As anticipated, the Wake Forest commissioners approved the master plan for a Wegmans grocery store and the skeleton of the Forbes planned unit development along the NC 98 Bypass. The vote was four to one because Commissioner Bridget Wall-Lennon was ill.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a project when people came out to support it,” Mayor Vivian Jones said and Commissioner Liz Simpers said she was so proud of the town and its support of Wegmans. “Thank you,” she said.
Not expected was that the town board zipped through a rather lengthy agenda in about 25 minutes, with about five given to gathering the Wake Forest High School football team at the podium for the mayor to read a proclamation honoring their third consecutive 4AA state football championship. There will be no downtown celebration, but Coach Reggie Lucas said there will be a ring celebration at 7 p.m. Friday, April 12, in the school gymnasium with the community welcome.
The commissioners voted for all agenda items with little discussion and by unanimous votes except for the change in the speed limit to 40 mph along Durham Road from Old Falls of Neuse to Flemming House Street and Debenham Drive (the town limits). Commissioner Greg Harrington voted no on that.
Their decisions were:
*To appoint Chris Joyner to the Wake Forest Planning Board and former town manager Mark Williams to the board of adjustment.
*To prohibit the use of motorized scooters on town streets, sidewalks and all public property. The bike-sharing pilot program with Lime bikes ended on March 19.
*To approve an installment purchase contract with PNC Public Financing for the cost of the current White Street streetscape project from Elm to Holding Avenue. The amount is for $5,500,000 with an interest rate of 2.74 percent for seven years.
*To appoint Rand Mathews to the Urban Forestry Advisory Board and Jennifer Smart to the Historic Preservation Commission.
*To have Town Manager Kip Padgett rename North Brooks Street to Old Branch Lane and confirm that Brooks Street is South Brooks Street.
*To approve the 2019-2024 Capital Improvements Plan Update with $5,280,200 in Level A. Those projects include the streetscape mentioned above, the construction and apparatus for fire station #6 with a location still to be determined, ADA improvements for compliance, a cap on the North White Street Landfill, and maintenance at town hall. It is likely a needed upgrade to the dog park in Flaherty Park will also be funded.
Finally, the commissioners voted to designate the Mangum Cemetery, bounded by North Taylor Street and East Walnut Avenue, as part of the town-owned Wake Forest Cemetery and provide maintenance and improvement.
2 Responses
Lots going on this week. Fondly remember the Maple Syrup season back in Schoharie Co NY. It always tasted so much better. Hope your recovery is progressing. I drove by the Mangum section last week. Living in the Traditions neighborhood it is a good path back. Glimmer of hope thru the neighborhood. They were tearing down one of the derelict homes on We. Hope they will demolish the property that is such a danger.
See they are also working on the property by the College and railroad tracks. Trees are coming down. Hope they plant new in their place. Think about this as I drive down Durham Rd. Much surveying in the area. If they widen, the trees will be gone. Take care til next time. Jody K
Durham Rd
Agreed. Waste of money with little to no use. Problems lie elsewhere. Adding more traffic and 3 traific lights to “bypass” may return traffic thru town to early 2000’s level.