Update: There has still been no action on the part of Wake Superior Court for the Wake Union Place Shopping Center appeal.
Attorney Clyde Holt said this week, “We’re filing a request for a date that has not been set. We’re ready to go.”
Holt and his client, WRI-Wake Union Place, appealed the unanimous vote by the Wake Forest commissioners to deny a special use permit for the shopping center on the former Parker-Hannifin (Schrader) property on Wake Union Church Road and Capital Boulevard.
Before the deadline of June 19, the town’s attorneys and Holt filed all the information and record of the extended public hearing that lasted over three months last fall as well as the commissioners’ meeting in December where the vote was taken.
Now they are waiting for a judge to set the hearing date.
Update: Neuse Baptist Church, founded in 1952, has plans to move from its current location on Capital Boulevard to Ponderosa Road near Wake Forest. However, like so many other plans, construction will not begin until the current economic problems ease.
In 2008 the congregation paid $3.6 million for 31 acres on the service road between Wakefield Commons Shopping Center and the quarry once owned by Nello Teer. The property includes the former site of Shuckers restaurant.
Also in 2008, a new church, Celebration Covenant Family Church, purchased Neuse Baptist’s 4.56 acres and the church and Neuse Baptist Christian School buildings for $3.9 million.
The congregation has contemplated moving away from the busy highway at least once before, partly because the widening of Capital Boulevard has eaten into the small acreage.
Eleven years ago the congregation purchased a different church site, this one south of Rolesville on 50 acres on Louisbury Road just south of its intersection with Louisburg Road (U.S 401). The land and the small ranch house on it are appraised at $1.5 million by Wake County even though the house has been declared unlivable.
Subdivisions in progress
This is an incomplete list but gives readers a taste of the residential building underway in town, which had a population of about 5,700 in 1990, over 27,000 now.
Most of these subdivisions are either on hold or selling lots very slowly at present.
The developers for Holding Village, Wake Forest’s first Traditional Neighborhood Development are betting on an end to the recession and have begun clearing and installing infrastructure in the first phase of the 256-acre, 1,300-home project. That 15-acre section is just north of the Heritage Green section of Heritage Wake Forest and lies between the Franklin Street extension and the Spring Branch feeder to Smith Creek. On May 19 the Wake Forest Town Board accepted a petition to annex the 15 acres.
The developers are Entrust Holdings, a Holding family corporation, and East West Partners of Chapel Hill. When built, the mixed-use project will extend from the N.C. 98 bypass on the north down to Forestville Road on the south, from the CSX rail line on the west to Smith Creek on the east.
Bill Andrews, who heads Entrust Holdings, said, “Our hope is that the infrastructure of this sub-phase will be completed in conjunction with a recovery in the real estate market’s demand for neighborhoods like Holding Village.”
Majestic Oaks is a 60-lot subdivision on the north side of Rogers Road across from Heritage South. It was built by Willfair, which is David Williams Jr., Steve Faircloth and David Faircloth, who are not relatives. The project abuts the Heritage and Clearspring subdivisions and was approved in 2006.
Traditions, a mixed-use development approved in May 2008, is on hold due to the economic conditions. Four Ammons siblings – Heritage developer Andy Ammons, Factory developer Jeff Ammons, Springmoor director David Ammons and their sister – have a plan for about half the land west of the Wake Forest reservoir that includes housing and local employment. They will build a significant portion of the North Loop from the Jones Dairy Road/N.C. 98 bypass intersection north and then west and will rebuild two existing roads, Oak Grove Church and Gillcrest. There will be 632 homes of different types in the southwest corner, a retail and commercial area in the middle of the project, and a continuing care complex in the northwest corner similar to Springmoor.
The Wake Forest Planning Department is reviewing plans for an amenities center in the northwest quadrant of Traditions along with a separate plan for 96 continuing care units and 64 townhouses in that same quadrant.
Bishop’s Grant on Wait Avenue (N.C. 98 east) will have 48 townhouses and 172 single-family homes when built out in 2010.
Austin Creek on N.C. 98 east of town will have 430 single-family homes and 196 townhomes when complete in about 2015. Beazer Homes is the builder.
