Thread by @raysmckinnon

Happy Saturday, Friends! Isn’t it interesting how so many folks calling for a halt on progress of the 2040 Plan ignore the present realities of Charlotte? Like they are literally ignoring the outcomes produced by the status quo.

This belated opposition to the 2040 Plan reminds me of the folks who suddenly became the champions of the poor kids and how they’re being impacted by school closings.

But now so many folks are concerned about gentrification. A problem which has occurred, unhindered, in today’s status quo. It leaves one to ponder if this less about stemming gentrification and more about NIMBYism--from white folks and Black folks.

The Council should pass this Plan and work to improve it when they're implementing it. Folks have reduced this Plan to only focus on exclusionary single family zoning when it's so much more than that. This delaying tactic isn't going to produce any changes to the status quo.

And let’s be clear here, friends: this is really the first step in killing the Plan, or changing to the point where it might as well be dead.

But our status quo is already producing rapid gentrification, racially segregated communities, disconnected and unwalkable communities, food deserts, and deep economic disparities. Why are they fighting so damn hard to protect this status quo?

Folks' fear of even trying things which are new and imperfect is strange. Like, the status quo is getting us these outcomes which, almost universally, we agree aren’t helpful. What this Planning Director, Department, and Commission are proposing is a forward looking document.

It understands the concept of planting trees under which you will never sit. They are daring to question the utility in perpetuating our status quo. And not only have they questioned our status quo, they have offered a skeleton--a plan to envision a different reality.

A Plan to change the status quo to one that takes us that much closer to parity, to equity, and toward justice. You will notice that those most forcefully calling for this delay: REBIC, Myers Park Homeowners Association, and Eastover Homeowners Association

They are in the business of advocating for their wealthy, largely white, constituencies. I don't blame them at all; I honestly do not. And, I don't blame Tariq Bokhari, their City Councilor, either.

It's literally why his constituents elected him: to fight like hell for their interest. And REBIC is in business to lobby for the clients: Real Estate agents. And I can see why it might not be in their, collective, best interest to restructure exclusionary single family zoning.

But the City Council must care about more than just the monied interest of Myers Park and Eastover, of REBIC endorsements, or even folks who own real estate. I know that Myers Park and Eastover aren’t the only neighborhoods which are calling for a delay

(really a full halt) of adoption of this Plan. Any person, regardless of their racial identity, represents a particular (and objectively privileged) constituency but they aren’t all of us.. This Plan takes into account people who are renting as well as people who own their homes.

This Plan seeks to see all of Charlotte--the Charlotte of today and the Charlotte which can be and we must become. This plan is imperfect but we must not delay this Plan. We must make it better in implementation, but we cannot delay.

We cannot yield to the well-off and powerful so often.
Write to your City Council Members and tell them to support this 2040 Plan without delay.

Here is a list of their public email addresses:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

#CLT2040Plan

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