Brief Bits

The new town clock was installed on the west side of South White Street where the block of buildings including The Cotton Company ends at the extension of Owen Avenue and B&W Hardware.

The clock is the result of an ad hoc committee formed of people, led by Mike Johnson, who wanted to donate or help erect something in downtown. Some of the other members were Downtown Development Director Lisa Hayes and Ed Morris, director of the Wake Forest Historical Museum.

The town board began discussing it late in 2015 and it came up at the town board retreat on Jan. 29. The town, which has $126,548.96 in unspent South White Streetscape funds, is apparently ready to pay half the cost of the clock, $12,865, and reportedly an unidentified person is paying the other half. See the article “Padgett proposes big road fix” in the Feb. 3 issue of the Gazette for fuller details.

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Late last week there were a couple of pieces of big machinery and a cluster of men in heavy coats on the property at the end of South Franklin Street next to the N.C. 98 Bypass. It appears the Franklin Street Townhouses are about to become reality. The plans for the townhouses with one, two and three bedrooms with one or two garages was approved in February 2015. Owner Marc Iafrate had originally planned for 108 apartments at the site, and that plan was approved by the town in February 2014.

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It was the summer of 2013 when the town approved a plan for 80 townhouses with entrances on South Franklin Street, the future extension of Brooks Street, and Renaissance Plaza. It was to be called the Retreat at Renaissance – and maybe it still is – but the only evidence that it will come to fruition was the clearing of the Brooks Street right-of-way back in August and September of last year. Things may change soon.

According to Assistant Planning Director Charlie Yokley, “I believe that the project is close to beginning full construction based on the conversations I’ve had with the engineer.  I’ll update you when I know for sure.”