They presented their plan for Kidd's Hill Wednesday to a Raleigh planning committee. The area used to be home to Raleigh developer Kidd Brewer. Madison Retail and York Residential want to build townhomes, office space, and stores on the land.
The developers said the project will be above flood level. Plus, they have moved parking lots farther back, added more trees and sidewalks. However, critics are worrying about the impact on the environment, including flooding in Crabtree Creek.
"We don't even know the magnitude of the problems that something like this could create," said Sig Hutchinson, who opposes the project. "All we know is that it is bad news when you start messing with Mother Nature."
The developers will meet with the city's planning committee again in October. Members wanted time to go through the revised proposal.
Crabtree Creek has long had flood problems in the past. Hutchinson and others said removing trees and reshaping the hill will only increase the potential for flooding in the area. Raleigh leaders said they have spent more than a year reviewing proposals.
"This is a site that had environmentally sensitive issues. It had stormwater issues, density, traffic -- so, we made sure we took the adequate time to look at all those issues," said City Planning Director Mitch Silver.
A local attorney, who represents the Atlanta-based developers, said his clients have addressed all environmental and stormwater concerns.
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