Bowling Green, which will connect internally to Austin Creek subdivision and have entrances on N.C. 98 and Jones Dairy Road, will have 283 single-family homes and 94 townhouses when it is completed, probably in 2018. The land for the N.C. 98 (Wait Avenue) entrance has been cleared.
Homes are being built in Saddle Run, a 34-home subdivision on Chalks Road.
Heritage North will have 387 homes when built out in 2011 or so. It lies along Heritage Lake Road.
Reynolds Mill on Forbes Road and the future Ligon Mill Road plans 125 single-family homes in the first phase. Some homes are complete and sold; the developer, Parker & Orleans, has been applying for one or two building permits each month recently.
Shearon Farms has nearly completed its single-family section and has begun the 372 townhouses and apartments planned for that subdivision along Capital Boulevard just north of the Neuse River and south of Burlington Mills Road.
Heritage South and Wildflower are jointly planned subdivisions south of Rogers Road. Heritage South will have 444 single-family homes. Wildflower, approved in 2004, will have 111 single-family homes and 165 townhouses.
Dansforth on Burlington Mills Road was approved in 2001 for 313 single-family homes, most of which have been completed.
Thornrose, which is connected internally to Dansforth, is on Forestville Road, and almost all its 187 homes have been built.
Stonegate at St. Andrews on Forestville Road was approved in 2004 for 691 single-family and multi-family lots. Builders continue to apply for building permits for the 300-or so remaining single-family lots. None of the 217 multi-family units have been built.
The Registry at Bennett Park will be 31 single-family lots along an extension of West Holding Avenue, bounded on the west by Richland Creek. The master plan was approved in June of 2007. The streets have been built.
The Meadows, a subdivision with 109 single-family homes on 38.58 acres on the west side of North Main Street, was rezoned in June of 2007. Infrastructure construction is underway. The subdivision is being developed by First American, an Apex firm. It will connect to Barnford Mill Road in the Olde Mill Stream subdivision and have an entrance on North Main Street.
Olde Wake Forest, an eight-home infill subdivision bounded by North Wingate, West Juniper, North College and West Pine, was approved by the town board on March 18, 2008.
Olde Chestnut Townes, 33 townhouses on West Chestnut Avenue to be built by Bark Development, was approved by the town board on Feb. 19, 2008.
The Reserve, a cluster subdivision of 37 single-family homes on 74 acres south of Oak Grove Church Road, was approved in September of 2008. The land on the west side of the ridge line leading down to the Wake Forest reservoir will remain undisturbed.
Kings Glen, a 93-home subdivision on 34 acres between Wait Avenue (N.C. 98) and Oak Grove Church Road, was added to the approved subdivisions list in October 2008 when the Wake Forest Town Board approved its annexation and plan. The land is adjacent to Bishop’s Grant.
Subdivisions in review
About 100 homes would be built in a new phase of Flaherty Farms subdivision if the plans are approved by the planning and town boards. On Sept. 18, 2007, the town’s Comprehensive Planning Committee agreed Millridge Companies could move forward with the plans, still preliminary, based on the public benefits of the construction of a portion of the North Loop and the infill character. There will be no irrigation tied to the town’s water system. A small infill project of 12 lots was approved by the planning and town boards in May.
The Comprehensive Planning Committee has approved a water allocation for an unnamed subdivision of 96 single-family homes on the 39 acres that once were Triangle Metro Zoo (formerly ZooFauna) in Franklin County. Although the CPC recommendation was made in June 2008, do not expect development soon because Wake Forest and the City of Raleigh have to first hammer out an agreement about water and sewer service to this area. Youngsville and Wake Forest reached an annexation agreement last year under which Wake Forest can annex land in a swath in Franklin County. Because of geography, Wake Forest can serve that area while Youngsville would have to use sewer lift stations. Raleigh has refused to extend water and sewer service there until Wake Forest persuades Franklin County not to use the intake on the Neuse River at the former Burlington Mills plant as its water source.
Future shopping centers
There is still an appeal pending in Wake Superior Court against the Wake Forest commissioners for their unanimous vote denying the special use permit for the Wake Union Place shopping center at Wake Union Church Road and Capital Boulevard. The Wake Forest Town Board discussed the appeal during a closed session after their business meeting May 19.
