Raleigh parking is getting more strict—here’s what you need to know.
“Parking” has become a dirty word in Raleigh. Long ahot-button topic—especially Downtown—people tend to opt for mixed-use developments or big-boxes that have ample free spaces. But a new wave of parking enforcement may shift that perspective. If you thought that $15 ticket for overstaying your welcome on a DTR street was bad, try a $265 fine to get a barnacle off your windshield in a North Hills lot otherwise known for being relatively lax about enforcement.
Barnacle Know-How A barnacle is a device that snaps to a vehicle’s windshield, blocking the driver’s view and making it impossible for them to drive away. To remove it, the violator must scan the QR code on the barnacle and pay a fine to get a code that will release the device’s suction. They then must deposit it in a nearby dropbox, after which they’ll typically receive a deposit back.
Learning the limits of that leniency firsthand, a North Hills regular was recently met with a bright-yellow barnacle clamped to his windshield—something he’d never before encountered—after spending a day doing business in the mixed-use development. “I’ve parked there for four, five hours at a time before and never saw anyone get ticketed or towed,” he says.
When he reached out to Unlimited Recovery, one of the third-party services that patrols the lots, he was told the price was nonnegotiable—regardless of being on-site for business. “This is an issue,” he laments. “I know [North Hills] needs to enforce limits, and you can’t just leave your car there overnight, but how do you do it the right way?”
That question, and the implementation of fines in general, taps into the reality that even a parking space that claims to be “free”—whether lot, street or deck—never truly is. Someone always has to pay for it—even if it’s not you. Now, mixed-use developments across town traditionally touting free parking are trying to find ways to restrict and limit parking spots via fines and constraints. Here, we dive into the rules and penalties being employed—and how to navigate them.
Village District
Photo by Raleigh Magazine
“Tow away zone” signs now dot Village District, part of Regency Centers’ efforts to keep parking in check that started in 2023 with restricting storefront and sidewalk spaces to two hours, while leaving the rest of the spots unrestricted. Visitors parking beyond the posted two-hour limit will first get a written warning, with repeat violators getting towed at their own expense.
Village District GM for Regency Centers Brooke Conn notes parking at the DTR-adjacent 18-hour destination is the hardest obstacle to overcome, given the volume of businesses and employees—and expanding parking is limited by cost and available land. The current model helps to “reduce long-term employee parking and keep spaces available for customers who might not be staying for an extended period,” she explains, nodding to the positive feedback they’ve received from both operators and customers.
“We think we’ve found a balance with the current parking setup and are constantly reviewing the trends at the center for peak visits,” adds Conn, also noting Regency is looking at parking trends in other regions and researching national parking initiatives in an effort to improve demands and adapt to the needs of their shoppers.
North Hills
Photo by Raleigh Magazine
Known for decades for its vast unlimited free surface parking lots, myriad enforcement tactics from towing to barnacles and boots are part of a strategy Kane Realty Corp. has gradually rolled out. Kane’s Hannah Smith emphasizes North Hills has always monitored and enforced a two-hour parking policy. But violators don’t get an initial warning—as current signs state, they’ll be “immobilized or towed at vehicle owner’s expense.” And no portion of fines go to Kane.
“We are always looking at parking and working on fulfilling new needs and challenges as they arise, especially as our property grows,” says Kane Realty’s Dawn Baker, noting the majority of deck and lot parking remains unrestricted unless marked otherwise.
To wit, short-term retail parking has been moved to the lower levels of the Park Central deck following the closure of the popular surface lot across from Happy + Hale and Orangetheory to make way for new apartment building The Strand—and its many tenants.
Long-term parking is available in the Main District Target deck and surface lot near Coquette, save for both two-hour and 15-minute storefront spots—to name but a couple areas. “The policies are in place to support our tenants and to ensure turnover in high-demand areas,” maintains Smith.
Downtown Raleigh
Photo by Raleigh Magazine
We’d be remiss not to mention barnacles have also made their way Downtown to private lots, which are further upping the ante to crack down on those violating parking signs or neglecting to pay upfront.
The Junction Salon & Bar manager Devyn Solana was recently slapped with a $715 barnacle fine—including a $200 deposit for return to one of two DTR dropboxes—in the Depot lot, despite having a validation code for employee parking.
“[The Barnacle enforcement tool] was first introduced in 2016,” explains Russell O’Quinn, parking superintendent with the Raleigh Transportation Department—“so not as new as someone might think. The City of Raleigh does not use it.”
Many view the barnacles as unfair and predatory—with one Raleighite arguing they run counter to Downtown’s push to boost traffic. However, Barnacle Parking’s Colin Heffron told CBS17 the tool is intended to be a more efficient alternative to towing. “It’s quicker for the violator because, in fact, you’re gone in 5 to 10 minutes,” said the VP of strategic partnerships and integrations. “Whereas had you been immobilized with another device, we reckon it could be 4 to 5 hours before you’re on your way.”
With Downtown long wearing the scarlet A for parking “difficulty” and barnacle backlash now mounting, it all comes back to the underlying reality that all parking costs somebody something—and if you overstay your welcome, that someone will be you. Period.
