Downtown sidewalk dining approved, Durham Road defunded

Although the annexation and approval of the Averette subdivision took star billing Tuesday night, the Wake Forest Town Board did a lot of heavy lifting in its first virtual meeting with members seated far apart from each other and only pre-arranged telephone comments being accepted. Town attorney Eric Vernon and Town Clerk Deeda Harris wore masks.

First, even though Commissioner Jim Dyer objected by saying people wanted to be able to walk through downtown without seeing someone drinking beer, the board voted four to one to approve a new ordinance allowing for outdoor seating on town-owned sidewalks along with consumption of alcohol in those areas with outdoor seating. In short, Wake Forest’s downtown will join the other parts of town where people can sit outside, eat and drink.

Second, it deprogrammed and defunded the Durham Road Improvements, leaving the project to future years. Planning Director Courtney Tanner explained the town had undertaken the planning for the project, which included widening Durham Road (N.C. 98 Business) from Retail Drive to Tyler Run to three lanes with pedestrian sidewalks and trails, a quarter mile of greenway and a pedestrian bridge over Richland Creek.

In 2015 the town received more than $2 million in federal funding through the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (CAMPO) Locally Administered Project Program (LAPP) for right-of-way acquisition and later construction.

However, the state’s planning to remake Capital Boulevard into a limited-access freeway with off-on ramps at different intersections, the town’s Historic Preservation Commission’s concerns about the historic scenery along the route and having to redesign a pedestrian bridge led to delays. There were also budget constraints and the town was not able to begin spending the federal funds by CAMPO’s deadline.

Tanner said the planning department staff now recommends defunding and deprogramming for the time being, with the understanding that needed design, right-of-way acquisition and construction will be delayed and become a project in future years.

Third, the commissioners approved a resolution authorizing Chief Financial Officer Aileen Staples to pursue approval from the Local Government Commission to finance the construction of the town’s high-speed fiber internet system through an installment purchase agreement for not more than $2.5 million.

Fourth, the board reviewed and approved the master plan for Crenshaw Trace, a 68-unit apartment development for lower-income older people on Durham Road. They also held public hearings without comments and approved the annexation of Devon Square, a residential community on Capital Boulevard and the Tru Hotel on Wake Union Church Road.

Fifth, they approved the updated Employee Handbook and its personnel policy after Commissioner Bridget Wall-Lennon praised Human Relations Director Virginia Jones and her staff for making several forward thinking changes in the policy, including a shared leave program in which colleagues can donate time for employees who need to take more due to family and other needs. Vernon joined in the praise, noting the update was done at a time the department is also integrating the Wake Forest Fire Department into town government.

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