Last week the Town of Wake Forest published its first quarter 2019 list of capital improvement projects, including future, ongoing and completed projects.
It did not include a description of the source of the funding for each project, but they are paid by property tax and other tax revenue, loans, bond issues, county, state and federal agencies. Wake Forest’s debt is well below that amount allowed by the Local Government Commission and the town gets preferential low interest rates when it sells bonds and seeks loans
The completed or nearly completed projects that stand out for this summer and fall are the new Joyner Park Community Center at $11,880,930, the almost completed renovation of the Northern Wake Senior Center at $4,861,300, the Holding Park Pool and Playground at $2,9929,000, the close-to-completion remaking of Stadium Drive into a complete street with sidewalks and trails at $10,643,800, and the South White-Owen streetscape project at $5,600,000 for the entire five phases.
The senior center staff could start moving into the building in November, the anticipated completion date for Stadium Drive is the end of December, and the town plans to cut the ribbon for the South White-Owen streetscape during the annual Tree Lighting on Dec. 6.
The ongoing projects stretch out a long way. Under general government expense is the rehabilitation of the Ailey Young House next to Wake Forest Cemetery on North White Street where the State of North Carolina has appropriated $100,000 for the project. The work is underway. Also, the town will pay for upgrades to the existing audio visual, camera and sound system in the second-floor meeting room over the next two years with costs not yet determined.
The town will also bear the cost, $3,320,000, for its fiber infrastructure, connecting town sites with a fiber network. The design will be finished next month and the project will be ready for bid.
Everyone wants more traffic signals, and the holdup is and will continue to be a lack of funding through the state Department of Transportation. The signal at the Heritage Lake/Heritage Club is installed and operating. DOT is looking for funding for signals at Heritage Lake/Friendship Chapel, Forestville Road/Song Sparrow Road and Wait Avenue/Middlegame. The town has collected a partial fee for the expense from the homeowners association.
Construction continues for the two priority pedestrian corridors, Wait Avenue and West Oak Avenue, $3,632,906. The sidewalk and a multi-use path as well as a new connection to Joyner Park have been completed on West Oak with a few details left. The completion date for Wait Avenue is April of next year.
Construction cannot begin on the short stretch of Ligon Mill Road between South Main Street and the Walmart driveway until there is a construction company. There were no bidders in June of this year so the contract and design are being redone to remove areas of concern. The plan now is to go out for bids in December with construction in early 2020. Estimated cost is $5,133.400. There is a lot of rock and utility infrastructure. Prayer might help.
The design plans for sidewalks and other improvements on Durham Road are at 75 percent with $395,000 in funding but row-of-way purchasing and construction are not funded.
The town continues to have a number of greenway and stream projects underway. They are:
–Richland Creek stream repair after Hurricane Matthew in 2017: FEMA has approved of $16,000 of reimbursement toward the estimated construction cost of $116,950.
–Dunn Creek Greenway, phase 3: With a total of $8,103,500 in cost, design is at 90 percent completion and right-of-way purchases or agreements are underway.
–Smith Creek Greenway, phase 2: This is in the design process to add 1.1 miles of trail and trailhead with parking providing connection between existing trails. The segment will provide a connection from Ligon Mill Road to Burlington Mills Road and ultimately to Raleigh’s Neuse River Greenway by way of the Wake Forest Connector Bridge over the Neuse River. $5,698,600 is the estimated cost. Clean Water Management Trust Fund and LAPP (local area projects) are in the financing mix.
–Smith Creek Greenway, phase 3: This is also in the design phase at 90 percent with the same funding mix as above and an estimated cost of $3,693,200 for 1.62 miles of trail that will connect existing trails.
–Dunn Creek Greenway, boardwalk rehab: This is in the design stage with a cost of $73,500 to redesign the boardwalk.
–Ligon Mill Underpass: The town has estimated $325,000 for the design and some of the construction of a pedestrian underpass to connect the Smith Creek Greenway and sidewalk on Ligon Mill Road.
Another concern is maintaining and improving the town’s assets, and the current projects are:
–Ailey Young Park improvements: This is on hold because there are no matching funds although the design is at 100 percent for improvements that will provide universal accessibility and increased capacity.
–Ailey Young Park dam removal and stream repair: This is ready to go at a cost of $817,105 with bidding this winter and construction next spring.
–Flaherty Park dam maintenance and repair: $1,010,200 to remove the dam and repair the stream. Construction is expected in 2021 and 2022.
–Richland Creek stream restoration, phase 2 (The Cottage): Again this was damage from Hurricane Matthew to 150 feet of the stream bank and greenway and FEMA has approved $16,000 toward the $100,000 construction that is underway.
–Wake Forest Reservoir improvements: The City of Raleigh has released control of the reservoir to the Town of Wake Forest. The plan calls for $4,478,500 worth of new bridges, a parking lot, a boat ramp and dock that will be included in a future bond package. Meanwhile the parks and rec staff mows the grass and removes the trash while public works maintains the road, the dam permits and repair.
The Wake Forest Public Works Department has two ongoing projects with annual budgets. Wake Forest Power sets aside $800,000 each year to extend and upgrade the electrical system with the current projects being relocations on Stadium Drive and at Powerhouse Row on South White Street.
The streets division in public works allocates $75,000 to repair or replace sidewalks, and the current projects are along Clatter Avenue, West Holding Avenue, Middlegame Way and Opposition Way.
