Members of the Wake Forest Planning Board and residents who live near two projects on Tuesday night’s meeting had more questions and concerns about traffic, traffic signals, buffers and runoff than the proposed uses. The meeting ended with members voting down at least five motions until finally five members agreed to approve the South Main business plan.
The request by Lat Purser and Associates to rezone 2.95 acres on the southeast side of South Main to conditional use highway business was the most contentious. The land runs from South Main to Mangum Drive, which has been entirely residential. Planning board members were concerned that drivers coming from the east on Ligon Mill Road would use Mangum and turn onto Carter Street as the best way to reach the Wendy’s which will be built there. Member Colleen Sharpe, who lives nearby, said. “They’re already using Carter and Mangum as a cut-through.” She and other board members were also concerned that homeowners on Mangum, even though two were at the neighborhood meeting, are aware of the development plans.
Two homeowners on the short extension Carter Street off Mangum are aware and not happy. Tim Mock, whose house is behind the current restaurant/retail strip mall across Carter Street from this proposal, is concerned the Wendy’s will detract from his property value, that there will be a large amount of additional traffic because of the Wendy’s, and that it might add to the current runoff which has caused “excessive erosion” on his property. His neighbor, Serghei Sinigur, also cited the additional traffic which already drives much too fast for the street. He wanted to know where the dumpsters would be because of dumpsters for the existing restaurants “it stinks, cats and everything.” The new dumpsters would be closer to his house.
The elements of the plan that were debated were a narrow driveway from Mangum Drive into the property under question and the curb and gutter along that property. After the fluffy of motions interspersed with discussion, Staples voted for her own motion to defer building the driveway until the second phase is built and install curb and gutter only along the part of the property to be developed in phase one. Voting with her were Thad Juszczak, Chuck Mosely, Dehaven Fields and Grif Bond while Chairman Bob Hill, Ed Gary, Steve Stoller and Steve DeRosa voted no. All nine members were at the meeting.
When it came to The Legacy Wake Forest’s 298 apartments on 26.68 acres between Durham Road, Debarmore Street and the N.C. 98 Bypass, planning board members had the most questions about a buffer and its plantings. Even after the developer, GCI Residential of Raleigh, agreed to additional plantings beyond the minimum required they had planned, board members continued to pick at the subject. Another concern was when the state Department of Transportation would build a traffic signal at the main entrance on Durham Road across from the entrance to Crenshaw Manor subdivision.
Greg Nichols, the spokesman for GCI, said the company manages the apartments it builds, and it has apartment in Raleigh, Cary, Charlotte, Cornelius and Matthews, as well as in Florida, Texas and South Carolina. There will be one-story carriage apartments above three garage units with two apartments and six garages in one building along with more conventional apartments in three-story buildings with no elevators. “We hold them generationally,” Nichols said about the management. “People are managing properties their grandfathers built.”
Tim Mock questioned the traffic and the traffic signals already on Durham Road – six signals from McDonald’s to the bypass – and the timing of the signals at the bypass. “I guarantee you cannot get more than four vehicles through the light at Calvin Jones at one time.” Philip Clawson had a number of questions from the possibility of the traffic signal – It may be installed after the project is completely built out – to the ownership of the units – all rental – to heritage trees and whether they will use Leland cypress – no. Joe Freddosa wanted to know if they had explored any alternative access except the entrance on Durham Road and two on Debarmore.
Planning Director Chip Russell and board members did stress that there is no guarantee DOT will allow the traffic signals though Russell did say the location was very close to meeting DOT’s standard for a signal.
The vote to recommend approval of the project to the town board, which sat in on the hearing, was 9 to 0.
