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DOT proposes to start Capital Boulevard plan in 2031
Mayor Jones seeking an alternative The North Carolina Department of Transportation is updating its 10-year plan, and the part important to Wake Forest, the total rebuilding of Capital Boulevard to a six-lane restricted-access expressway from Raleigh to the Franklin County line, would push the start date another five years to 2031, ten years from the original start date. When asked for comment about that further delay, Mayor Vivian Jones replied: “At the CAMPO (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) meeting this month we should hear from the Toll Authority about their study into making Capital a toll road. “After that, CAMPO will vote on what to do and then, if we decide to go ahead with the tolling, we will begin a public discussion. As far as NCDOT’s plans for Capital, they are saying start in 2031, the Toll Authority is saying finish in 2031. We will see what CAMPO decides to endorse.” If all the delays have left you a bit foggy about the DOT plan for Capital Boulevard, it calls for construction in four phases for ten miles of road. The first would be from I-540 north of Raleigh to its intersection with Durant Road and Perry Creek Road, a 1.5-mile section that DOT says would cost $516 million; the second section would reach to Burlington Mills Road, maybe another 1.5 miles; the third would
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We will elect a mayor, two commissioners
The political maneuvering, jostling, gossip and innuendo has been going on for months and will continue, but us mushrooms, not privy to it all, will get some political clarity later this spring when the candidates pay a fee and declare they will run for election. In Wake Forest the contests will be for the offices of mayor and two commissioner seats. Our current mayor is Vivian Jones, who has held that seat since 2001, six terms. The two commissioners who are finishing their first four-year terms are Keith Shackleford and Nick Sliwinski. Candidates for mayor will pay a $50 fee; candidates for commissioner pay a $15 fee. The filing period will be from 8:30 a.m. on July 7, 2025 to 12 noon on July 18,
Planners OK fire station, White Street apartments
Last year, 2024, during the Wake Forest Town Board retreat, Commissioner Adam Wright was chatting with me when he said he was backing the plan for the Star Road development because one of the principals had an in with Trader Joe’s and would help him bring the grocery store to Wake Forest. He said nothing about a secret and he told others the same thing. Then in May of last year, at the town board meeting, the commissioners were voting on two projects, the Star Road project and a plan for a four-story apartment building on North White Street with the first floor having commercial uses. The developer, David Phillips, mentioned Trader Joe’s as a possible tenant. It appeared his plan and project would be
Learn about a county-wide water system
As the most populous county in North Carolina, with more than a million residents, it is important that Wake County takes proactive measures to maintain a clean and abundant water supply. Wake County is working with the community to develop a countywide “One Water Plan.” The 50-year One Water Plan integrates all water planning (water supply, wastewater treatment, stormwater and flood management, and groundwater protection) with county and municipal development and transportation planning. This One Water Plan aims to equitably support all aspects of our growing population and preserves our limited natural resources. As part of this effort, Wake County is collaborating with local partners to organize Community Input Sessions to gather thoughts and feedback on the One Water Plan. The collected input will help create strategies
Town listed as #20 in the state
Using data from the US Census Bureau, B2B Reviews recently identified 49 of North Carolina’s most populous cities (those with more than 20,000 people) and compared them across five key metrics to determine which ones are best for small businesses in 2025. The cities were graded within each metric and scored on a 100-point scale to determine the best for small businesses, and Wake Forest ranked twentieth. According to B2B Reviews, “Wake Forest rounds off the top 20, with a population of 54,337 (0.50% of North Carolina) and an impressive 8.71% population increase from 2020 to 2023. The city has a commercial real estate cost of $17.75 per square foot, the twelfth lowest in the state. Its growth and affordable real estate make it a
