![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.raleighpublicrecord.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/lead_mine_charles_rezoning_map.jpg\" "\\"lead_mine_charles_rezoning_map\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nDriving down Glenwood Avenue around Crabtree Valley is a headache at best; the Glenwood Road-Lead Mine Road intersection is graded \u201cF\u201d by Raleigh planners.<\/p>\n
While city staff bounced ideas off the Comprehensive Planning Committee Wednesday night, the overall consensus of these ideas \u2014 from rezoning properties to curb high-traffic development to adding bus routes \u2014 was, as Councilor Bonner Gaylord said, about \u201cmitigating the impact. But we can\u2019t solve the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Glenwood Avenue between Lead Mine Road and Creedmoor Road has become highly congested as high-density retail and residential developments have grown around it. It\u2019s a trend that needs to be redirected, said deputy planning director Ken Bowers, who discussed his department\u2019s \u201cVision for the Valley\u201d with the committee.<\/p>\n
Nine acres in Crabtree Valley are up for a final rezoning vote by the Raleigh City Council this week, which would add more than 500 residential units and 7,500 square feet of retail at the intersection of Lead Mine and Charles roads. City staff and councilors worry what that high-density development will do to existing traffic problems.<\/p>\n
Looking at the big picture, Bowers recommended rezoning five areas around Crabtree Valley from retail to lower-density zones such as office and research.<\/p>\n
\u201cBasically, it\u2019s bringing down the development density from 60 units per acre to 28 in office and residential mixed-use development areas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
An overall plan for the future of this area, he added, \u201cincludes getting people within walking distance of their destinations.\u201d<\/p>\n
This requires a renewed focus on mixed development.<\/p>\n
But, what about the thousands of commuters stuck in traffic every day? asked Councilor Russ Stephenson.<\/p>\n
Raleigh\u2019s most immediate and most cost-effective answer, bus service, doesn\u2019t easily fit into this plan.<\/p>\n
Throughout Raleigh, city planners are integrating a commuter rail system into long-term plans. Crabtree Valley, however, is one of several high-traffic areas where this rail service won\u2019t be expanded.<\/p>\n
Offering more bus routes to the area will do little to lessen congestion, said Stephenson.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless we dedicate bus lanes on this road, people will just be stuck in the same traffic, but on a bus,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Taking away a traffic lane for bus service would potentially worsen existing traffic, said Gaylord. He pointed to a recent study that showed 94 percent of people traveling to Crabtree Valley Mall ride in a car to get there.<\/p>\n
But a great deal of the congestion isn\u2019t just the mall crowds, said Councilor Randy Stagner.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of the folks going down Lead Mine Road aren\u2019t turning right to go to the mall,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re turning left to go downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raleigh may not have a quick fix, but there are options on the table to keep from making the matter worse.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have a solution for this which is why we looked to change the future land use map,\u201d said Mayor Nancy McFarlane.<\/p>\n
Gaylord disagreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe real issue isn\u2019t a land-use issue,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a roads issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re beyond roads,\u201d Stagner said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can keep adding buses, but it won\u2019t change the capacity [of travelers],\u201d Stephenson said. \u201cWhat we\u2019ve got is a future land use map that we can\u2019t accommodate.\u201d<\/p>\n
One thing missing from potential alternatives for the Crabtree Valley area, Powers said, is public input. Stephenson agreed, adding that he wants to get the full council\u2019s opinion on this problem.<\/p>\n
While the city wants to take careful steps in further Crabtree Valley-area development, one development plan is already up for approval.<\/p>\n
The council will review a rezoning request at Tuesday\u2019s meeting for nine acres at Lead Mine and Charles roads in preparation for a proposed mixed residential and office building. Plans call for 533 residential units with accessory office space and 7,500 square feet of retail space.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
Traffic studies show no significant impact on the current traffic around Lead Mine Road. One of the 13 conditions set by the planning board and comprehensive planning committee asks the development to \u201csupport an enhanced pedestrian environment and better connectivity within this area to the north of Crabtree Valley Mall.\u201d<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the developer will have to dedicate a portion of the property for easement in preparation for future plans to connect Charles Road to Marriot Drive, said planner Dhanya Sandeep.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still need a couple more properties to provide easements,\u201d she said. \u201cOnce they\u2019re in place, we can make that connection.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, until that connector road is built, traffic will go in and out of Lead Mine Road, which has raised some concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cStaff cannot approve plans if it exceeds the comprehensive plan\u2019s traffic plan,\u201d said Ira Botvinick, with city attorney\u2019s office. \u201cWe\u2019re already at an \u2018F\u2019 and we\u2019re proposing more \u2018F\u2019 development.\u201d<\/p>\n
Share your comments: What do you think about growth and traffic around Crabtree?<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With no immediate solution to traffic problems around Crabtree Valley, is Raleigh ready to add another development around Lead Mine Road and Glenwood Avenue? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24046,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15,23,14],"tags":[567,17,568,569],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10845"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24046"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10845\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}