Appearance Commission

2020 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards

Please visit the Sir Walter Raleigh Awards page to learn more about the project categories, eligibility, and our annual awards ceremony.

COVID-19 Notice

The State of North Carolina, Wake County, and the City of Raleigh have all declared States of Emergency in response to the COVID-19 virus. The County and the City of Raleigh have also adopted a Proclamation of Emergency Restrictions (also known as the “Stay-at-Home Order”), which is intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus by, among other things: requiring individuals to remain in their homes, except for certain essential activities, closing many businesses to the public, and prohibiting any gatherings which do not comply with its terms.

The various in-person meetings and hearings regularly held by the Raleigh City Council, as well as the multiple City appointed boards and commissions (collectively “City Boards”), involve the physical attendance of the Council or City Board members, who in turn encourage physical public participation and input during those meetings. It is not uncommon for meetings to have large attendance greater than would comply with the Executive Orders and currently recommended social distancing practices impossible. Continuing to hold in-person City meetings and hearings with attendance by the public is inconsistent with the purpose and intent of the State of Emergency Declarations and the Executive Orders and could exacerbate the spread of COVID-19.

Article 33C of the North Carolina General Statutes governs meetings of public bodies. The purpose of the Opens Meetings Law is to assure the public has notice and access to public meetings. The City takes its responsibilities under the Open Meetings Law very seriously and considers it vitally important, especially in times of crisis, that the public remains informed and heard, and that the City Council and City Boards continue to conduct important City business. The Open Meetings Law allows for electronic meetings, so long as there is a means for the public to listen and proper notice is given. See N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-318.13(a). Accordingly, in the wake of COVID-19, the City is converting all City Council and City Board meetings to a remote electronic format for the duration of the State of Emergency. Only meetings of the City Council, and other critical City Board meetings (to be determined), will be held. When they are held, they will adhere to a format that is consistent with the purpose and intent of the Open Meetings Law, will protect the applicable due process rights of affected individuals, and will further the important public purpose of containing the spread of COVID-19.

Meets

The Appearance Commission will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, January 21 at 4:30 p.m.

Current Agenda - January 21, 2021 (BoardDocs)

1st & 3rd Thursday of each month
4:30 p.m.
Please note that beginning with the October 1, 2020 meeting, the Appearance Commission will hear Design Alternate requests at its first meeting of each month (the 1^st Thursday of each month) and Administrative Alternate requests at its second meeting of each month (the 3^rd 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 January 21 at 4:30 p.m.

Appearance Commission public meetings are broadcast and available for viewing by the public via the following methods: the city’s website; the city’s YouTube Channel or Channel RTN-11. The Appearance Commission public meetings can also be listened to by telephone. For instructions on how to listen by phone, please contact Lee Stevens at 919-996-4629 or lee.stevens@raleighnc.gov. Archived videos of past meetings are also available. Watch live streaming or videos on RTN 11.

Meeting Minutes
View on BoardDocs

How to Participate in the January 21, 2021 Meeting

Current Agenda – January 21, 2021

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 you must sign-up, no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, January 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, January 15.

If you would like to sign-up to speak or have any questions about participating in the January 21, 2021, Appearance Commission meeting or otherwise, please contact either Lee Stevens at 919-996-4629; or Carter Pettibone at 919-996-4643 as soon as possible, but no later than January 18.

Design Alternate Applications

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 Design Alternate application process can be found in the Design Alternate Application.

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 - January 8, 2021
Meeting Schedule: Meeting at 9 a.m.
Meeting Location: Virtual
Discussion Items:
Design review options for the Commission

If you are interested in participating, please email lee.stevens@raleighnc.gov.

Committee Assignments:

Will Gaskins
Jake Levitas
Christopher Roberts
Adam Walters

Purpose

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.

Appearance Commission Members

Corey Bates Chair 2309 Ridge Rd. Raleigh, NC 27612 Serving: Second Term 12-5-21	Canice Andre Vice-Chair 1012 Winona Rd. Raleigh, NC 27609 Serving: Third Term 12-3-21	William Dodge 2409 Rockridge Ct. Raleigh, NC 27612 Serving: First Term 6-18-21
Martha Eberle 2312 Euston St. Raleigh, NC 27610 Serving: Second Term 5-21-22	Jamie Ferguson 1405 Ashburton Rd. Raleigh, NC 27606 Serving: Third Term 3-5-21	Will Gaskins 1222 Clifton Place Raleigh, NC 27604 Serving: First Term 2-4-22
Patrice Gilmore 4613 Westminster Dr. Raleigh, NC 27604 Serving: First Term 10-6-22	Katherine Hogan 319 Fayetteville St., Unit 305 Raleigh, NC 27601 Serving: Second Term 11-8-21	Jake Levitas 2513 Remington Rd. Raleigh, NC 27610 Serving: Second Term 5-5-22
Megan Beach 764 Saint Beach Rd. Raleigh, NC 27610 Serving First Term 6-2-22	Corey Mason 2321 Blue Ridge Rd. #202 Raleigh, NC 27607 Serving: First Term 11-19-21	Chad Parker 4007 Brownstone Ct. Raleigh, NC 27609 Serving: Second Term 11-18-21
Bernard Thaxton 2313 Fox Hill Circle Raleigh, NC 27610 Serving: Second Term 7-21-21	Adam Walters 621 Kirby St. Raleigh, NC 27606 Serving: First Term 4-2-21	Chris Roberts 1610 Weatherford Circle Raleigh, NC 27604 Serving First Term 7-7-22