The contentious plan by the Town of Wake Forest to narrow North Avenue to two lanes with no parking by placing a sidewalk on what is now the eastbound lane will be heard during next Tuesday’s town board meeting.
It is listed under Presentations as a discussion of the North Avenue/Stadium Drive projects, which could mean the commissioners can take action. Marty Ludas, one of the two property owners affected by plan, has talked with each town board member in the past few weeks, showing them on the ground and with pictures how the street would be changed under the present plan. A question that has never been answered is why the plan calls for a sidewalk to be installed over a current travel lane in the street rather than simply continued in a straight line on the grassy area just outside the seminary’s historic stone wall.
Ludas said this week he is enlisting neighbors in the North Main historic district and other town residents to add their voices to his. “I’m at a point in this North Avenue improvement plan appeal process where it’s time to educate the neighbors and friends in the neighborhood. They all know we are trying to get the Corner open again this year, but the changes in the roadway, street access and especially parking are real negatives when I speak to potential tenants who want to start a business. Certainly, many folks know I will have to get a grease trap considering what happened to Ms. Chandley, but now, the parking elimination, that could be worse. I can buy a grease trap, can’t buy parking.”
A second presentation will be an update of the destruction/reconstruction of the Holding Park Pool. There will also be a public hearing for comments on the financing of those renovations.
In the business part of the agenda, the five commissioners are expected to approve the 2017-2018 budget submitted by Town Manager Kip Padgett. He held the property tax rate steady at 52 cents per $100 valuation – 11 cents of that is allocated to the independent Wake Forest Fire Department, which has contracts with the town and Wake County for fire protection – while the tax base is pushing up against the $5 billion mark. Electric rates also remain constant.
There will be public hearings for two annexation requests. One is by the Traditions developer for 11.981 acres on Royal Mill Avenue for a townhouse project, and the second is by Stephen and Judy Gould for 13.96 acres on Durham Road and the NC 98 Bypass that will soon be Crenshaw Corners, a commercial subdivision anchored by a Food Lion.
Included in the consent agenda, the commissioners will accept a grant of $265,455 from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Water Resources Development to remove the dam on a small stream in Ailey Young Park and restore the stream.
In other action, the commissioners will consider
*approving the Wake County Transit Plan Master Participation Agreement
*approving a request by Charles and Eloise Shepherd to rezone land on North White Street to conditional use light industrial for an outdoor storage yard.
*approving the submitting of a grant to the Administration for Community Living for funding to support the town’s efforts in the dementia-friendly community work programs.
*a request for a three-way stop sign at the intersection of Prairie Smoke Drive and Heritage View Trail.
* and, consider which streets to accept for town maintenance.
