Raleigh Design Review Commission - Thursday, November 5, 2026

The City of Raleigh Design Review Commission met on November 5, 2026, to hear quasi-judicial design-alternate requests. For a proposed downtown mixed-use tower and retail development, the commission approved requests concerning building step-backs, parking-structure screening, cross-access, and the Commerce Place street design; the applicant had withdrawn its transparency request. Conditions included continued city-staff review of outstanding Commerce Place design matters and limits on changes to the proposed parking-structure screening. The commission also approved a church parking-lot expansion design alternate allowing a six-and-a-half-foot fence instead of the required wall. For a separate mixed-use development, it approved requests involving reverse truck movement, cross-access, and driveway spacing, conditioned on the applicant and staff agreeing on sidewalk space for two-way pedestrian passage without hindering fire access and on a spotter being available during truck loading and unloading.

The commission also agreed to extend the Design Impact Grant application deadline to November 15; staff reported six applications had been received. No contract awards, vendor selections, purchasing decisions, or specific spending amounts were identified.