Brief Bits

If all goes as planned, the Forestville Road bridge will open to traffic by 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3. In the meantime, you are urged to stay off the bridge until construction is complete.

In recent days the Wake Forest Police Department has received several reports from citizens and construction workers about impatient drivers removing barricades and signage and cutting across the bridge. If a police officer sees someone removing barricades or signs, that driver may be arrested and fined $215 for a detour or barricade sign violation.

Work has been underway since early July to replace the bridge that spans Sanford Creek. The new three-lane bridge will include a sidewalk on the Heritage High School or western side of the structure, as well as a pedestrian underpass to accommodate users wishing to access the Smith Creek and Sanford Creek Greenways.

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It took less than an hour for the Wake Forest Planning Board to hold a public hearing and then go into its business session and vote to approve a request to rezone 10.88 acres along Rogers Road to conditional use neighborhood business and recommend waiving a square footage limitation. It would allow the Heritage Station shopping center anchored by a Harris-Teeter to have up to 95,000 square feet of commercial space.

The grocery store apparently plans to expand into the space now occupied by several small shops and a restaurant and add 6,000 square feet on the east end of the building. The Wake Forest commissioners will consider the request at their Dec. 15 meeting.

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With all the discussion about the minimum wage and the goal of a living wage, it seemed reasonable to ask what the town pays. Human Resources Director Virginia Jones was happy to oblige.

“Our folks are above $12/hour. Here are four pay grades from our pay scale.”

At pay grade level 6, which includes yard waste collector, the minimum pay is $25,714 and maximum is $41,886, mid-range is $33,800.

Pay grade level 7 includes the relief yard waste equipment operator, who is paid $27,000 at the minimum, $43,980 at the maximum with $35,490 the midpoint.

Pay grade level 8 is construction worker I, who is paid $28,349 at the minimum, $46,178 at the maximum with $37,264 the midpoint.

Pay grade level 9 includes parks and recreation maintenance specialists, office assistants I, police records assistants, yard waste equipment operators and some other positions in the parks and recreation department. Their minimum salary is $29,767, the maximum is $48,488 and the midpoint is $39,127.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. The Wake County commissioners voted last month to increase the minimum wage for its employees to $13.50 an hour. To calculate a living wage for the Raleigh area, county officials used a calculation developed by the Universal Living Wage Organization that is based on the idea that a person who works full time should be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment and meet his or her basic needs. Based on the local cost of living, the calculation determined that $14.88 an hour would be a living wage locally, but county officials discounted that to $13.50 to account for the benefit of county-provided health insurance.

Full-time Town of Wake Forest employees are eligible to participate in the town’s health insurance program.

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Park Construction, the contractor for Raleigh’s Public Utilities Department, was to begin work Tuesday, Dec. 1, to replace water lines along Durham Road (N.C. 98 Business). It is part of the Richland Creek Sanitary Sewer Interceptor Project.

Beginning Monday, Dec. 7, Durham Road from Richland Drive to South Wingate Street will be one lane only with alternating two-way traffic on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Park Construction will maintain entrances and exits for local residents and their property, but delays are expected so drivers are encouraged to take an alternate route if possible.

Residents in the work zone should not experience interruptions of water service. In the event service interruptions are necessary, Raleigh will notify residents in advance.

The project should be completed in April. It is designed to improve water service in the area.

For more information, contact Construction Project Administrator Dennis Lassiter at 919-996-3477 or dennis.lassiter@raleighnc.gov.