The Wake Forest Inspections Department issues a monthly report about all new building permits and new businesses. In January there were 35 permits issued for new single-family dwellings and nine permits for townhouses. There was one new commercial building approved, a Char-Grill at 145 Crenshaw Corners Drive. There were three fit-ups: two for retail space vanilla box at 12243 Capital Boulevard and one at 12247 Capital Boulevard as well as  Jersy Mike’s Subs at 1040 Forestville Road, Suite 140. There were two pre-occupancy inspections: Wakefield ATV (Auto Truck Van) at 745 Merritt Capital Drive, Suite 108 and Barlow Photography at 745 Merritt Capital Drive, Suite 106. ###

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,

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 If the information about your group is wrong or out of date, please send a note with the corrections to that same email address.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

Mayor Vivian Jones spoke Monday night during the annual State of the Town Dinner at The Forks, addressing everything from resurfacing town roads to the $1.1 billion federal grant that will reshape the present CSX rail line, give the town a railroad station and provide for train service direct from here to Charlotte several times a day. The editor will attach it to the message she sends out to subscribers every Wednesday when the Gazette goes on line. For others, just send me a note and I will send you one. * * * * The Wake Forest Gazette is happy to announce that the town’s history book, “Connections . . . 100 Years of Wake Forest History” that was published in 2009 for the town’s centennial, has been digitized and is now available for free at https://lib.digitalnc.org/record/248642?ln=en#?xywh=-2068%2C692%2C4326%2C2510. The people who made it happen are Sarah Soleim at the Wake

The long-awaited, much anticipated opening of the Holding Park Inclusive Playground, 133 W. Owen Ave., will occur Saturday, March 2, at 7 a.m. The playground will be open daily from dawn to dusk. Due to the high volume of attendees expected throughout the opening weekend, free parking will be available in several lots on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) and along several side streets in the vicinity of Holding Park. Visitors are encouraged to make plans with family members and friends to carpool, use rideshare services, or take advantage of the free Wake Forest Loop (Saturday only) which offers stops less than a block away from the park. Designed to provide children of all abilities with a safe and fun place to play, inclusive playgrounds offer a sensory-rich play experience for every cognitive level and developmental stage. The Holding Park Inclusive Playground’s thoughtful design includes accommodations for