Planning staff (Kevin Plemons) told the council the city is proposing a text amendment to Article 7 to permit increased building heights in the I‑2 zoning district for parcels greater than 40 acres. "Right now, in I‑2, our maximum height is 72 feet," Kevin said, adding that the proposal would allow an increase up to 140 feet with a formula of one additional foot of height for every two additional feet of setback.

To address concerns about blank expanses on taller walls, the amendment would require that any part of a building above 72 feet incorporate changes in color, materials and architectural design elements on at least 50% of the wall area above that height. Staff cited comparisons with other jurisdictions, noting Research Triangle Park’s higher allowances and that C‑2 commercial zoning already permits up to 200 feet.

Planning staff said the amendment is deliberately limited by parcel size and setback, so smaller parcels could not use the 40‑acre threshold to build very tall structures. Staff also identified areas near the airport and the speedway as places where larger parcels exist but noted airport zoning would constrain heights near the runway.

The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed the change and voted unanimously to recommend adoption of the top two bullets in the staff proposal. Staff advised council that adopting the amendment would require a statement of consistency followed by a motion to approve or deny.

The council asked technical questions about how many stories a 140‑foot building might represent and about the setback math; staff answered that a 140‑foot building would be roughly 10–11 stories and that only portions of the building above 72 feet must meet the setback requirements. The item was set to return for formal consideration at the regular meeting.