Planners OK Olde Wake Forest

Two young girls captured hearts Tuesday night, pleading to preserve the woods near their homes and the birds and animals who live there, but the Wake Forest Planning Board members still voted five to two to recommend the town commissioners approve the 10-lot subdivision called Olde Wake Forest.

The subdivision planned by Geer Street Properties owned by Sanford Bailey of Wake Forest is the second iteration and has been changed from the plan the town commissioners voted down in 2013. Because there is a new City of Raleigh sewer line just to the north of the area in question, the amount of grading and filling was greatly reduced and a swale will be built on the west property line to direct any runoff toward the retention area. The developer offered to also build sidewalks and add curb and gutter to the existing section of Wingate and to connect the six homes there to a new water line without any cost to the owners.

Nora Schell and Sapphira Gates are friends, and both frequently go to the wooded area bounded by North College, West Pine, Rock Spring Road and West Juniper where a large herd of deer, among other wildlife, has lived for years. “We often go into the woods to play,” Nora said, asking the board members to imagine being a deer whose home was destroyed as the trees were cut. “You’d have no place to live.” Sapphira emphasized the benefits to children of playing outdoors – and having a place to do so – instead of looking at computers and games. “We go and play. It will make us healthier and less involved with technology.”

Nora’s mother, Ellen Turco, a historic preservation planner who lives on West Pine, was one of the speakers who objected to the infill project, saying it does not meet two of the town’s policies in the Community Plan: the policies for older neighborhoods and for community character. She pointed out that the project, with its 10 10,000-square-foot lots and built-at-one-time architecture, is not compatible with the surrounding area. “It is not a neighborhood of uniformity.” She also demonstrated great range of lot sizes in the block, from 0.15-acre to 1.17 acre.

“There is no precedent for small uniform-sized lots. That is not in keeping with the development pattern of the area,” Turco said. “This also does not meet the policies for older neighborhoods. I cannot determine if the architecture [of the houses] will fit the character of the neighborhood.” She also said the clearcutting and grading that will be required, removing trees and wildlife habitat, are in conflict with town policies. “A few lots may allow more of these to be preserved.”

Jeff Adolphsen, who lives on Wingate and is a landscape architect, said he differed with the speakers for the project. “We will be adversely affected.” He is concerned that building sidewalks on both sides of the old street and adding curb and gutter will affect and greatly damage the 12 mature shade trees along the street now and that sidewalks, curb and gutter will change the character of the street. “Historically, the street has always been a narrow one. It is a very walkable street. People walk it every day.”

Adolphsen also said the street and the area “is not a typical subdivision. [The project] should be considered an extension of the surrounding neighborhood.” He asked the planning board to delete the curb and gutter and sidewalk. “We can have a walkable street and still protect that street and protect it character and history.”

Attorney Beth Trahos, representing Greer Street, said, “If the town agrees not to install the curb and gutter and sidewalk, we will happily not install them.”

Michael Schlink, a contractor who lives on North College, said he only received the packet of information Friday and wanted to have a “reasonable amount of time to determine if the grading will have a negative impact on my lots.” He also said the project “doesn’t meet the character of the neighborhood at all.”

Tommy Craven, the project’s engineer, assured Schlink no water from it will get to his property.

During the planning board’s discussion, Vice Chairman Ed Gary was concerned that not continuing the sidewalks, curb and gutter from the new construction would “put pedestrians in danger” because they would “step off the sidewalk into a narrow street.” Planning Director Chip Russell noted “there are sidewalks in a lot of the old area.” When Colleen Sharpe worried that extending the new water line would affect the large trees on the existing street, Russell said the installers would have to be careful. In laying new sidewalks and installing new lighting along North Main Street, the town crews are boring for the conduit rather than trenching.

The vote for Steve Stoller’s motion to approve with the condition that there be no charge to the current property owners for the new water hookup was six to two with Steve DeRosa and Grif Bond opposed. Shirley Sulick was absent and earlier in the meeting Chairman Bob Hill said she has sent in her resignation letter.

A request to amend the zoning conditions for a 1.35-acre lot on the west side of South Main Street just south of Forbes Road was approved by a seven to one vote with DeRosa voting no. In 1997 the town had approved a condition use rezoning to only allow a plumbing contractor’s office; the current owner, Anderson Marlowe, asked that the permitted uses be expanded to most but not all the uses allowed in neighborhood business. During a meeting with neighbors, some uses were dropped from the request.

The planning board also approved a change in the Unified Development Ordinance.

All the recommendations will be considered by the town commissioners – who sat in on the public hearings – during their regular session May 19.