By Brian Pate, Wake Forest Realtor, Owner of Pate Realty On April 12, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a significant ruling regarding the interpretation and application of the “Takings Clause” as outlined in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This ruling, stemming from the case of Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, clarified the extent to which governmental bodies could impose fees and conditions on landowners seeking permits for land use. In the case at hand, a couple residing in a rural area sought permission to erect a small, 1,800 square foot home on their residential property. However, their application for a permit was contingent upon payment of a substantial fee —specifically, a $23,420 “traffic impact fee” mandated by the county. Despite the fee being calculated based on a predetermined rate schedule tied to the type of development and its location per the county’s General Plan, it did

The Wake Forest town commissioners and mayor held their regular monthly business meeting Tuesday night and were in session for half an hour, most of it taken up by 10 proclamations. They did hold a public meeting about the annexation Elizabeth Hunt Holding and SW Capital LLC requested for the 5.5 acres that will become Amavi, small houses forming a multi-family project at the southwestern corner of the intersection of Capital Boulevard and Jenkins Road. There were no speakers, and the commissioners agreed the petition would be accepted. With the positive vote on the consent agenda, they approved a contract with Kimley Horn for the construction of a dam at Flaherty Park for $854,285.82. The mayor and the five commissioners took turns at the podium in front of the dais calling people to the front and reading the proclamations, though the people were never named with a couple exceptions. Mayor

Wake Forest Garden Club President Karen Diebolt invited Scott Mason, the WRAL-TV “Tar Heel Traveler,” to visit Wake Forest and do a segment about the 100th anniversary of the Garden Club. Scott did visit and learned a lot more than just the Garden Club. “He did come to the museum and spent a couple of hours,” Diebolt said. “He had questions about the history of the Calvin Jones house, and Dr. Jones himself and the Garden Club and much more. It will be a great segment on the Museum and the Calvin Jones house and the Garden Club.” On Thursday Diebolt said, “Scott Mason, The Tar Heel Traveler, WRAL-TV has confirmed the segment will be shown on Wednesday, April 24, at 5:55 p.m., the end of the 5:30 news with this caveat: “will likely air. “I guess sometimes changes are made and he has no control.” ##

Wake Forest has a large number of dedicated blood donors, and a new center has been opened in town to make it more convenient for them and for others in the future. The Blood Connection, one of two nonprofits that collect blood for hospitals in the Triangle, has just opened a new center at 2115 South Main Street, Suite E, according to The News & Observer of April 15, 2024. It is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There is even a reward for donations. A flyer being sent to many local people offers $70 in rewards for all whole blood donors at the new center. The flyer says, “You’re invited to save lives.” The Blood Connections second Wake County center is on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. The Red Cross has four blood donation centers in the