Just as the Wake Forest commissioners were about to consider the High Point Bluffs subdivision plan Tuesday night, Senior Planner Charlie Yokley unexpectedly went to the podium and said the applicant, Nancy Dameron, had “requested this be withdrawn from consideration.” When asked if he knew why, Yokley said it was because of some of the City of Raleigh’s requirements for utilities and “some private issues.” To a further question whether this withdrawal was temporary or permanent, he said it is “forever.”
This made the consideration of the Tryon subdivision, sent to court by a neighbor and remanded for more comment and consideration by a judge, rather anti-climatic. Director of Engineering Eric Keravuori was asked about the complaint that the neighboring subdivision, Kings Glen, a project of the same developer, was sending red clay silt into Bob Horky’s pond and well. Keravuori said town engineers walked the site and found the source, two (retention) ponds that were badly silted. The developer agreed to clear the ponds and add skimmers, and Keravuori said the problem will go away. (Another pond just west of the Horky pond is heavily silted because of runoff from clearing for townhouses in Bishops Grant, which is just west of Kings Glen. Tryon will be to the east of Kings Glen.)
Commissioner Margaret Stinnett voted against the motion to approve Tryon, citing water issues and “redoing the lay of the land,” grading to change the boundary of the Smith Creek Reservoir so that runoff from some lots goes into tributaries of Austin Creek.
Jim Robertson with the Wake Forest Rotary Club asked the commissioners “to rethink having to have such a large police presence to protect us from ourselves” during the club’s major fundraiser, Comedy Night, that is held downtown. He said the club has complied with the town’s requirement to hire two off-duty police officers for the event, but this year, because there will be a few more than 200 participants, they are required to hire three officers. “My concern is about next year. We may be required to hire more off-duty officers.” He noted that, though wine and beer is served at the event, it is a family-friendly event with many children attending with their parents.
The board approved a resolution that the county adopt and implement the fire tax cost sharing formula. This formula, which is still being constructed, will surely have an impact on the way the Wake Forest Fire Department is funded.
Currently the department receives 22.9 percent of its budget from Wake County with Wake Forest paying 77.1 percent, $4,749,424 or 11 cents of the tax rate of 52 cents per $100. Wake Forest Fire Department contracts with the county to prove fire services in the unincorporated part of the Wakette Fire District, which is filled with subdivisions as well as older homes and businesses.
Although the resolution said the cost sharing formula would include the service demand (35 percent), population (30 percent), valuation (20 percent), heated square footage (7.5 percent), and coverage area (7.5 percent), Fire Chief Ron Early said Wednesday it is not complete. Asked for the percentage the department could receive from the county, he replied he could not. “They have not determined a couple of factors in the formula therefore we do not know the outcome until it has been completed.”
