Growth Management

WakeUP Wake County and the Raleigh Department of City Planning will host Congressman Earl Blumenauer in the 21st Century City Lecture on January 19th, 2012 at The Stockroom at 230. Click here to register for the event.

Wake County Commissioners are considering repealing the Recreational Land Dedication Ordinance (RLDO), which requires new developments to set aside land, or pay a fee in-lieu of, for future parks, open space, and recreation.

This is a fair fee that ensures that new development helps pay its fair share of the infrastructure costs of growth.  Providing and maintaining adequate parks and open space is critical as development occurs, particularly given that Wake County is projected to be the fastest growing metro region in the country over the next 10 years.  If we do not set aside places for recreation, we undermine our access to healthy living and a quality environment.  Moreover, we undercut our attractiveness to new residents and businesses.

The City of Raleigh is working on a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to guide future growth and development in the city.  A draft UDO was made available for public comment at the beginning of May.  Recognizing the importance of the UDO for Raleigh's future, WakeUP Wake County convened a diverse group of individuals - representing environmental, transit, and affordable housing advocates and developers - to review the document and prepare comments.

The City of Raleigh invites you to participate in the first phase of the project's public comment period from April 6, 2011 through June 6, 2011 for the "Public Review Draft of the Unified Development Ordinance".

Raleigh's New Code aims to streamline the approval process for compact, high quality development around established nodes throughout Raleigh. WakeUP encourages you to review the code and provide feedback and support for sustainable, smart growth measures including building frontage and setback standards, low-impact development guidelines, limited parking requirements for denser settings, and more!

75 more people each day. That adds up to a whopping 43.5% growth rate for Wake County this past decade. New census data confirms what our communities know is true - that we're growing faster than national averages, and we're experiencing the challenges of growth every day -- from traffic congestion to crowded schools to limited drinking water supply. The six-county Triangle region grew to 1.6 million, with over half the growth in Wake alone.

According to census data released March 2, 2011, North Carolina's suburbs and urban areas experienced unprecedented growth rates, particularly in Wake County.  A significant portion of newcomers to NC were senior in age, including retirees, and were more ethnically and racially diverse:

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Date: February 2, 2011
Contact: Karen Rindge, Executive Director, WakeUP Wake County, 919-828-3833, Karen@wakeupwakecounty.org

Wake elected officials provided an inside scoop on what actions to expect in 2011 at the NC General Assembly, Wake County Commission and Wake School Board. Speakers included from the Wake legislative delegation (House and Senate), and Wake Board of Commissioners:

WakeUP Leadership Award:

2007

Representative Jennifer Weiss

2009

Senator Josh Stein, NC General Assembly

Representative Deborah Ross, NC General Assembly

Senator Richard Stevens, NC General Assembly

2011

Commissioner Harold Webb, Wake County Board of Commissioners

Mayor Charles Meeker, City of Raleigh