The Tuesday night meeting of the Wake Forest Planning Board may have set a new record for shortest meeting, somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes.
Chairman Joe Kimray welcomed new member Sheila Bishop, the seven members approved the minutes of the last meeting and the Kimray asked Senior Planner Kari Grace to provide the information about the only agenda item, the requested rezoning of the St. John’s Episcopal Church property on Durham Road from general residential three to highway business. After explaining where the property is and providing other information, Grace said the request is not for a development plan but because the congregation wants “more signage options.” The current zoning restricts the size and duration of any signage.
Bob Hill, a church member and a longtime planning board member and chairman, said the request is very simple: “We want to put up a new sign.” He then explained that a current plan will bring many changes to the current road, and “We are pretty much surrounded by commercial property.” The church also operates a preschool on the property.
B.H. Powell, who lives across the street from the church and has since his birth, came forward to speak in favor of the request.
The vote was unanimous to recommend approval of the request to the town board.
Assistant Planning Director Jennifer Currin, in the absence of Planning Director Courtney Tanner, announced two sessions of an open house on Feb. 1 to present the draft of the revised Community Plan, and she urged all the planning board members to try to attend at least one of the sessions, which will be held at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., to hear the opinions of town residents about the plan.
She also announced that the February planning board meeting will be held Monday, Jan. 31.
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Up at Wellington Mobile Home Park, it appears that only one or two families will remain by Saturday, Jan. 15, when the eviction notice is final. But Triangle Family Services is still working with the various families and may soon have places to move for these last few.
Kenille Baumgardner, who has worked with several other people from the park and St. John’s Episcopal Church to help the families, said Tuesday night several people who have already moved returned for their usual community meeting, and it was a happy time. They had been neighbors, sometimes for years, but the strains of losing their homes here and moving have welded them into a community.
Baumgardner also praised the men from the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who came on Saturday and did every chore that needed doing efficiently, well and cheerfully.
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