Planning board narrowly OKs Averette subdivision

With a five to four vote, the Wake Forest Planning Board Tuesday night recommended the Wake Forest Town Board approve the Averette-Tryon subdivision along Averette Road.

The planned unit development master plan that was approved will allow up to 980 dwelling units with a maximum of 294 townhouses, and the build-out could stretch over 10 years. One of the engineers, Tommy Craven with Priest, Craven & Associates, said there will be at least two years “before houses start coming up,” and then it will be a slow start, maybe 100 houses each year for the first two years.

Averette Road will not be widened, but the developer has proposed several road projects that were included in the favorable vote. There will be a right-turn lane where Averette meets NC 98 with new signals for eastbound and westbound left turns; turn lanes will be provided at the subdivision’s entrances on Averette; and the blind curve will be somewhat flattened by the additions of turn lanes. Some of that work will be done as part of the initial construction; the Averette-NC 98 intersection signals must be completed before the 250^th building permit is issued for the subdivision. There will also be sidewalks and multi-use paths along both sides of Averette within the subdivision.

The project was strongly opposed by several speakers, neighbors of the project and planning board members. One of the board members was Joe Kimray, who pointed out that there is no guarantee the sixth Wake Forest fire station, slated for the east side of town, will be built in 2026. “It’s going to be done before any fire station.” He also asked if the developer, Tryon Investment Properties, would request a change in the speed limit on Averette. As for fire calls, someone told Kimray that the Rolesville Volunteer Fire Department does answer calls in the Averette Road area because of its proximity to Rolesville.

Commissioner Bridget Wall-Lennon questioned the numbers of cars on Averette, about 1,200 per day today, and the ability of two-lane NC 98 to accommodate all the traffic from the Averette subdivision and other new subdivisions close by.

Commissioner Adam Wright asked what the plans were for the land if this project is not approved. Craven said the alternative would be a subdivision of about 235 houses using well and septic tanks under Wake County planning requirements. He also asked about the available schools, and Assistant Planning Director Jennifer Currin gave him the enrollment figures for Wake Forest schools but did not include the Rolesville schools.

Thomas Ballman, a planning board member, had questions about the subdivision’s exit on NC 96 and other traffic questions.

Mayor Vivian Jones was told there would be 50 housing units, townhouses, that would qualify as affordable, reserved for families making between 80 and 100 percent of average family income.

There was also a discussion about whether some or all of the subdivision would be age restricted, but there was no clarity in the discussion.

The planning board hearing, which began at 7:30 p.m. was at the 9 p.m. mark when Chairman Ed Gary opened the floor for questions from those in the audience.

Jerry Parker, an engineer and resident of the Millrace large lot subdivision next to the planned Averette subdivision, said his subdivision “is a good example of what a low-impact development is.” His argument was that Averette, which will be totally cleared of existing trees, will be doing that in an area where the Austin Creek headwaters lie. His presentation included a video showing the large amounts of water in the creek in different parts of the subdivision and flooding from a hurricane.

Daniel Garner, also a Millrace resident, said Averette “is the wrong piece of land for such a dense project and also at the wrong time.” He recounted all the projects already in the pipeline for Wake Forest and Rolesville that depend on NC 98, subdivision by subdivision. Think about the cumulative effect, he said, and said Averette is “too much and too soon.”

A third Millrace resident, Matt Morris, talked about the width of Averette Road, 22 feet, and asked what up to nine trips a day per household in the Averette subdivision would meanHe noted that the only ways out of Tryon are on Oak Grove Church Road and through Kings Glen and Bishops Grant subdivisions, both going to NC 98. He said developments like Averette should be viewed in the framework of the greater community, and he talked about the strain on existing facilities.

Frank “Spank” McCoy came with a PowerPoint presentation and revealed he is a member of the Cherokee tribe in Oklahoma. His six acres in the Rock Ridge subdivision is still facing a future townhouse cluster with only 20 feet of buffer, and he said there have already been burglaries in his neighborhood because of the next-door Tryon subdivision. He urged a holistic, caring approach to land development.

Others spoke. Frank Gugel said, “I like the idea of 200 homes with septic tanks.” Another said the subdivision will be a losing proposition because the town will have to spend more than is coming in and you will need new policemen and other town staff. Shane Brown said he was against the size of the development and he cleans along the road all the time, seeing speeders. Deb Mulder said she has a house that already floods from heavy rains and her husband, who has a heart condition, cannot live there.

After Kimray’s motion not to recommend the Averette project was voted down five to four, Colleen Sharpe made a motion to recommend with a second by Karin Kuropas. A spirited discussion followed. Those voting to recommend were Sharpe and Kuropas, Karlene Turrentine, Ed Gary and Chuck Moseley, while Thomas Ballman, Chris Joyner, Kimray and Grif Bond voted no.

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