New Building Limits Proposed to Limit Residential Construction in the City of Raleigh, North Carolina

New Building Limits Proposed to Limit Residential Construction in the City of Raleigh, North Carolina

A proposal that would have limited residential construction, specifically targeting older neighborhoods, gathered no support at Tuesday's City Council meeting.

The proposal would have limited the height of buildings and increased the setback requirements on side and backyards. It was proposed as a temporary measure and will automatically move on to the Planning Commission for review, it is likely that a different approach will be considered due to the overwhelming opposition. At the meeting Mayor Meeker recognized the need for redevelopment, but "new homes also need to fit into the neighborhood."

All of this comes about primarily because of some people's objections to tearing down older homes and replacing them with much larger homes. I personally do not see why this is a problem. Contrary to the unsubstantiated claims of some, the larger homes will only tend to increase property values and the values of the smaller homes as well.

The City of Raleigh has seen as significant increase in the number of tear downs inside the beltline and in the most popular areas of the city, this is likely to increase. I do understand the need for ordered growth, but I hate to see more government intervention into what a home owner can do to improve his property.