There was no discussion Tuesday night when the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the rezoning for a small shopping center, the Shoppes at Heritage Village, which could boast of a Publix grocery store as its anchor.
The board also voted 4 to 0 to approve the two other rezoning requests: a Valvoline center on South Main Street and an addition to the Traditions subdivision on West Juniper. Commissioner Zachary Donahue was out of town.
“I really enjoy living in Wake Forest,” Ray Boylston said during the public hearing for suggestions of what projects to add to the capital improvements plan (CIP).
There are problems experienced by hundreds of people, maybe thousands, Boylston said, and it is the intersection where South Main Street meets Falls of the Neuse Road. “There is only one lane [to cross Capital from South Main] and it creates a huge back up of vehicles, sometimes all the way back to Walmart.
He recommended that the town add a project to its CIP to have two lanes to cross Capital and add a right turn lane, and he said he knows that the town staff has talked to DOT about this. When traffic studies for Rogers Road and others are done, he said, they only go out a mile and do not address the cumulative impact on South Main and that intersection. “It’s just built up over the years.”
When Boylston left the podium, Mayor Vivian Jones said to pay attention. “He knows what he’s talking about.” Boylston is the transit administrator in Cary, the technical coordination committee chairman in CAMPO (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) and has been in transit and transportation positions for 25 years.
Commissioner Margaret Stinnett was temporarily upset about some of the charges for building large water and sewer lines included in the new Raleigh rates that all Wake Forest water and sewer customers will pay starting Dec. 1.
These are for future capital repairs, Deputy Town Manager Roe O’Donnell said. “They are building a pot of money” against the day when they have to repair and/or replace old lines. “We’ve got water lines that are over one hundred years old. They will have to be replaced.”
“When are we going to say that this transition is over and stop paying?” Stinnett asked.
The transition is over, Town Manager Mark Williams said. It is ending Dec. 1. “This adoption [of the city’s rates] is sort of a courtesy.”
In that case, Stinnett said, “I think we need to have a celebration December one out by some water spigot somewhere.”
Mayor Vivian Jones reminded Stinnett, “If it was our system we’d be paying three times as much.”
The vote to approve was unanimous.
The board was also unanimous in approving an agreement with the state Department of Transportation for improvements to Rogers Road while DOT is replacing the bridge over Smith Creek in 2016. The $1,413,655 will pay to build Rogers and the bridge at five lanes with curb, gutter and a 6-foot sidewalk on both sides from Hope Lutheran Church’s driveway to the intersection with Heritage Lake Road/Forestville Road. There will also be a 1-foot concrete greenway path below the bridge.
Stinnett wanted to know why they are building a five-lane road when the part of Rogers that crosses the CSX railroad line narrows to two lanes. “You squish everybody down to go over the railroad tracks.”
The Southeast High Speed Rail project will make that a grade-separated crossing and Rogers can then be five lanes through Heritage.
Jones asked Police Chief Jeff Leonard where the newest satellite police station, #4, will be. Leonard said old-timers will remember it as “the old electric motor shop” on South White Street, and told her the “impact squad” will be housed there.
When someone wondered whether renting space around town for the growing police department – now at 68 sworn officers – is cost effective, Williams said, “We’re waiting to build the Greg Harrington Memorial Police Station. It’s more cost effective right now to rent.” (Harrington retired as police chief and Leonard succeeded him.)
The board decided to hold its annual planning retreat Thursday and Friday, Jan. 15 and 16, with about a half-day session Friday because Commission Jim Thompson needs to catch a plane in the late afternoon.
One Response
The citizens of the Town of Wake Forest suffered A 22% increase in water rates last year with the promise of a decrease in eater in 2015, what happened?
Maybe the Town could use a better negotiator so the citizens are not always on the losing end!