Work is underway for Quail Crossing shopping center on the N.C. 98 bypass at the intersection with Jones Dairy Road and Wait Avenue. The anchor store will be Bloom, Food Lion’s upscale grocery store.
There has been a name change, and what was to be called Purnell Place is now called Harris Crossing. Clearing is underway by the developer, Regency Center of Raleigh, and there will be 80,000 square feet of retail and commercial space in three buildings with four out-parcels. It was announced Harris Teeter would be the anchor store, but there was no confirmation of that recently from the grocery store chain’s headquarters. A different Harris Teeter next to Rex Healthcare in Wakefield will opened in May.
On Nov. 8, 2007, the planning board recommended approval of an increase in the height of the hotel developer Daryl Cady plans for La Scala on Star Road just north of Living Word Family Church. Plans are for a 60-foot high, four-story, 90-room hotel near the road facing a 28,800-square-foot office building. Behind those buildings will be a large ballroom/convention building. There has been clearing but no construction for the project. However, Cady said recently he is working on the various permits.
The Wake Forest Planning Department is also reviewing the master plan for La Scala phases two through four on 85.5 acres along Star Road. It includes 239,200 square feet of office space, 375,250 square feet of retail space and a 40,000-square-foot hotel. The zoning is highway business.
The Shoppes at Caveness Farm has never materialized aside from the small retail/office building and two restaurants – Red Robin and Chili’s – on the outparcels near Capital Boulevard. Weingarten Retail Investors is apparently still trying to work out a way to bridge the streams on the east side of the land to extend Ligon Mill Road toward the N.C. 98 bypass.
Future restaurants
A Wake Forest favorite, Shuckers, has opened in a new location on Rogers Road with new owners.
Wake Forest planners have been reviewing plans for The Olive Garden, which plans to build near Kohl’s in Wake Forest Crossing Shopping Center at the intersection of Capital Boulevard and Stadium Road.
Clearing and ground preparation are underway for the Sonic restaurant at 1925 S. Main St.
New stores and services
Wake Forest planners are reviewing a project submitted by the W.E.B. DuBois Community Development Corporation for the Spring Street Community Center on two separate but nearby parcels on Spring Street, the former Spring Street Presbyterian Church building and a half-acre lot farther east which held a mobile home. Crowley, Crisp & Associates have drawn up the plans.
Work has begun for Forestville Commons on South Main Street just north of Forestville Baptist Church. A group called 1318 S. Main Street LLC plans a new convenience store and a seven-bay flex building on the 1.49 acres that formerly held Todd’s convenience store.
The construction plans for Franklin Academy High School on Flaherty Avenue have been issued. A state-supported charter school currently has two campuses: Grades K-3 are in the original location on South Franklin Street, and grades 4-12 are in a newer campus on Chalk Road. The enrollment is about 1,000 students.
The Wake Forest Town Board has approved special use permits for a daycare center, The Learning Experience at 1212 Heritage Links Drive, and an auto care store, Precision Tune at the junction of Rogers Road and Old Forestville Road, on July 15.
The planning department has issued a development permit for a miniature golf course at The Factory.
Assistant Planning Director Ann Ayers still does not have the complete plans for a Walgreen’s drug store in the southwest corner of the N.C. 98 bypass and South Main Street (U.S. 1-A). The developer does have state Department of Transportation approval for a right-in, right-out access to the bypass.
Mark Wallace of Wake Forest does plan to build the Rapid Strikes Family Entertainment Center but he not yet disclosed the site. The original plan was for 32 bowling lanes, a laser tag room, a game room and a party room, and it was first planned for a location on Rogers Road near The Factory.
Some of the national stores said to be looking at Wake Forest are J.C. Penney, Marshall’s and T.J. Maxx.
The Wake Forest Planning Department is reviewing building plans for an Aaron Rents Furniture at Wake Pointe Shopping Center (Wal-Mart).
Government projects
Plans for a new elementary school on the east side of Capital Boulevard will go forward now that the county commissioners have approved the purchase of the 29-acre site.
