There were two bombshell announcements during Tuesday night’s Wake Forest Town Board work session, one early and one late.
At the start of the meeting the mayor and commissioners, with the addition of Town Manager Kip Padgett, Chief Financial Officer Aileen Staples and Strategic Performance Manager Lisa Hayes, went into a closed session to consult with their attorney.
When they returned after 20 minutes, Hayes went to the podium and asked the commissioners to agree to a resolution regarding the purchase and sale of three properties:
*the vacant green space to the north of the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for a possible expansion of that building;
*the property at 343 South White Street (owned by James and Carol Warren and home to his law practice and some other offices, and it is valued at $1,796,900 by Wake County;
*and the property at 333 South White Street (called the Ford Building because it once held a Ford dealership but home now to the NC Society of Surveyors and a coffee business, and it is valued at $1,058,137 by Wake County.
Hayes said the agreement would give the town options as it begins marketing and selling the former SunTrust building in early 2022. The commissioners agreed to that resolution.
Mayor Vivian Jones enlarged a bit on that in an email Wednesday: “It was just a letter of intent that we can use in marketing the SunTrust property. This property can be used to put a parking deck on for the new building on the SunTrust property and also will be parking for all of downtown.”
The SunTrust site is less than an acre, 0.85 acres, and the town paid $1,439,200 when it was purchased on May 3, 2018. Since then the town has hired a team to help decide how to market and what the best use of the building and site would be for the town.
The second bombshell was more like a firecracker, but it will affect our household routines. The town is now encouraging householders to use biodegradable paper bags – available at Lowe’s and Home Depot – for tree limbs, garden refuse and other plant stuff collected at curbside by Town of Wake Forest employees or to use recyclable containers or the newly repurposed small recycling carts that have been marked for yard waste use.
Jeanette Johnson, the sustainability coordinator, said now homeowners use clear plastic bags for the yard waste, but town employees have to open those bags, empty them and then collect and dispose of them. The new system says the town will pick up 20 of the paper bags or the waste in 10 recyclable containers.
She requested a change in the town ordinance about the correct containers — paper bags and recyclable containers. The new requirement will take effect on March 1. There will be a town-wide campaign about the change.
Currently about 1,078,480 single-use plastic bags are used in Wake Forest for yard waste each year.
In other actions, the town board approved the new Northeast Plan after Senior Planner Michelle Michael showed a PowerPoint and explained what the plan entails, such as guiding future land use and encouraging and maintaining affordable housing. She explained that the DuBois Alumni Association owns the land where the former school stood and do not want to sell.
Commissioner Jim Dyer asked about the public housing in town, including the units on Oak Avenue and North White Street, widely spaced duplexes which are the oldest public housing in Wake County, Commissioner Bridget Wall-Lennon said. Brad West, the town’s long-range planner, said the town is working very closely with the Wake County Housing Authority and its director, Dawn Fagan, who is on the Northeast Plan board. West said they are assessing that site and trying to determine how best to maintain affordable housing.
Dyer said he hopes part of the plan is to repair the sidewalks. “It ain’t safe to walk on some of those streets.
Holly Gallagher with Habitat for Humanity for Wake said the organization supports this plan and hopes the residents can be protected from unfair rent increases. She also said affordable and convenient transportation is very important to residents.
Tilda Caudle, a member of the Northeast Community Coalition, thanked the board for its commitment and concern. “It’s been a pleasure working with you.”
Wall-Lennon said she wants to hear a report on the progress of people moving from Wellington Mobile Home Park and how they are being reimbursed for their moving expenses. Planning Director Courtney Tanner and later Town Manager Kip Padgett said they could inquire if she has particular residents who have complained but said they could not compromise the privacy of the residents and must be satisfied with any answers they get from the social agency disbursing the funds and assisting the residents.
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One Response
“or the newly repurposed small recycling carts that have been marked for yard waste use.” Unfortunately, these have not been available for some time and there is no estimate as to when more may be available. I understand that these are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and I commend the Town for repurposing them, but I think it is disingenuous of Town staff to even mention an option that is not currently available or for which a solid plan to make more carts available has not been developed.