With almost everyone heard from – and there are a lot of everyones in a project as complicated as the Stadium Drive Complete Street Project, it seems likely that the best plan for the North Avenue section will be to put the new sidewalk many people want on the south side of the street just about where the curb is now and eliminate the 15 parking spaces on the north side.
The result, Jason Pace with engineering firm Kimley-Horn said, will be to narrow the road slightly. But, “It won’t feel as tight as it does now with a two-foot gutter on each side.” With the parking, drivers shy away from the parked cars and usually are on or over the (faint) yellow line.
The seminary is okay with it, Pace said. “They don’t even like the parking there” because students climb up the steep slope from the street, ruining the grass, jump or crawl over the rock wall and dislodge rocks at the same time. The new plan will also give the seminary a sidewalk around the campus.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is just one player in the planning. Others include the state Department of Transportation, the Town of Wake Forest, the State Historic Preservation Office (because of the town’s historical district along North Main Street), the Wake County Public School System because of the Wake Forest High School on the street, and the town’s residents, who have been making comments and suggestions at workshops and informational meetings.
Pace presented the nearly-complete plan, called the 60 percent plan, at the town commissioners’ work session Tuesday evening. The landscaping, which includes adding sycamore and gingko trees along with European Hornbeam, a few crape myrtles to complement what the seminary has planted, and an evergreen holly.
The new roundabout at the intersection of North Wingate with Stadium and North Avenue will have a 110-foot diameter, Pace said, about 20 feet bigger than the one at South Main and South Avenue where trucks consistently climb over the top.
Later, the board agreed on a new definition, wording and name for what will be the Youth in Government Advisory Board with up to 20 members.
Also, they approved a new parking ordinance which prohibits parking a vehicle behind the curb on a street. A yellow Mustang has been parked there consistently for several months but had been moved to a driveway over the weekend.
Commissioner Margaret Stinnett asked Finance Director Aileen Staples how much of the Wake Forest Fire Department’s budget, which is independent, is provided by the town and was told it is between 80 and 90 percent. Stinnett was firm in saying that Wake County appoints the chairman, currently Stanley Denton. Because the county only provides 10 to 20 percent of the department’s budget but appoints, Stinnett said she thought the town ought to appoint some of the department’s board of directors.
Denton confirmed Wednesday that he was appointed by the Wake County Board of Commissioners on a recommendation from several Wake Forest residents. The board of directors for the fire departmen elect the officers — president, vice president, secretary and treasurer — annually.
