During the Wake Forest Town Board’s work session Tuesday, Jan. 2, the new commissioners — Faith Cross and Ben Clapsaddle — and old — Keith Shackleford, Nick Sliwinski and Adam Wright — learned there is a lot more to signage than one would think.
In July 2022, the town contracted with MERJE Design to develop a comprehensive wayfinding program, and now John Bosio explained what the firm has done during 2022 and 2023 and what will happen in 2024.
They have the gateway designs as well as designs for the smaller entrances to Wake Forest, where no sign tells you when you enter the town limits. They have signs that tell you how to get to the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce while you are on South Main Street or Elm Avenue. Where is Joyner Park? There is a sign for that as well as other landmarks in town.
The next question is exactly where to place the signs so they stand out and are large enough to be read by a passing driver. Different focus groups will be discussing and choosing the signs and the locations this year.
Also, MERJE will assemble the paperwork to submit to NCDOT for permission to place the signs — all major roads around and in Wake Forest are owned by NCDOT. In April or May the town will ask for bids on the sign construction, the winning bid will be awarded in May or June, and the work of placing the signs will take place from July to December or earlier.
The commissioners also heard about a rezoning of an acre on Stephen Taylor Road, about the NCDOT’s plan to abandon a now-unused portion of Averette Road and the proposed rezoning of three acres on Farm Road from GR3 to GR10 to allow the construction of 25 townhouses.
Commissioner Faith Cross had several questions about the plan for Senior Planner Tim Richards, including street lighting, how many bedrooms in the townhouses, what would happen at the end of Farm Road and whether the townhouses would be rental or owned.
The public hearings and vote on the two rezonings will be on the board’s agenda for its regular meeting on Jan. 16.
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3 Responses
Do you know where the “now unused portion of Averett Road” is? Thanks!
No. Jennifer Currin in the Wake Forest Planning Department has that information, I think.
This is from the meeting agenda:
“One condition of the Rosedale PUD was for the developer to straighten the curve
in Averette Road between Matrix Farm Drive and Forever Young Drive. With the
realignment of Averette Rd., excess right-of-way exists on the west side of
Averette Rd., along the Rosedale subdivision and a property owned by Judy
Pearce. For NCDOT to abandon maintenance and the right-of-way of this
previous alignment area, a resolution supporting this abandonment from the
Town is required.”