We begin with Christopher Berry Ross, who doesn’t appreciate our recent endorsements in the Chapel Hill Town Council race: “Maybe those of us who live in Chapel Hill and own homes here know what is best for us density-, traffic-, and transit-wise. A town’s primary duty is to its existing residents and property owners who pay the bills (taxes), not future ‘potential’ residents and out-of-state property speculators and hedge funds. If INDY writers are so good at urban planning, then why are they not employed as urban planners or town managers? Maybe they should leave the posturing and lecturing about density and development to the current residents it actually impacts and the professionals.”

Bill Compton responds to last week’s Voices column, in which Courtney Napier warned that the new pro-development Raleigh City Council could make things worse than ever for underserved communities: “How are market forces an ‘attack on the civil rights of underserved communities’? If poor black folks don’t want to sell the land they own, they shouldn’t. If they do sell, good for them. To suggest that developers are ‘blockbusting’ people using racist scare tactics with no evidence is irresponsible journalism. I’m not sure why Ms. Napier is allowed to write these statements, providing no evidence, and then have them published. 

“She’s also disrespecting every young, progressive Democrat in Raleigh who voted for this new council, suggesting we can’t think for ourselves. It’s pretty sad watching these NIMBYs cry about their loss. Maybe Courtney can go see a movie with David Cox and Stef Mendell and make sure they’re OK.”

“As someone who has lived in the South Park neighborhood for the last three years,” adds Joe K, “I don’t think your claims about developers paying below-market value to push out poor homeowners hold water. First of all, an enormous proportion of the homes in the South Park neighborhood are landlord-owned and rented out to low-income tenants.” 

You can also find a longer response by Brent Woodcox, the YIMBY Raleigh advocate and General Assembly special counsel Napier mentioned in her column, here.

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