SUPPORT TC-5-16: NEW BERN-EDENTON: TOWNHOUSE

New Bern Avenue and Edenton Street Owners,

My name is Stuart Cullinan. I live one block off Oakwood Avenue at 310 Heck Street. You may or may not be aware but there are several restrictions on how you can use your property. These restrictions were put in place in 1992 through what is called a Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District (NCOD for short). While these regulations do nothing to limit the many residential and non-residential uses listed below they do actually prevent a townhouse building type. The regulations allow apartments and condominiums and in fact they could look just like a townhome but without the ownership benefits of a townhome. We think this is strange and unfair and have proposed to modify the restrictions to allow townhomes on the New Bern Avenue and Edenton Street transit corridors alongside all the other building types and uses. The substance of the proposed Text Change is set forth on the attached petition.

We believe allowing townhouses will result in more home ownership, better affordability and increased use of Raleigh’s bus transit system in our neighborhood. This initiative has received support from many long time residents, former Planning Commission members, leading architects and land planners, City of Raleigh Planning Commission, a former Raleigh Historic District Commission member, DHIC, and CASA. I hope you will support it too.

While townhouses are not allowed under the current NCOD, the following are examples of residential and non-residential uses that are allowed along New Bern and Edenton:

• Bars / Nightclubs
• Duplex
• Boarding House
• Assisted Living
• Detention Center
• Apartments
• Civic Uses
• Daycares
• Health Clubs
• Vehicle Sales / Rental
• Sports Academy
• Medical
• Office
• Outdoor Sports / Entertainment facilities (< 250 seats)
• Bed and Breakfasts
• Hair Salons
• Commercial Parking Lots
• Animal Care (indoor)
• Eating Establishments
• Retail Sales
• Vehicle Repair
• Plan Nursery
• Produce Stands

SUPPORT TC-5-16: NEW BERN-EDENTON: TOWNHOUSE

Text Change 5-16 proposes to add a new section to the current New Bern – Edenton NCOD. Section G addresses the minimum lot size and minimum building separation requirements which, if unchanged, make a townhouse an impossibility.

Current ordinance:

New Bern – Edenton Neighborhood

• A. Minimum lot size: 4,000 square feet.
• B. Minimum lot frontage: 30 feet.
• C. Front yard setback: Minimum of 10 feet, maximum of 25 feet.
• D. Side yard setback: Minimum of 0 feet when minimum building separation is met.
• E. Building separation: Minimum of 10 feet.
• F. Maximum building height: 35 feet.

TC-5-16 requests that the following be added to the current ordinance:

• G. Townhouses on a site zoned for a Mixed Use District that has frontage on either New Bern Avenue or Edenton Street or that is located between New Bern Avenue and Edenton Street must meet the following:

1. Minimum site size: 4,000 square feet.
2. Minimum site frontage: 30 feet.
3. Minimum lot frontage of 16 feet.
4. Front yard setback: Minimum of 10 feet, maximum of 25 feet.
5. Side yard setback: Minimum of 0 feet when minimum building separation is met.
6. Building separation: minimum of 10 feet except interior townhouse side yards.
7. Maximum building height: 35 feet.