Tuesday night the Wake Forest Town Board heard a presentation about the Durham Road/NC 98 Business project which will widen the road from two to three lanes between Retail Drive and Tyler Run Drive, install curb and gutter, sidewalks, intersection improvements and a multi-use path and boardwalk as well as a pedestrian bridge over Richland Creek.
James A. Speer, the project manager from Summit Design and Engineering Services, said the project is at the 75 percent planning stage. When planning is complete, the project will move to property acquisition.
There were questions, one of them about concerns voiced by members of the Historic Preservation Commissions, but Senior Planner Michelle Michael said those were allayed after the members learned their concerns had been considered during the planning.
“I’m terrified about turning left from Tyler Run,” Commissioner Brian Pate said. “I don’t like this project. There are just some things that are higher priority than this project.”
Pate also asked, “Who walks to Capital Boulevard?”
“I think a lot of people walk on this road and they bike on this road,” Mayor Vivian Jones said. “I think a lot more people will walk on it if they build it.”
“Commissioner Pate said what I would have said if I said anything,” Commissioner Greg Harrington said. “Thank you, Brian.”
The presentation was before the commissioners began their regular agenda, starting with the consent agenda. Pate asked that the item authorizing Town Manager Kip Padgett to execute an on-call contract with Summit for $475,000 be made a separate item outside the consent agenda.
When it came up again later in the meeting, Pate wanted to know how much of the total cost is being paid by an agreement with the state Department of Transportation. He called the third lane a “suicide lane” and asked about the loss of trees and people’s front yards.
Speer went to the podium to protest the name “suicide lane” and to say “The amount of tree loss is very minimal.” He also said the land required would be 5 feet on the north side and 2 feet on the south.
Commissioner Bridget Wall-Lennon wondered when the town is going to find out what its portion of the cost is. According to Suzette Morales, the town’s transportation planner, this project is part of the 2014 bond referendum and has also received grants from DOT’s Locally Administered Projects Program (LAPP) to help cover the cost of right-of-way and construction.
The vote for the contract was four to one with Pate voting no. The contract covers the next phase of the project to reach 100 percent design, utility coordination and beginning right-of-way.
The board took a significant step as its last business, voting to approve a $49,572 contract with expenses with the consulting firm EnviroSafe to undertake a feasibility study on the transition of the Wake Forest Fire Department to a town department. Padgett said the EnviroSafe staff has worked with Wake County fire services and knows the county.
There were no speakers for the public hearing about the 2019-2020 budget, but Marlane Nason, who goes to the Flaherty Park dog park twice a day, came to the hearing about the Capital Improvements Program with pictures showing eroded areas, trees with their roots exposed – some have been painted to be visible in the fall when leaves collect – and other dangers. “It’s dangerous. People have fallen. This is just unacceptable.” There is an item in the CIP for an upgrade to the dog park.
Ira Richman also spoke, asking for connecting sidewalks near the Wake Forest Reservoir that will connect people living in Bishops Grant and other subdivisions farther west with Wait Avenue and downtown. Shane Brown, who lives in Bowling Green, agreed with Mr. Richman.
David Townsend spoke about his concerns with the proposed encroachment policy. At his subdivision there are two columns in the public right-of-way. He called them dangerous and “subject to litigation” in case of an accident that could affect the homeowners association as well as the home owners. “I want confirmation the columns will be coming down.”
Scott Miles, the public infrastructure engineer in the Public Works Department, laid out new policies governing the parking of commercial vehicles and the right-of-way encroachment policy, explaining how he has consulted with the Wake Forest Police Department, state codes and other resources to refine both policies. Both were approved by the board. Referring to Mr. Townsend, Miles said, “Our intent is to remove those columns.”
Pate disagreed again when the board was asked to approve a rezoning at 1633 South Main Street from residential to conditional use neighborhood business. He said his office had been very close to that address and later moved his office because “we had difficulties getting out during the high-traffic rush hour. “A right turn was difficult and a left turn nearly impossible.”
Also, he said he could not vote “in good conscience” to the process of turning residential property along that street into commercial. It is one of the few places in town where you can find homes selling for less than $250,000.
Commissioner Anne Reeve thought the impact on traffic would not be great, one or two vehicles an hour and praised the landscaping proposed.
Wall-Lennon agreed with Reeve.
The vote was three to two with Pate and Harrington voting no.
One Response
For the amount of proposed right of way on the south side of Durham Rd (where the multi-use path is proposed ); the news article mentioned 2 additional feet whereas it should have said an additional 10’.