Remarks by Mitchell Silver
23 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 1
“Well, first, I'm glad you have this up because I do struggle each year with my contingency fund. So this is very helpful. But I do agree with my colleagues. I'm struggling with having someone completed something. I do agree that some of these events would not have happened but for. And so I don't know how to bridge that. communicating that this is potentially yours, you will get these funds if, check, check, check. I just don't know what vulnerability that puts them in. But I do support this website, and I also have bigger concerns about count contingency funds in general that is a whole…”
“website or form that you showed us, is that existing now?”
“I don't know what exists today. So that is a new form that does not exist as of today.”
“Just one question. You had church-owned land. Does it expand to faith-based institutions? It does. So it will have temples and mosques? Okay. It just said church. I think faith-based-owned land.”
“Well, Mayor and everyone else, it is a great idea. And I know we had conversations with One Wake when we were talking about more opportunities for affordable housing and how we can partner. So just love the idea and would like to see how this evolves. Can you go to the next to last slide? Because I was going to ask a question about entitlement. that one. So Ken and Bynum, it's refreshing to see this 75% of the institutions are in residential districts, which means they have a current entitlement, but to get the additional density, they'll have to apply for rezoning to change, to get more…”
“If they want additional entitlement, just want to know, was that conversation with the faith-based institutions shared with them that if they want to go more dense, it's very likely they would have to go through a rezoning application?”
“And my second question is, I don't know if it's required, but where there need to be an associated comp plan amendment. So when this application does come through through rezoning, there is a policy that supports shifting to God in my backyard. Just want some clarification whether our current policies are sufficient for us to determine comp plan consistency. Particularly, we have conversations with surrounding neighborhoods that now here is a faith-based institution that had a parking lot or some open field that are now going vertical. So just trying to find out, is it necessary to do a…”
“I move to adopt the proposed consistency statement dated October 20, 2026 contained in the agenda materials and to approve the zoning amendment with the adoption of the effective dates described in the agenda item under recommended action.”
“I want to personally thank Tyesha Mosley and her entire team and the city. I truly enjoyed the youth summit, the non-curfew curfew meeting. It was engaging, great questions, well facilitated, amazing conversations at the table. I personally learned a lot just from hearing from the youth, some powerful takeaways. I think the one that struck me the most was the desire for more mentors, and I was surprised when one of the students said that far too often our parents want to be our friends and not always a mentor. That kind of hit hard. I know it's not all teens, but certainly I walked away and…”
“So Taisha, just for clarification, if we look at number two, the full board can agree to meet in person, but allow the subcommittee to meet virtually.”
“My question was on universal design, so since my colleague mentioned it, I will pass.”
“It would be very helpful as if council authorized it to proceed through the process. I strongly encourage illustrations for the average citizen to understand five lines of copy versus 10 lines of copy, knowing zoning. I'm familiar with it, very foreign to the public, but also high profile, medium profile, and low profile zone sign, it may be an opportunity for the public to understand what we're talking about And then if there could be kind of this is existing, this is proposed, it would help, I think, everyone in the entire process. Because you're right, Raleigh's known for basically…”
“Thank you so much for your remarks. I was looking through the work program, but you have it as number two bullet. You and I have talked before, and I wholeheartedly embrace. I understand that the work plan may evolve next year, but the focus on pedestrian infrastructure, that's certainly appreciated. You're right, not just as a point where there's an issue, but the entire network. And so I'm delighted as the Commission starts its work to start shifting gears and giving pedestrian infrastructure and sidewalks and all the other greenways the proper attention. So thank you for putting a…”
“My only concern as I look through the Stormwater Management Advisory Commission work plan, there is reference to reviewing policies and codes. I always get nervous when an advisory board is giving an assignment that really is primarily a staff role. My hope was with the expertise of stormwater state regulations. This is something I believe, you know, when I was plan director, we reviewed our code annually through conditions and zoning cases. And so certainly I believe there's a role for the Stormwater Advisory Commission. That is a heavy lift to go through the UDO when our staff is constantly…”
“Agreed. I mean, why are we going to do that? I guess my... Normal concern is that we have stormwater regulations, but then every zoning case, we re-litigate the entire ordinance, and then there are additional stormwater regulations. I think it may be appropriate to find out, is that appropriate? Do we want to have a one-off every zoning case? My hope is that when we have an ordinance, it covers all the development standards, but it seems that there's always something different or extra or over. So I'm fine looking at it, but I agree that it should be balanced between staff taking the lead…”
“Yes, I appreciate staff supplying a response. I know this is, in terms of specifically, we understand the needs of Lake Wheeler. We understand that there was some additional work required by Department of Environmental Quality The concern that I have is that there is a transfer of $5 million that's going from a project that money went from Six Forks into this project, and now some of the money from the old Wake Forest Road widening in particular is now being moved to the Lake Wheeler project. I guess from my... But the constituents are very concerned about the traffic issues in that area.…”
“I just want assurances, because you still have to go through a process, that if we go ahead and approve this consent agenda item, that the city is committed to finding the five million, whatever gap that is, to complete the Wake Forest Old Wake Forest Road project. Just need that assurance because, you know, the public's been waiting. I know there's a process you're pursuing. I just want to know there's a contingency to ensure that we get to fall 2027, that we have either the approach you're recommending with the lab funding, another contingency option, but just want to make sure for me to…”
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
“And the three, the filling of the three that recommended, I'm sorry, there were four that recommended denial, so can you just ask the essence of what their concerns were?”
“I want to commend you as well. As you know, I do this work for a living of addressing past harm, and for those that would fully understand the impact of past harm, it has three components, to apologize, to acknowledge, and to atone. it's the tone that most people can't figure out. And so to see this bear itself out, because even when I was here the first time, Octavia kept telling me about Manly Street, Manly Street, and I'm like, I'm looking on a map and could not find it. The exhibit at the Atlantic Union Bank Convention Center, did display that and helped me understand a bit more, and I…”
“Hi. could not have said it better myself. That was gonna be my question. We have to do this community conversation, but I agree with Council Member Ford. Because the teen takeover was the top of a conversation, most of the teens that will most likely show up probably did not go to the teen takeover. And I'd probably ask the first question, how many did you go? And if no hands go up, I do agree that we have to focus on the marginalized, the overlooked, the neglected. As I stated, I don't know the right number because I tried to look at our data between 10 and 19. 25% of our population has 50,…”
“Well, I did. I just want to go back. Looking at those transition zones, when we encountered the 2030 comprehensive plan, one of the hottest topics was transitioning between density and transitioning between residential and non-residential uses. That was the birth of those transition zones to protect nearby residential by having a series of transition zones and so I'm very pleased that as we have seen these zoning cases, it works. It was intended to provide the appropriate buffers, the screening, the distances, the height slope to ensure that residents aren't impacted. And so I just want, I'm…”
“i just have one thank you and then i have one question or request from the city manager i know the last time we met i wanted to talk about the carib mask festival a very joyful event i'm of caribbean descent and it was overshadowed by the tragic event so just want to thank the mayor for the proclamation for haitians of the triangle And it was an extremely beautiful, colorful event, wonderful music. So just want to thank everyone who was involved, but particularly the mayor for the proclamation to acknowledge Haitians of the Triangle. On another matter, I think I've said this before, but I…”