“Why don’t they just charge for parking?” asks one local about North Hills. “Or clearly state you’ll get a $265 barnacle if you violate time limits? If it’s not free, it’s not free.” The big takeaway? Pay attention to signs, warnings and time limits—or you’ll literally pay the price.
A proposed 30-story tower at the edge of Downtown sparks debate and concern.
*Editor’s note 4/24: At the neighborhood meeting held April 23, Raleigh Development Company shared they would limit a portion of the property’s height to 20 stories, while the remainder would be capped at 30. They also offered to donate $1.2 million to Raleigh’s affordable housing funds.
TELL CITY COUNCIL NO 30-STORY TOWERS 240-FT FROM HOMES.”
The bold, large-lettered black-and-red signs have become a standard fixture around Raleigh in the past few months—the result of a controversial development planned at the edge of Downtown near the historic Glenwood-Brooklyn neighborhood.
Situated in the 2.6-acre expanse between Capital Boulevard and North West Street, the area is home to such small businesses as Endless Grind, Knuckle Up Boxing and Fitness Center, and Oak City Printing. Currently dubbed Devereux Meadows, the proposed Raleigh Development Company project adjacent to the future allotted Smoky Hollow Park calls for a rezoning to raise height limits from 12 to 30 stories, paving the way for multiple mixed-use high-rises.
This isn’t the developer’s first pursuit—project plans initially submitted in 2022 were denied zoning approval by City Council in May 2023. Back on the table, the Z-54-22 rezoning has reignited fears around large developments and stirred fresh concerns on how a surge of tall towers could alter and threaten the fabric of Raleigh’s historic neighborhoods.
Raleigh Neighbors United, a grassroots advocacy group funding the signs and committed to protecting local neighborhoods while fostering responsible growth, contends the proposed height increase violates policies outlined in planning documents. These include the Capital Boulevard Corridor Study, which dictates three stories at the neighborhood edge and up to 12 stories in areas well-separated from neighborhoods; the Raleigh Downtown Plan, which illustrates seven to eight stories; and the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, limiting to 12 stories max.
According to Raleigh Neighbors United’s Roy Attride, the fight isn’t about denying the area the attention or density it deserves. “What we’re fighting against is inappropriate height not supported by any policy, plan, history or precedent—and then jamming it next to our neighborhood,” he says. “The developers should be able to make plenty of money [at 12 stories]. It would be great density; it would offer housing. … I want all these to succeed, so I’d love to see them build those 12 stories there and move onto other places that need development and attention.”
More importantly, Attride says putting a 30-story tower in that area would “put every neighborhood in Raleigh—but especially along Capital Boulevard—at risk” and remove protections for transitional areas throughout the city “because there’s no reason to stop 30 stories from being anywhere. It’s not just a one-neighborhood problem—but a Raleigh problem.”
Despite those concerns, Raleigh Development Company VP Chris Carter maintains the company has been actively engaging with the community and city leaders as they finalize plans. “We believe the rezoning as proposed makes the most sense for this project, for our company and for the city of Raleigh,” he asserts. “The additional density allows for a greater supply of new housing to be provided.” Carter adds there are already two sites zoned for 40 stories along Peace Street across from this project, with RDC electing to scale their own rezoning request down.
There’s also the question of what the project means for the nearby businesses. Jason Howard, owner of The Cardinal across the street, says it doesn’t matter if the building’s 12 or 30 stories—construction chaos, parking headaches and traffic reroutes will hit his bottom line. Still, he’s hopeful the payoff might be worth it, eventually.
“I personally am opposed to it because I didn’t want to be facing a high-rise at any point in time,” he maintains—“that’s why I picked that location. But, at the same time, I decided to be in Downtown. … I chose to be in a city, so I can’t really bitch about the growth of it. I don’t want it to be 30 stories though.”
Nearby bar Stella’s owner Lena Ali is also concerned. “As a small business owner, I fully support Raleigh’s pursuit of growth, opportunity and thoughtful expansion,” she offers. “However, large-scale developments are routinely followed by large-scale cost increases that have the potential to negatively impact those who have long called these areas home.”
City leaders appear to be listening. Mayor Janet Cowell tells Raleigh Magazine that “it’s too early to say how Council will vote on [the rezoning],” but adds, “I believe the whole council wants meaningful conversations between neighbors and the developer.” As of press time, a required neighborhood meeting will be held April 23. Ultimately, growth is inevitable—but the kind of city Raleigh becomes will be shaped by the conversations we choose to have now.
If pizza is your love language—especially Oakwood Pizza Box’s ’za—prepare to fall even more head over heels. The locally treasured pizza joint is opening a new carry-out only location this fall in the former Capital Creations Gourmet Pizza location on Wake Forest Road. Owner Anthony Guerra’s decision to expand comes as demand for Oakwood’s signature Brooklyn-style pizza soars, with the new space allowing him to build on a local legacy. “It should be a pizza shop for the next 30 years,” he says. And there’s no doubt loyal devotees will stay lining up for those glorious pies. oakwoodpizzabox.com
If summer was a work of art, it would be Cassie Adams’ playful and colorful masterpieces. Founder of Cassie Adams Designs, the Raleigh-based artist and interior designer draws her creative inspiration from her time spent growing up in NC and venturing to the beach each summer, along with her 13-year stint in NYC, where she attended Parsons School of Design post-Duke University.
