March 7, 2007

Published in Wake Forest, NC

            This is the third time Jim Adams’ plan for the store on 4 acres has been proposed. The first plan was withdrawn to give him and Mike Crowley, the engineer, time to meet with neighbors and change the plan to reflect their concerns. The second plan was withdrawn just a month ago by Rose Oil, which was then slated to operate the store and gas station. The request this time was by Wakeville, a corporation Adams said he owns.

            Adams said he wanted a build “a high-quality convenience store.” The property is under contract subject to zoning, he said, and he would retain architectural approval after the sale.

            Roger Murphy, who lives in Deer Chase subdivision next door to the property, said his concern was for the water supply. “What happens if there is a fuel spill?” The subdivision has wells.

            Ken and Linda Nicholson, whose lot backs up to the property, said the store would disturb the serenity of the neighborhood. “All we’re asking is to allow whatever other uses than a convenience store,” Ken Nicholson said. They both spoke about the heavy traffic on the roads.

            For more than an hour, the neighbors stressed the traffic, the other convenience and gas stores within a mile and a half and their fears that the store would attract loitering, crime and littering.

            Most said they understand the corner will be developed. Some suggested coffee shops or shops such as Harvest Moon nearby. One person wanted the town to buy the land for a park or a library.

            Adams’ request was for a conditional use rezoning to neighborhood business, meaning the rezoning would be for that specific use submitted with the specific conditions.

            Planning board member Peter Thibodeau asked a number of questions about the traffic study done by a consultant hired by the town and other details.

            Then he and member Alphonza Merritt added conditions – an increase in the berm and stipulations about the hours of operation.

            “You’re still going to have a convenience store sitting in people’s back yards,” Chairman Bob Hill said.

            “I’m trying to come up with some good ideas,” Thibodeau said.

            The only members voting against the motion to deny were Tom Cornett and Sarah Bridges, who made and seconded the original motion to approve.

            The matter now goes to the town board for its March 20 meeting. Because it is a negative recommendation from the planning board, four of the five commissioners, a super-majority, would have to vote for the rezoning for it to pass.

            The planning board also heard a presentation by Kenneth Withrow, a senior transportation planner with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, about the status of plans to change Capital Boulevard (U.S. 1) to a limited-access thoroughfare from I-540 north to U.S. 1-A north of Youngsville.

            Withrow said the preferred alternative, based on community meetings and input from municipalities, users and the state Department of Transportation, is a freeway with six general-purpose lanes, two HOV lanes and a raised median. There would be frontage and backage roads on both sides, 10 interchanges and nine grade-separated crossings.

            Planning Director Chip Russell told the town board last month that CAMPO wants to place two of the interchanges on the state’s Transportation Implementation Plan, those at Durant-Perry Creek and at South Main-New Falls of Neuse.

            In the short term, Withrow said, there would be or could be two commuter bus routes from Wake Forest to Raleigh and Research Triangle Park with several stops in the Wake Forest area. There would be or could be a bus circulating in the Wake Forest area.

            It is a project that will take 20 to 30 years with a cost in 2006 dollars of $487 million. CAMPO, of which Wake Forest is a part, plans to accomplish it in piece-meal fashion. The next step, Withrow said, is for the affected governments to adopt memorandums of understanding.

            Bridges and Mike Martin asked about the flyover planned at Stadium Drive. Bridges said she talked to someone about that plan and pointed out that there is a high school on Stadium and a flyover with no access to Capital at that point would limit access to the school.

            That led to a discussion about how high school students rush through the Stadium-Capital intersection, turning left to reach the fast-food restaurants at lunch time. Hill and others spoke of their concerns about the number of accidents, the speeding and the trucks and cars running red lights on Capital.

            Withrow began his presentation before the public hearing and waited until after the business meeting to conclude.