Neighbors raise flooding and canopy concerns as council holds South New Hope rezoning open

A proposal to rezone about 23 acres on South New Hope Road drew sharp public opposition Dec. 2, prompting council to keep the hearing open while the applicant negotiates additional stormwater and floodplain protections.

Planning staff described the request and the applicant’s offered conditions: limits on commercial frontage, caps on medical/office and other commercial square footage, a residential cap of 175 dwelling units and stormwater measures that the applicant said would limit runoff to 2‑, 10‑ and 25‑year events and avoid seeking map revisions for the FEMA floodplain. Staff said the planning commission had recommended denial but that the Stormwater Management Advisory Commission later expressed conditional support for added protections.

Multiple nearby residents and neighborhood speakers told council the site is flood prone and that removing mature forest and adding impervious surface would increase flooding, heat and air‑quality burdens in Southeast Raleigh. Emmett LeHaye described existing long emergency response times and said adding housing would exacerbate the problem. Public health and neighborhood speakers cited studies on canopy loss and urged denial or much stronger environmental conditions.

The applicant’s attorney, Michael Birch (Longleaf Law Partners), said the team met with Partners for Environmental Justice and committed to additional buffers off the mapped floodplain, clarified stormwater conditions and to not seek FEMA map revisions or “no‑rise” determinations that would permit development inside the FEMA floodplain.

Given ongoing neighborhood concerns and the applicant’s request to meet further with community and environmental groups, council agreed to hold the hearing open and resume consideration on Jan. 6.

No vote was taken Dec. 2. Council members said they want clearer stormwater, canopy and traffic mitigation before acting.