tank and pumping it out.
S.B. 183 would nullify ordinances in Raleigh and other communities that ban billboards on thoroughfares and local sections of interstate highways. Under the bill, automatic changeable facing signs – billboards with panels or slats that move to allow a new advertisement to display – would be legal on “any interstate or primary highway system route” within the state, even if such structures are already illegal in local jurisdictions.
A new state law says city council members must preside over “quasi-judicial” hearings for site plan approvals. This new law means that constituents cannot make their cases for or against a proposed development to councilors, unless it can classify as “expert testimony.”
The Raleigh City Museum may be able to close a $30,000 budget gap thanks to a $15,000 emergency grant from the city. The grant passed its first hurdle Tuesday in a Raleigh City Council committee, but will still need approval from the full council.
New Wake County Public School System Superintendent Anthony Tata sought to paint himself as a friend to parents and students disgruntled over the district’s reassignment changes in a public forum Thursday night.
A new proposal for school reassignment received the same public response as all the other plans – mixed.
Repeated loud parties, overgrown grass, junk cars and appliances in the yard along with structural issues such as exposed wiring and faulty plumbing are the meat and potatoes of Raleigh’s Probationary Rental Occupancy ordinance. Now in its fifth year, here’s a look back at the goals of the PROP and how it is working out.
A document outlining the city’s vision for future development will be ready for public comment in April. The council also clarified its “Percent for Art” ordinance to include major streetscape projects.
Some residents got a sneak peek recently at the city’s planning process during the Hillsborough Community Advisory Committee meeting. Members of the city’s planning department walked residents through a unified development ordinance (UDO) exercise, which had attendees in deep discussion well after 9 p.m.
The new UDO, which has been in development for about a year, will replace all of the existing zoning code by creating a systematic and cohesive code for future growth. The city wishes to implement the project in two steps. Step one will be to adopt the text, with public hearings scheduled for July, and then to apply the zoning districts to the property. The second step is the mapping of the UDO, which could occur six to 18 months after adoption.
The days of long road closures down Raleigh’s main drags won’t end anytime soon, but city councilors are talking about how to reduce the impact on residents trying to get around them.
