Appearance Commission

The Appearance Commission was established by City Council in 1973 to provide guidance, advice, and recommendations regarding the visual quality and aesthetic characteristics of the City of Raleigh. As of July 2020, the Appearance Commission also hears requests for Design Alternates from the City’s Unified Development Ordinance, acting as a quasi-judicial body. The commission consists of 15 members, the majority of whom have special training or experience in architecture, landscape architecture, horticulture, city planning, or related design fields. The members shall reside within the city limits or within the planning and zoning jurisdiction of the city.

The Commission also appoints standing committees to undertake special design-related outreach and education efforts such as the Sir Walter Raleigh Awards.

October 21, 2021 Meeting Update

The October 21, 2021 meeting of the Raleigh Appearance Commission will be a remote meeting conducted by electronic means. The meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m.

The General Assembly has approved the use of remote meetings, including remote quasi-judicial hearings, during the statewide COVID-19 state of emergency pursuant to Session Law 2021-2, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 166A-19.24. The remote meetings of the City Council and the City Boards and Commissions will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of that statute.

View Agenda and Meeting Information

Meets

Current Agenda - October 21, 2021 (BoardDocs) and November 4, 2021

1st & 3rd Thursday of each month
4:30 p.m.
The Appearance Commission hears Design Alternate requests at its first meeting of each month (the 1st Thursday of each month) and Administrative Alternate requests and other business at its second meeting of each month (the 3rd Thursday of each month).

Filing Calendar
Please see the Design Alternate Application for information regarding the deadline to submit Design Alternate requests.

Location

Virtual: The next regular Appearance Commission meeting will be conducted on October 21, 2021, at 4:30 p.m.

Appearance Commission public meetings will be broadcast live on RTN 11 and on our live streaming webpage. To watch past meetings, visit our video services page.

Agendas and Meeting Minutes
View on BoardDocs

How to Participate in the October 21, 2021 Meeting

All individuals (including, but not limited to, all attorneys, applicants, property owners, witnesses, and neighbors) must sign-up in advance to participate in the Appearance Commission meeting. To participate in an item at the October 21 Appearance Commission meeting you must sign-up, no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, October 18. Individuals who sign-up to participate will receive an email with additional instructions and information upon sign-up. Per instructions in the email, all presentations, documents, exhibits and any other materials are due by 5 p.m. Friday, October 15.

If you would like to sign-up to speak or have any questions about participating in the October 21, 2021, Appearance Commission meeting or otherwise, please contact Carter Pettibone at 919-996-4643 as soon as possible, but no later than Monday, October 18.

Design Alternates

The Appearance Commission hears and decides requests for Design Alternates from the City’s Unified Development Ordinance. When hearing Design Alternates, the Appearance Commission sits as a quasi-judicial body and conducts an evidentiary hearing on the Design Alternate request.

The Appearance Commission is now accepting Design Alternate applications. The Commission began conducting evidentiary hearings on Design Alternate requests at its October 1, 2020, meeting. Among other requirements, to be placed on an agenda, a Design Alternate application must be submitted a minimum of 60 days prior to the meeting at which the application will be heard. More information regarding the application process can be found in the Design Alternate Application.

How to Participate in the November 4, 2021 Meeting (Evidentiary Hearings for Design Alternate cases)

All individuals (including, but not limited to, all attorneys, applicants, property owners, witnesses, and neighbors) must sign-up in advance to participate in the Appearance Commission meeting. To participate in an evidentiary hearing at the November 4 Appearance Commission meeting you must sign-up using this form, no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, October 29. Individuals who sign-up to participate will receive an email with additional instructions and information upon sign-up. Per instructions in the email, all presentations, documents, exhibits and any other materials are due by 5 p.m. Friday, October 29.

Design Committee

The Design Committee is a subcommittee with the purpose of discussing potential options for the Commission to present to the City Council in 2021 for Commission review of certain projects. The Design Committee currently meets in a virtual environment.

Current Agenda - February 12, 2021
Meeting Schedule: Meeting at 12 p.m.
Meeting Location: Virtual
Discussion Items:
Design review options for the Commission

Committee Assignments:

Will Gaskins
Jake Levitas
Christopher Roberts
Adam Walters