The Growth Rate

Based on the January, 2024 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated February 14, 2024 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 current 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. Plans NOT on the list There are a number of plans, large and small, that have been on this list and have now disappeared. Some of the plans have before the planning and the town board, and large subdivisions such as the Reserve at Dunn Creek require detailed plans after approval by the town board, detailed plans the planning department staff have to examine,

Read More »

Town grew by 3,000 in 2023, now 58,007

“Between 2023 and 2024, Wake Forest’s population soared from 55,000 residents to over 58,000, reinforcing its position as one of the fastest-growing municipalities in North Carolina. This growth trend is not new to Wake Forest, with a remarkable population increase of 307% from 2000 to 2024. With a population of 118,912 projected for 2040, the trajectory of growth in Wake Forest continues to solidify its status as a thriving community.” Source: Office of State Budget and Management, US Census and Wake Forest Planning Department Jason Cannon, the director of the Wake Forest Business & Industry Partnership, Inc., publishes a quarterly online magazine, Discover, and this was in the March issue. A graph shows the one-year growth from 54,274 to 58,007 as well as an estimated population of 68,315 four years from now in 2028 and possible 118,912 people in 2040. Household incomes also have been increasing. “Median household incomes in

Read More »

Star Road project on town board agenda

Tuesday night, March 5, 2024, the Wake Forest town commissioners and mayor had two items on the work session agenda, a report by Senior Planner Patrick Reidy about a proposed project for 30 acres on Star Road and a study by LFB Engineering of the Toms Creek watershed by Neal Bannerjee and Cindy Lancaster. Any action on those will be taken at the town board’s regular meeting on March 19. The Wake Forest Planning Board last month voted unanimously to recommend the town board deny the Star Road project, and the town planning staff has recommended denial because the request is generally inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The modifications the applicant, St. John Properties in Raleigh, wants are to develop with light industrial uses, and the staff report says those are “detrimental to orderly Town growth and development patterns. Star Road is in disrepair and not suitable for tractor-trailer traffic.

Read More »

Despairing? Call 988 or 911 for help

Wake Forest Police are reminding residents about 988 – the national suicide and crisis lifeline – following a weekend incident involving an individual experiencing a mental health crisis. Just after 4 p.m. Sunday, police received a call from a person threatening suicide while driving along South Main Street/US 1A. Officers located and followed the vehicle to a downtown parking lot. Police negotiators then spent several hours talking to the individual, who was eventually transported unharmed to a local hospital. Police say Sunday’s incident presents an opportunity to remind residents about 988 – the three-digit nationwide phone number that connects directly to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In 2022 the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was changed from a 10-digit number to 988. The number makes it easier for callers to connect with trained crisis counselors who can help people having suicidal thoughts, experiencing emotional distress, or having a substance-use-related crisis.

Read More »

Open house March 13 for South Main Study

The Town of Wake Forest is in the process of conducting a study to evaluate the access and mobility along the South Main Street/US 1A corridor. Upon completion, the initiative will recommend ways to improve the safety, comfort, access, and multimodal mobility for everyone that uses the corridor, including drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Public input is a major component of the South Main Street Corridor Study. Area residents are invited to attend an open house Wednesday, March 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the front entrance of The Factory, 1839 S. Main St. During the open house, attendees will be presented with two high-level concepts for improving traffic and safety along the South Main Street/US 1A corridor. These concepts are designed to mitigate several of the traffic and safety concerns expressed by the public and transform the corridor into an attractive, green gateway into the heart of Wake Forest.

Read More »

Does a closet make it a bedroom?

In the 18 months, two years, builders have been busy making Holding Village from the last of a thousand-acre farm, my husband has usually incorporated a tour of the most recent buildings in his nightly walk down Friendship Chapel Road. So it was not surprising when he came home one night with a brochure from an open house for a new town house. I looked at it and said, “There aren’t any closets in the bedrooms!” But there was, however, a note in the brochure that offered to build closets for an increase in the purchase price. I found the lack of closets shocking. Where are people going to put all their clothes and their “things,” the pickleball or golf equipment, the vacuum cleaner, the dirty clothes hamper, the towels and linens and blankets for the beds, . . . One nasty thought I had was that the people building

Read More »

Beware of the Apple Pay scam

The Wake Forest Police Department is urging residents to guard against becoming the victim of fraud following recently reported phone scams involving Apple Pay. Residents who were recently involved in a traffic accident have reported receiving calls from someone posing as a Wake Forest Police officer who claims they owe money for missing a subsequent court date. The caller says a warrant has been issued for their arrest, or soon will be, but they can pay a fine now via Apple Pay and avoid being arrested. The WFPD does not make these types of calls and would never ask anyone to make a payment via Apple Pay or any other payment app. These types of scams are designed to exploit fear and pressure victims into making payments to scammers. Scammers often use official-sounding language to intimidate victims. They may even use information obtained via public databases to sound credible by

Read More »

Free home ownership advice offered

The Town of Wake Forest and DHIC, Inc. (formerly Downtown Housing Improvement Corporation) are partnering to offer free homeownership counseling services to Wake Forest residents earning less than 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). Designed for residents finding it difficult to purchase a home or make payments on a home, the free counseling services include: Again, these services are free and available to Wake Forest residents earning less than 80 percent of the AMI. To learn more or find out if you qualify, contact Planner I Antione Jordan at ajordan@wakeforestnc.gov or 919-435-9581. ###

Read More »

Nominate your favorite tree for Arbor Day

The Urban Forestry Division is celebrating Arbor Day this year by again offering a contest for tree lovers across Wake Forest. From now through Sunday, March 31, the UFD is accepting nominations from residents for the Wake Forest 2024 Tree of the Year award. Trees may be nominated for their size, species, historic significance, personal meaning, community benefit or general notoriety – but they must be located within the Wake Forest town limits. To submit your choice, visit http://bit.ly/WFTreeofYear, complete the nomination form and upload a photo of your tree. Finalists will be selected by Town staff, then voted on by the community during the week of April 8. The tree that receives the most votes will be announced as the winner during Forest Fest on Saturday, April 20. The person who submits the winning tree will receive a certificate crowning their tree as the Wake Forest 2024 Tree of the

Read More »

Artist wanted for Alston-Massenburg mural

The Wake Forest Public Art Commission is partnering with the Northeast Community Coalition to issue a Call for Artists at https://bit.ly/WFPAC_CallforArtists for a community engagement mural to be applied to the exterior of the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 North Taylor Street.  The theme of the piece is open to the artist’s discretion but should reflect themes of family and history. Only artists that have applied for and been accepted into the PAC’s Pre-Qualified Artist Registry are eligible. To learn more and/or apply, visit https://bit.ly/WFPACPreQualifiedArtistRegistry. A selection committee comprised of members of the Wake Forest PAC and Northeast Community Coalition, and other relevant parties will jury all submissions and select the winning artist who will enter a contract with the Town of Wake Forest. The selected artist will be responsible for initiating the design of the artwork, engaging community feedback on design, and completing the artwork in conjunction with the community. Selection criteria include the applicant’s proven ability to

Read More »