There are three rezoning requests on the Wake Forest Planning Board’s agenda for Tuesday, Nov. 4, but the one that will draw the most attention is for a site near the intersection of Rogers and Forestville Roads where a Publix grocery store may be built.
In August (see the Aug. 20 issue of the Gazette) Senior Planner Charlie Yokley said he was authorized to release the name of the grocery store that would be the anchor for a small shopping center. That same week one spokesman for the Florida-based grocery chain refused to confirm, deny or rule out that message but said, “. . ., we require that we have a signed lease before announcing a new location as we don’t discuss potential sites.” And hours later a spokesman for the developer (Columbia Properties), sent an email saying: “Kyle: Just released today in the press . . . wanted to pass along to you. The planning department said it was OK to release the name of the tenant . . . Have a good week. –David”
When the Gazette editor received an invitation to a pre-opening event at the new Publix in Cary which opened this week, she again asked Kimberly Reynolds, manager for Publix media and community relations, if there was a definite announcement about a Wake Forest Publix.
“No announcement to make at this point in time. While we are looking to grow throughout the state, we don’t currently have a confirmed site for Wake Forest,” Reynolds replied. “ I may have shared previously that until we have a signed lease, we don’t comment on proposed sites. Thanks for understanding.”
The name announcement in August when Yokley and others were reviewing the thirteen revision of the plan prompted the most comments about an article the Gazette editor has ever seen – 16 in a month – with most people pleased or even overjoyed at the prospect of a close-by Publix though many complained or worried about the future traffic increase and congestion.
As for the plan for the unnamed store and shopping center, there will be number of access points. The plan shows a full-access driveway on Rogers Road near the bridge over Smith Creek and on what will be a five-lane street after construction in 2016 to rebuild the bridge and widen the road.
There will be two driveways on Forestville Road – a right-in, right-out only driveway immediately across Forestville Road from the entrance to the Heritage Station shopping center which is anchored by a Harris-Teeter grocery, and a full-access driveway nearer Foundation Drive. In addition, there will be a full-access driveway off Foundation Drive that will give future access to one outparcel and a future bridge and road to the back of the grocery store.
The grocery store will have its back to Foundation Drive and the Heritage High School campus and will face Rogers Road.
The land, 13.49 acres in three parcels all owned by Franklin Village LLC, a subsidiary of the Ammons Development Group which built Heritage subdivision, is now zoned RMX, residential mixed use. The applicant, Columbia Properties Inc. from Marietta, Georgia, is requesting rezoning to NB (CD), neighborhood business conditional use district, and approval of the master plan. The name of the project is Shoppes at Heritage Village.
The second rezoning is requested by Michael Slattery of Youngsville to build a Valvoline Quick Oil Change at 2005 South Main Street, formerly the home of Norman and Etta Marie Jones, both deceased. Slattery wants the planning and town boards to approve rezoning to highway business conditional district and approve the site plan. The next-door neighbors, the Finch, were the only attendees at the required neighborhood meeting. They had questions about the impact of the change but did not object.
The existing house will be demolished and a one-story building erected if the request is granted.
The third rezoning is requested by the John R. McAdams Company of Durham for 19.05 acres on the north side of East Juniper Avenue for phase 2C of the Traditions subdivision master plan. The change to GR 10 (CD) – general residential 10 conditional district – will allow development of 55 single-family house lots.
The wooded tract is surrounded on three sides by earlier phases of the Traditions development. Streams on the north and east side of the trace are subject to the Neuse River Riparian Buffer Rules, and there are special flood hazard areas on the eastern side of the tract.
The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the second-floor meeting chamber. The hearings will all be joint with the planning board and town board hearing all the evidence.
Rezonings are legislative matters determined by a vote of the town board after a recommendation by the planning board and do not require a quasi-judicial hearing with sworn testimony. Any interested person may speak at these hearings.
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Please! Please! Please, come to Wake Forest!!!!