May 17, 2006

Published in Wake Forest, NC

            “I wish we had had this ordinance years ago,” Camacho said. “It is much more comprehensive than we’ve had before. It’s very well conceived and, I think, fair for protecting the floodplain.”

            Camacho also said that, had it been in place, the plan for the amenities center (a pool, pool house and parking lot) for the Thornrose subdivision would not have been approved. “They would have known this is the criteria. They wouldn’t have brought it to us.”

            With the new ordinance, Camacho continued, “People won’t bring things to us like those on Durham Road.” He was referring to the Steve Gould and Bob Neeb project, approved with him and Commissioner Velma Boyd-Lawson voting no, for 68 townhouses that required filling in Richland Creek. (Although approved in 2004, no construction plans have been submitted to the town as of yet.)

            Commissioner Stephen Barrington asked if the town’s ordinance incorporates the 500-year floodplain in the new flood hazard area, and Planning Director Chip Russell said it does.

            Barrington asked if it would be reasonable to allow parking decks, patios and similar construction in the flood hazard area, and Russell said they are available if the town grants a variance.

            Deputy Town Manager Roe O’Donnell said the danger from a damaging flood is greater than appears from the 0.02 percent chance in any given year. “A 100-year storm or greater occurs every 33 years on average.”

            Hurricane Floyd was greater than a 500-year flood, Russell said.

            In the new ordinance, Russell said, “We changed the premise. Before, yes you can fill, yes, you can build it. Now you can’t, but [you can] if there are extenuating circumstances. It still allows a possibility, but you’ve got to prove the viability of that request.”

            As noted above, the Thornrose pool and parking lot, listed first in the planning items agenda, were approved by a unanimous vote before the commissioners took up the flood damage prevention item. Engineering Director Eric Keravuori assured Boyd-Lawson his staff would work with the engineer, Harold Yelle, to make sure sediments from the parking lot do not reach the stream. Commissioner Frank Drake said his concern was filling, and the new plan does not include filling for the parking lot. “It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot more perfect than the first one.”

            Consideration of the pool and pool house and a plan for 48 townhouses in Bishop’s Grant were taken together because of neighbors’ concerns about runoff from the project.

            Residents along Old Murray Road had been calling the commissioners about the runoff. One resident, Becky Parsons, was at Tuesday’s meeting and said the developer had fixed an earlier washout in her driveway caused by the flushing of a water pipe the same day it occurred. She also said the silt pits “are doing a great job,” but will be removed when homes are built and “we’re going to get our runoff back.”

            The project’s civil engineer, John Harris, said the amount of runoff has been and will be reduced by the measures they have taken.

            Developer LaMarr Bunn said he plans to meet with Dale Wiggins, an adjoining Old Murray resident, next week about noise and light concerns.

            Commissioner Margaret Stinnett, who agreed the developer “had been a good neighbor,” wanted to delay a vote on the townhouses until next month to make sure Bunn met with Wiggins. She and Drake voted against the project, but it passed three to two.

            Attorney Roger Knight reminded the board the vote on the special use permit for the pool and pool house had to be based on the evidence at the public hearing on May 3, and the project was unanimously approved.