Photo by Anna Routh Barzin, courtesy of Cassie Adams Designs
Photo by Anna Routh Barzin, courtesy of Cassie Adams Designs
Photo by Cat Nguyen, courtesy of Cassie Adams Designs
“Summer is my favorite season,” shares Adams. “Everything about the whole vibe of the season—the nostalgic feeling of it, the bright colors—it’s like being on vacation all year long.” So, with a palette that’s at once vibrant and soothing, Adams transports you to that warm, inviting happy place with soft pinks, bold blues and seafoam greens evoking the ocean across striking paintings, interiors, collages and more.
Further helping curate that joyful aesthetic and make any room sing are Adams’ textiles, grass cloth wallpaper and gorgeous pillows, each of which are designed using imagery from her artwork.
Some of her favorites include the Wavy Medallion pillow, influenced by an Oriental rug pattern she found in an old library book at The Cooper Union in New York; the Tulip Stripe; and the Arbor Gingham, boasting imperfections in the stripes that mirror wood splinters from a vineyard trellis in an original photograph that served as the design’s main inspo.
Photo by Katie Kauss, courtesy of Cassie Adams Designs
“I try to keep the patterns rooted in tradition, even though there’s definitely a modern twist,” says Adams. “But I like classic sensibility at the root of things.”
Come early summer, the mixed-media maven will be showcasing her work IRL in her new studio dubbed Little Mayview, nestled in a two-story tiny house she designed in her backyard. In addition to open studio days, the spot will serve as a resource for other designers via textile and wallpaper samples and pillows on display.
Ultimately, what Adams hopes people get from her art is joy—period. “Because that’s what you see when you see one of my pieces on a wall—it’s supposed to immediately make you smile,” she says, adding: “Same with the pillows; it’s a lovely pop on your bed or sofa that’s supposed to bring joy to where you live.” And, really, how could they not bring you happiness? cassieadamsdesigns.com
Rendering by New City Design Group, courtesy of Regency Centers
Rendering by New City Design Group, courtesy of Regency Centers
Ridgewood Shopping Center has long been a get-in, get-out kind of destination, whether you’re just dropping in to get a bottle of wine from Ridgewood Wine & Beer Company, groceries at Whole Foods, or some State swag from the Red and White Shop. But that’s slowly begun to change with the additions of spots like Drift and Taco Bamba that entice patrons to linger for more than just a quick errand.
And, now, thanks to Regency Centers—which bought the property in 2018—the center is getting a glow-up, shifting from “a place rather than just a convenient center,” says New City Design Group Principal Ted Van Dyk, one of the main architects on the project. “It’s a great crossroads.”
Anchoring the revamp is an upcoming 3,702-square-foot full-service sit-down restaurant with an exclusive patio, to replace the former All-Star Bike Shop on the corner of the west end side of the property facing Ridge Road—which was bought by Conte’s Bike Shop and moved down to where Drift is ~three years ago in preparation for the reface.
Serving as the only full-service restaurant between Village District and Lenovo Center, says Regency Centers Senior Project Manager Adam Jolly, the eatery will no doubt attract a whole new slew of visitors who are headed to a hockey game or show at Lenovo, or before/after attending the NC State Fair come October.
Regency is still in talks with potential vendors, but Senior Leasing Agent Allison Wiggs says they are “looking for an upscale local, regional or national concept to complement this redevelopment and bring a unique dining opportunity inside the beltline.” Perhaps an upscale Italian or pizza restaurant, she teases.
To boot, the team is also working with the ABC commission to try and get a Common Area Entertainment Permit similar to those in Smoky Hollow and Village District that would allow patrons to enjoy alcoholic drinks on the lawn below Taco Bamba—and throughout the entire center.
“Little by little we’re creating all these activity nodes,” says Van Dyk. “We want to try to create an environment where people might stick around for a while—do a little window shopping, walk around, let the kids play, then have lunch and do their shopping at Whole Foods.”
Having endured several iterations and exterior add-ons throughout the years, the redevelopment also includes exercising adaptive reuse while harkening the design back to its original bones. The green mansard roofs will be stripped to reveal natural materials and a clean, midcentury-modernesque flat roof—which you can already see over the Red and White Shop—that’ll be more cohesive with already-updated areas of the center.
Whole Foods’ refresh includes dark-bronze awnings and a coat of a light-gray paint like that on the Snooker’s/Dress side, and legacy tenant Great Yarns will debut an entirely new storefront that swaps the wood siding for glass. But, don’t worry, the signature pink door will remain (just on the Ridge Road side).
Regency hopes all the changes will uplift Ridgewood in the same vein as Village District. “And who knows what’s going to happen as future tenants look at this shopping center and see what we’re doing,” muses Van Dyk. And, so, a new Raleigh hot spot is in the making. ridgewoodshoppingcenter.com
