Clover Lane Rezoning

CLOVER LANE: Clover Lane apartments were built in 1968 and sit on a 5.37 acre property with 57 two-story units, many with rental prices which are considered affordable. The "Mordecai on Clover" townhome property (405 Clover Lane) is currently zoned R-10, NCOD Mordecai II, which permits up to 90+ homes with a maximum building height of 35 feet.

Zoning application Z-43-2022 will be presented at City Council at 5pm on Tuesday, January 24.  The rezoning request has the potential, if approved by City Council, to put a five story, 65-75 foot tall, 310 unit residential building on the site of the Clover Lane Apartments on Wake Forest Road in the center of the Mordecai Community.

A committee of neighbors was formed by the Mordecai CAC in April and has been meeting since then. Community representatives have met with the developers and attorneys multiple times, and have stressed neighborhood concerns about access, height, setbacks, traffic, affordable housing, stormwater, and parking. The rezoning application is currently very broad and does not have "real plan" to address many of the neighbor concerns.  The committee would like to see more reasonable conditions written into the application and urges council to require them. 

The Clover Lane rezoning hearing is now set for January 24th at 5pm. Neighbors met with all but one council member before the New Year, and heard supportive comments about what reasonable changes to conditions could be suggested by the owners.  

To make sure Council is aware of our suggested changes, and of any other opinions we want to make sure are on the record for the public hearing, we are asking that you consider: (1) attending the January 24th meeting at 5pm for any period of time you are able; and (2) reaching out to Council by email, and asking that they support our request for reasonable conditions.  

Although we encourage folks to express any and all opinions you have about the rezoning, even if they do not align with what we have talked about as a group, the Clover Lane Rezoning Committee asks that people consider underscoring the things we have been asking for as a group:  

Since this rezoning was filed, we have been asking for more information about stormwater impact and impact to Wake Forest Rd. In lieu of information, we need stronger conditions.  A high level description of these suggestions are:

• Simms driveway: the Simms' driveway which connects to Watauga and is currently not open to motor vehicles should be closed to residential motor vehicle use for all uses of Clover Lane (except emergency / utilities). The current condition only closes Simms driveway for uses of a certain density.
• Height: We are asking that height be further limited.  Our reasonable request is 4 stories and 48 feet in height.  The owners previously dropped the height from 5 stories/80 feet to 5 stories/ 65 feet, but this is a meaningless reduction in height.  The building cannot be 5 stories according to the Comprehensive Plan, and a 4 story apartment building does not need 65 in height. A 65 foot height allowance provides flexibility that the owners do not need and that hurts the neighbors on the perimeter.
• Building Stepback: On the North, South and East sides, we are requesting that the height of the building start at 3 stories on the mutually agreed perimeter and then build up to the maximum height allowed. That structure is in line with the Comprehensive Plan, protects the neighbors on the perimeter, and makes for a more interesting and more attractive building while still allowing the owners to build out to a reasonable density.
• Traffic: Because the proposed density could have a potentially large impact on walkability and the Wake Forest road diet, we are requesting a more reasonable maximum density for that property.  The 310 units currently proposed is not based on any real projection, is higher than what the Comprehensive Plan contemplates, and threatens the Wake Forest road diet. We have asked for more information about what number of units would be appropriate (a cumulative TIA) before rezoning. In lieu of that information at this time, we are asking that the maximum number of units be reduced.
• Affordability: we understand that addressing affordability is a city-wide issue and that council is working on ways to address affordability in development.  We have suggested numerous ways to address affordability.  At this point, we are requesting that some proportion of units be affordable, at least no higher than the same price of the current units per square foot.
• Stormwater: we are asking that any stormwater engineer study, which will be required at site-planning stage, be made available to the neighbors when submitted to the City
• Parking:  For apartment building types, all parking needs be served by wrapped structured parking, not surface parking. This way, there are still plenty of spaces for the residents but we do not lose green space on the perimeter. If structured parking isn't going to be utilized in full, there isn't a reason or space for high density at that property.
• Prohibited uses: the current prohibited uses go beyond what the neighbors have requested and, in some cases, reduce the ability for uses that might benefit the neighborhood and the City. We would like the prohibited uses to reflect those that the neighbors have asked for.

Individual council member emails (for each member, click on their names under pictures near the bottom): https://raleighnc.gov/city-council

Email to all city council members at once: citycouncilmembers@raleighnc.gov

If you have questions for the Clover Lane Rezoning Committee please reach out to us at cloverlane@mordecaicac.org or visit our website for more info: https://www.mordecaicac.org/clover-lane.
 

Please sign the petition below asking the Raleigh City Council to require reasonable conditions. The committee is sending updates via the petition, too.  

Thank you!  - the Clover Lane Rezoning Committee
 

PETITION: https://chng.it/VbcM2WSYTJ

Mordecai CAC - the key to strong community!

January MCAC Update

MCAC Meetings/Minutes

Mordecai CAC

November 8 minutes TBA

Minutes: September 22, 2022 
Featured Speakers:  Candidate forum for District C City Council

Minutes: May 10, 2022
Featured Speakers:  Tina Govan, Placemaking;  Toby Coleman, Clover Lane Rezoning

Minutes: April 12, 2022
In person meeting at Emmaus Church

Minutes: March 8, 2022
Featured Speaker: Tiesha Hinton
Topic: Community Engagement

Minutes: February 8, 2022
Featured Speakers: Parker Poe, Turnbridge Development, and J Davis Architects
Topic: Logan's Rezoning 

Minutes: January 11, 2022
Featured Speaker: Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin
Topics:  A Conversation with Mayor Baldwin

Minutes: November 9, 2021
Featured Speakers:  Bill King, Downtown Raleigh Alliance;   Marti Maguire, William Peace University.
Topics:  The State of Downtown; Person Street Takeover!

Minutes: October 12, 2021 
Featured Speaker: Sam Crutchfield – Grub Ventures
Topic: Raleigh Iron Works

Minutes: September 14, 2021
Featured Speaker: Rob Steward, Hoffman and Associates
Topic: Seaboard Station update

Minutes: June 8, 2021
Featured Speaker: Gary Claiborne, PRCR Capital Projects Manager
Topic: Devereaux Meadow Park

Minutes: May 11, 2021
Featured Speaker:  Reuben Moore, City of Raleigh Engineering Services Department
Topic: Blount-Person Corridor Two-Way Conversion and Mordecai Roundabouts

Minutes:  April 13, 2021
Featured Speakers:

• Amanda Astor, City of Raleigh Recycling
• Leigh Bragassa, City of Raleigh Parks
• Sarah Roholt and Joe Layton, MCAC Parks
• Matt Allen, Stream Cleanup
• Lisa Grele Barrie, Raleigh City Farm
• Reid Serozi, Heavy Metal Recycling

Topic:  Caring for Our Community
 

Minutes- March 9, 2021
Featured Topics:  Person Street Partnership, Google Fiber Install update

Minutes - February 9, 2021
Featured Speaker: City Councilor Corey Branch
Topic: District C Update

Minutes- January 12, 2021
Featured Speaker:  Nathan Spencer
Topic: The S-Line