The construction on the south side of the N.C. 98 bypass near Richland Creek is for the town’s second electric substation.
Construction is nearly complete for the Wake Forest Fire Department’s Station #3 on Forestville Road.
The development plan for the new Wake Forest Town Hall was approved on Nov. 20. Groundbreaking was on May 22 and Town Manager Mark Williams says the building will be complete in the fall of 2009 in time for the final centennial celebration, a Christmas Gala Ball which will take the place of the Christmas Dinner this year.
Thompson Construction has nearly completed Heritage High School on a 110.5-acre site on Forestville Road. The school is slated to open in the fall of 2009, and the Wake County Board of Education will use it to house the Wake Forest-Rolesville High School student body while that school undergoes major renovations in the 2009-10 school year. The site will also have a town park with ball fields.
Commercial projects
In February 2009 the Wake Forest commissioners – without Commissioner Margaret Stinnett who recused herself because she and her husband own the affected land – voted unanimously but “with reservations” to approve the development plan for Candlewood Suites. It will be a four-story, 81-room extended-stay hotel on two acres at 12500 Retail Drive.
Davidson Duke Holdings LLC – whose members are Realtor Gary Lyons and William Clark of Wake Forest – has submitted a request to the Wake Forest Planning Department to build an office building at 2111 S. Main St. The acre parcel is connected to that street by a thin strip of land leading back to the vacant land at the end of Mangum Street, a dirt street.
Construction is well underway for two office projects on the N.C. 98 Bypass at the new extension of Siena Drive. The Corporate Chaplains of America building will be in the southwest corner and the Siena Office Park with four buildings for medical and general offices will be in the southeast. Both will have their entrances on Siena Drive.
The building for Ligon Mill Office Park III built by local developer Lloyd Mattingly at the intersection of Brimfield Spring Lane and the short western extension of Ligon Mill Road is complete and being offered for sale or lease.
The Stecker Building Two behind the Porter Paint Store at 1219 S. Main St. is complete. It has 9,311 square feet for retail and flex space.
Work is well underway for a medical arts building in Heritage Professional Park West just west of the CSX rail line on Rogers Road. A branch of Capital Bank is also planned.
Steel Dynamics has completed the two-story office/retail building called Heritage Pointe Shoppes, and Shuckers restaurant is the first tenant.
Although Ben Hudson had expressed interest in expanding Barrett’s Produce at 829 S. Main St., Assistant Planning Director Ann Ayers said she has not seen any development plans.
Exterior work is nearly complete for 900 Franklin Street, a building which will have retail, a restaurant, personal service suites and office suites. It is in the northwest corner of the N.C. 98 bypass and South Franklin Street.
Although there is a sign along the N.C. 98 bypass saying there are retail opportunities for Siena Station, Assistant Planning Director Ann Ayers said no plans have been submitted yet for that parcel, which is on the north side of the bypass. You can go to the Gazette archives for 2006 and see the full story about the rezoning for the tract in the Feb. 1 and Feb. 22 issues.
Two new office buildings are going up in Heritage Center, a four-lot commercial subdivision at the corner of South Main Street and Rogers Road that has its entrance on Rogers Road. The street named Heritage Center Drive was to have connected to Farm Road, but a nitrogen gas line in the area squashed that plan because it would have been very expensive to relocate the line.
Church Projects
The master plan for the first phase of The Stephenson Center, a church and family life center Wake Forest Baptist Church plans on Wake Union Church Road, has been approved. The Gazette has been told construction on the 12-acre tract is on hold awaiting financing. Currently, Wake Forest Baptist uses the site for its monthly outdoor summer movies and for Christmas tree sales in December.
Hope Lutheran Church on Rogers Road wants to add two buildings to its 12-acre campus. The construction plans are being reviewed by the town planning department.
Some work has begun on the Wake Forest United Methodist Church’s ambitious expansion plan. The parsonage to the north of the two existing church buildings – the smaller original church and the current worship center – has been moved. That land will be used for a new parking area. To the south of the church buildings, the congregation plans a large, two-part building for education and fellowship, buildings that will fill the church property to the N.C. 98 bypass.
Send your questions about growth to 556-3409 or cwpelosi@aol.com