Monthly Inspections Report: May

The Wake Forest Inspections Department issues a monthly report about all new building permits and new businesses. The department issued permits for 40 single-family houses, 51 townhouses, 14 multi-family dwellings, and one swimming pool. There were five fit-up inspections and 11 pre-occupancy inspections. Fit-ups: UPS Store at 12520 Capital Boulevard, 401 Sweets Boxing Gym, 1839 S. Main Street, 374 Mavis Tires & Brakes (old NTB), 2200 S. Main Street Wake Forest Plastic Surgery, 3319 Heritage Trade Drive, 201 Five Guys Restaurant, 535 NC 98 Bypass, 110 Preoccupancy: Katie Dunn Massage Therapy, 10520 LIGON Mill Road, 112 Cook Out (for power only), 11690 Northpark Drive Divine Holistic Wellness, 500 Wait Avenue, 02 Flora Fauna WF, 12247 Capital Boulevard Myra’s Angels Foundation, 12339 Wake Union Church Road, 103

Read More »

The Growth Rate

Based on the March 2024 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated May 29, 2024 Hooray! The March 2024 Monthly Development Report is available on the Wake Forest Planning Department page — and it is a bit of a disappointment. Only one new project — the special use permit for a Whataburger on the NC 98 Bypass in the Wegman’s project — and one deletion — the Christ Our Hope church under construction on North White Street. The updated Wake Forest population as of July 1, 2023 was 56,681. That figure included the new homes which were approved for occupancy. When all the currently approved apartments, townhouses and single-family homes are built the population will rise to 69,956. The town keeps a running tally of approved projects with counts of those completed. The best inspections current estimate is that between seven and eight people move to town each day, moving into

Read More »

Clubs and organizations

Below is a list of groups – and if your group is not included and should be – please send a note with the information to cwpelosi@aol.com. If the information about your group is wrong or out of date, please send a note with the corrections to that same email address. Aren’t we lucky to have so many groups that benefit our town and its residents? Last updated on July 1, 2023. *American Legion Post 187 meets the second Thursday at 7 p.m. in the American Legion Hall at 225 East Holding Avenue. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. and costs $5. For information and membership, call Commander Doug Doster at 1-603-660-6948. *American Heritage Girls (AHG) meets at 6:30 p.m. at Hope Lutheran Church on Rogers Road on the second and fourth Thursdays. Get in touch with Amy Minor at chrisnamy34@hotmail.com or see the website, www.hopelutheranwf.org. *The General James Moore

Read More »

Obituaries

William John Wagner Raleigh Arrangements in the care of Bright Funeral Home. ### Billy ‘Bill’ Wilkerson Wake Forest Arrangements in the care of Bright Funeral Home. ### William Weldon Tilley Jr. Wake Forest William Weldon Tilley Jr., 59, of Wake Forest, NC, passed away on Saturday, June 1, 2024. William was born on December 4, 1964 in Wake Forest, NC and lived his whole life in the community. He loved sports and played many different sports as a kid and teenager. He was the Class President during his time at Wake Tech and graduated with a degree in business. He enjoyed a 38-year career with Leith, Inc., he worked his way up to being the General Manager of two car dealerships, and in the last few years of his career he was a corporate trainer for their management company. He was an avid collector of timepieces, especially Rolex’s, and loved

Read More »

PRCR adds weather safety systems in WF parks

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department has implemented a weather safety system at several parks that warns when lightning and other potentially dangerous weather conditions are imminent.   Unlike other systems that rely on weather predictions, the Perry Weather platform uses technology that collects real-time, site-specific conditions for more accurate monitoring and alerting. “Keeping our community safe is our number one priority,” said Athletics & Aquatics Manager Edward Austin. “Our new alert system offers an effective way we can notify park visitors about dangerous weather conditions.” Installed at E. Carroll Joyner Park, Holding Park, Tyler Run Park, Ailey Young Park, Smith Creek Soccer Center, Heritage High School Park, Flaherty Park, and Taylor Street Park, the weather safety system includes up to two alert stations mounted atop poles that detect lightning within a 10-mile radius. The alert stations include strobe lights and speakers to alert people in the area

Read More »

Separate communities in one town

100 years of history When we think about Wake Forest in the 1920s, we must remember it was a small town that had just paved its first few streets before U.S. 1 came to town, right through town. First the federal engineers conquered the steep bluff that had ended Faculty Avenue, eventually changing its name to North Main Street. Then they wanted to go straight through the historic Wake Forest College campus to meet another old street that would become South Main Street. Local officials and the college administration rebuffed that idea, and finally U.S. 1 swept around campus to meet South Main. (There was no Underpass; that came in 1938.) Some people have said the college president, William L. Poteat, sealed off the mid-campus route by planting the new medical building right smack at the end of North Main Street. Of course the medical faculty and students soon skittered

Read More »

Letter: Pate property holds an ecological jewel

(This letter was sent to the mayor, the planning director, the town clerk and all five town commissioners.) Dear Wake Forest Planners and Commissioners, As a 33-year resident in the Glen Royal Mill Village who deeply values our town’s culture and character, and Joyner Park in particular, I want to voice my opposition to the development plan for the 56-acre Pate parcel directly across Harris Road from the park.  Much of the forest land within and adjacent to the park has been cleared and developed in the decades since Mr. Joyner donated that land, which has degraded the park’s original beauty and tranquility.  Preserving a substantial portion of the Pate property and making it accessible from Joyner Park would offer a way to reclaim some forest tranquility, enhance the nature-based recreation and educational value of the park, and protect our town’s character. The Pate parcel looks rather ordinary from the street

Read More »

New Amtrak station in downtown WF?

As part of the S-Line Project, the NC Department of Transportation is studying design options for mobility hubs in several communities, including Wake Forest. A mobility hub is a place of connectivity with regional and local multimodal transportation options, providing integrated facilities, amenities, technologies, and services. These hubs offer choices to get users where they need to go, making it easier to transfer from one form of travel, such as walking or biking, to another, such as carpooling or using a bus or shuttle. A Mobility Hub, including an Amtrak station, is proposed for downtown Wake Forest on the site of the former historic freight and passenger rail depot. Details such as space needs, site design, environmental impacts, and accessibility will be analyzed as part of the study. Residents are invited to join NCDOT’s project team to discuss plans for the Wake Forest Mobility Hub during a drop-in open house

Read More »

Drinking, texting leads to crash and arrest

Wake Forest Police say a recent crash involving a Wake County school bus should serve as a warning to motorists about the dangers of texting and driving and driving while intoxicated. Just before 4 p.m. on Friday, May 24, WFP responded to a crash involving a Wake County school bus and two other vehicles along Averette Road near Copper Beech Lane. Officials say a car driven by Skylar Morgan Faulker, age 41, crashed into the back of a second car forcing it to slam into the back of the school bus. Twenty-one Wake Forest Middle School students and one adult (the driver) were aboard the bus at the time of the accident. No one sustained serious injuries, but the bus driver was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Following an investigation, Faulkner, 1605 White Rose Lane, Wake Forest, was arrested and charged with DWI. He was also cited

Read More »

Taste of Music Festival here on June 8

For the third year the Taste of Music Festival will be in Wake Forest at 237 Friendship Chapel Road beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 8. There will be reggae, jazz, gospel, R&B and hip-hop performed by long lists of artists along with vendors of all kinds, food and fun interactive activities for the kids. The VIP ticket for $60 includes seats under the tent, food and non-alcoholic beverages. General admission tickets are $20, and you must bring your own lawn chair. Children 12 and under are admitted free. ###

Read More »