Council holds Tryon Road rezoning (Z‑5224) after questions on access and 'hook' parcel; affordable housing plan noted

Raleigh City Council on Sept. 2 voted to hold rezoning case Z‑5224 for two weeks after hearing a presentation from the applicant and questions from neighbors and staff about access, the un‑improved Fairway Drive, and an attached "hook" parcel that the developer is contractually required to rezone but has no immediate plans to develop. Applicant representatives said the proposal would rezone roughly 44 acres to allow an apartment project under RX‑4 and an R‑10 area they called the "hook." Dominion, the proposed affordable housing developer, told council it plans to build a 370‑unit apartment community on the RX‑4 parcel and that it intends the apartment units to serve households at 60 percent of area median income; the zoning conditions on the table required a minimum 2 percent of units at 60 percent AMI, which the developer said was a lower bound and its proposal would be 100 percent 60 percent AMI if built by Dominion. Transportation staff reported initial hesitancy from NCDOT for direct access on Tryon Road but said negotiations were progressing; the site would also rely on Fairway Drive, an unimproved city‑maintained road. Transportation staff said Fairway Drive currently lacks curb and gutter and that the city has traffic‑calming improvements planned for the corridor; the applicant indicated interest in a public‑private approach to improve Fairway. Opposition testimony from the owner of an adjacent property (Delta Sigma Phi Alumni Corporation) requested explicit cross‑access protections and a buffer between the fraternity property and the rezoned area to protect a historic structure. Neighbors raised concerns that the notice process had confused some residents and asked for more time to review conditions. The council voted to hold Z‑5224 for two weeks to allow the applicant to work with neighbors and staff on conditions related to access, the hook parcel and potential public‑private improvements to Fairway Drive. Action taken: motion to hold Z‑5224 for two weeks passed; public hearing will reopen at the next council meeting.