Because of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7, the Wake Forest Town Board’s work session was postponed until Thursday, Nov. 9, and the Wake Forest Gazette has a very rare chance of previewing the agenda for its readers. In the usual months the agenda for the following week is not released until Wednesday or Thursday.
Water, wastewater and watersheds are all over the agenda. It does start with an explanation of the Stadium Drive development with commercial and residential uses which appears to be headed for approval.
The Wake Forest Planning Department continues to be firm in recommending the town board deny the request for the Joyner/Country Club rezoning and included a consistency statement with six ways the current plan before the town board does not meet the standards and requirements of the Community Plan. The planning department and Senior Planner Patrick Reidy have been reviewing different but always similar plans drawn up by McAdams for two years.
When it came to a vote by the town board last month the vote was two to three to deny the rezoning with Commissioners Nick Sliwinski and Adam Wright voting yes and Chad Sary, Keith Shackleford and Jim Dyer voting no. No other vote was taken. There was agreement the board, the planning department and the applicant, Green Timber, needing clarification about three or more amendments.
Since the town agreed to have the City of Raleigh own and operate its water and sewer systems there has been little action about the town reservoir On Smith Creek or its watershed that extends into Franklin County. In Wake Forest the watershed land is largely untouched. Now the town planning department is requesting that it be developed as a zoning type, Conventional Residential, which is described as being the same as long standing and newer neighborhoods already in town.
The planning board turned it down, four to one, and said the zoning should be more rural than the proposed Conventional Residential. The planning department said the density should be no more than three dwelling units per acre and conservation design principles should be maintained to protect water quality and valued habitat.
Because of the proposed development and new land use in the watershed, the planning board also turned down the proposed changes in the water and sewer agreement with Raleigh.
The town is on the cusp of building a stormwater utility with new stormwater fees paid by residents and businesses. An advisory group will present its recommendations during Thursday’s meeting.
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