After public hearings on two new subdivisions, the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners approved both the Averette Woods subdivision (30 acres, 66 single-family lots) and the Reserve at Dunn Creek subdivision (70 single-family lots, 230 townhouse lots on 68 acres).
They also approved the request from the developer of the Harris Road subdivision (144 single-family lots, 88 townhouse lots on 68 acres) to delay the public hearing on its request until March. That was surely because the town planning board had recommended against town board approval and the town’s planning department recommended against it.
Also, since the public hearing for that plan had been announced, people were allowed to speak about the Harris Road project. Angela DiPaolo said she had a petition with 3,000 signatures of people opposed to the plan. She and others speaking against the plan said it was inconsistent with the J. Carroll Joyner Park across the street.
Senior Planner Patrick Reidy explained what the town board’s approval of the two subdivisions means under the new state and town requirements.
“They approved the conditional rezoning/master plan. Both projects will need to go through Construction Plan approval before they can start site work. I would expect a minimum of 3 months, but it would probably be at least 6 months before anything could get started.”
Construction Plan approval, Reidy said, . . . “is a staff review of the plans and includes Planning, Engineering, Urban Forestry, NCDOT, City of Raleigh, and WF Power. Once they meet all of the technical requirements of the UDO, the plans are approved and they can commence with the site work.”
During the town board’s discussion, which was brief, about the Averette Woods subdivision, Commissioner Adam Wright asked if there was any way to preserve the pond near Averette Road, and the answer was that the pond and its dam had to be breached to accommodate the necessary road. One of the engineering team, Sean Hines, said “We’ll let it sit (after it is drained) and see what forms.” It is “a big unknown” because it could be a wetland or a bog. Wright and Commissioner Nick Sliwinski voted against approval.
Sliwinski also had concerns about the Dunn Creek plan because the extension of Friendship Chapel Road across it (and across two deep ravines) might cause problems if drivers were all trying to turn left onto Heritage Lake Road and then to the NC 98 Bypass. However, after some discussion all the commissioners voted for the plan. The speakers during the public hearing had praised it.
At the close of the meeting, Town Manager Kip Padgett asked Ruben Wall, the director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, to come forward and explain a proposal. A company is interested in building an athletic or soccer park – which the town desperately needs – on floodplain land next to the Neuse River. The owner is willing to have the town rezone the 47 acres, Wall said. There is no firm plan, but Padgett and Wall wanted to make sure the town board, mayor and public are aware of that possibility.
Two veteran Wake Forest Police officers who are retiring on February 1, 2023, were honored for their various roles during their years of service. Captain Brian Mote joined the department in 1994, rising through the ranks and serving 28 years. Lieutenant Jason Graham joined in 2005 and served in Wake Forest for 17 years. Both men received their service weapons.
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November 5, 2024
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6 Responses
so still NO plan to build “” AFFORDABLE HOUSING””……. not on the future 10 year development map for the town of wake desert…not everyone has the luxury to have a 2 income household bringing in 6 figures a year to be able to afford the half a million dollar and up houses being built in the townof wake desert. FYI there are 1 income households that include but not limited to the elderly who only receive social security, disabled veterans, people living on SSI and SSDI, single parents working 2 jobs… WE NEED SOMEWHERE AFFORDABLE TO LIVE TOO…. your catering to those who are moving here from other states with their high paying jobs, inherited money, inherited property money. is it your agenda to force out the locals and long time residents to accommadate the ones with the deeper pockets? our ancestors built this community and you continue to allow these greedy developers to continue to rape mother earth for their greed and profit…. we dont have the infrastructure to support all this… open your eyes and look around… stop trying to please these developers. EVERYONES livelihood should matter but to the planning board and greedy town commissioners they dont. their pockets are getting lined too.. BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING!!! its our responsibility to leave mother earth intact for future generations…
A good example is the section missing sidewalks on Roger’s Rd, between Heritage and Harris Teeter. Another is Roger’s in the railroad crossing. Same thing down Rogers towards Rolesville in a couple of places still in WF limits.
I’m not sure why we are spending all of this money on athletic fields and Greenways but not building sidewalks that allow our children to safely walk to their schools. Instead, they walk in the grass and ditches along the roadways.
What area are kids walking to school through the grass & ditches? We have guidelines for development that usually requires developers build a sidewalk when a development is built. The planning staff is pretty strict about that one thank goodness.
The planning board member Mr. Ballman approached the BOC with the idea of connecting sidewalks throughout town. The BOC liked the idea. When I inquired later on the estimate for what appeared to be something simple turned out to require a great deal of money. I don’t remember the figures but my mouth dropped when I heard. The greatest expense comes from the town acquiring the strip of land from the landowners.
I have nothing against these two subdivisions, but when are the WF commissioners going to put a hold on residential development until the traffic situation gets improved? Morning and late afternoon traffic are horrble for those that have to get out at those times. Something needs to get done, and residential development need to be put on hold until there is a concrete plan and funding for traffic improvments.
I agree with the need for more infrastructure before we approve any more housing. Affordable housing will not happen in WF because developers have no incentive to build it. The reasoning behind the apartments being built on Heritage Lake/98 Bypass and also at the Traditions Grande/Royal Mill roundabout was that they would be “affordable” so our police officers, fire personnel, and city employees could afford to live in the town they serve. Unfortunately, a two-bedroom apartment for $2400/mo. doesn’t sound very affordable to me. Based on a recommended 28% cost for housing, that would require a salary of roughly $100,000. I think the BOC should stop kidding themselves and issue a moratorium on residential development until infrastructure can be improved.