April 18, 2007

Published in Wake Forest, NC

            The Wake Forest commissioners looked at Swift’s request very briefly last week during their work session on the Capital Improvements Plan and did not discuss the fire department except to perhaps agree that someone from Wake County’s public safety department be asked to come speak to them.           

            Town Manager Mark Williams had not included the fire department request in the CIP binder nor in his list of projects to be possibly funded this coming year.

            Williams told the commissioners the $1.65 million requested for the coming fiscal year would be $1 million for land purchase(s) and $650,000 for equipment.

            That dollar amount would translate to about 8 cents on the current tax rate and tax base.

            The town tax rate is 54 cents per $100 valuation and the value of the taxable property is about $1.8 billion.

            Those figures will change in the 2008 tax year when the county revalues all property.

            The fire department has an option to purchase 4 acres on Forestville Road from Joel Keith, a former fire board member, for one of the planned stations, and the town board agreed to annex the property Tuesday night.

            The fire department board is looking at sites on the east and west side of town. To the west, the board apparently wants to have easy access to Capital Boulevard. On the east, Swift has considered at least one site on Wait Avenue. In his explanation provided with the capital request, Swift said a sixth station will be needed on the north side of town because of the Richland Hills subdivision and other town growth into Franklin County. That station should be planned for the 2011-2012 budget year.

Operating budget also grows

            In addition to the capital expense items, Swift is asking for $2.9 million in operating money from the town in the coming year, about $1.2 million more than the town is providing this fiscal year.

            The money is needed, Swift says, for 20 more personnel including 12 to fully staff the new ladder truck – an additional three will be added before July 1 – six firefighters to complete the staffing on two engines, a deputy chief and a training chief.

            Swift also foresees more personnel in the 2008-2009 fiscal year: 20 men and women to staff the three new stations, three battalion chiefs (one per shift), an apparatus technician and a human resources director. For the year after that, he plans to hire another 25 men and women and open all three stations.

            The town, which has contracted with the independent fire department since 1983, agreed two years ago to dedicate 10 cents of the tax rate for the department, about 78 percent of the department’s budget. Last year the town budgeted $1.7 million for the fire department.

The Growth Rate

            If you have questions about what is being built where, please call 556-3409 or send a note to cwpelosi@aol.com and we will try to answer it. For large residential subdivisions, go to http://www.wakeforestnc.gov/residents/

planningzoning_subdivisions.aspx?rld=308 and look at “plan review information” for the status.

            New: The Wake Forest Planning Department is reviewing a plan for an RBC Bank in Heritage Square at 3619 Rogers Road.

            New: The Wake Forest Planning Department is reviewing a plan for an 11,050-square-foot flex building at 1219 S. Main St. submitted by Carolina Resource Group. It would be next to the Porter Paint store.

Subdivisions in review

• Traditions is the name of the multi-use project the Ammons brothers – Andy, Jeff and David – are proposing for the 357 acres north of Wait Avenue on the west side of the Smith Creek reservoir. There would be a Traditions Retirement Community with a variety of living for seniors – from single-family homes through a nursing center – along with homes for younger families. Altogether there would be about 1,560 dwelling units. Planner Chad Sary has said the review is underway and the project may reach the planning board this summer.

Future shopping centers

• Planner Ann Ayers is reviewing plans for Wake Forest Commons on the east side of Capital Boulevard north of Harris Road. The name will probably be changed. It is planned for 80,000 square feet of retail and commercial space with four out-parcels. The developer is Regency Center in Raleigh.

• La Scala Uptown is proposed for Star Road on the east side of Capital Boulevard near the former Chris Leith Kia dealership. Ayers has only preliminary plans and the development could hinge on a consultant’s recommendations about Star Road, where a number of other developments are planned. La Scala is proposed to have a full-service entrance on Capital Boulevard, Italian architecture, upscale boutiques and restaurants, an office park and an amphitheater.

• Plans for Gateway Commons at the corner of Jones Dairy Road and the N.C. 98 bypass are being reviewed by the town planning staff. The shopping center will be anchored by a grocery store, and a public hearing about the plan may be held by the Planning Board and Town Board in May.

• Wake Forest Towne Center is planned for the Parker-Hannifin site on Wake Union Church Road. A major department store will anchor the center, but the name has not been announced and plans have not been submitted to the town.

• The Shoppes at Caveness Farm has an approved master plan, and Weingarten Realty Investors has announced Steinmart will be one of the anchors. Three restaurants are being constructed on out-parcels (see below).

Future restaurants

• A permit for interior demolition in the former Bennigan’s building in Wake Pointe Shopping Center was issued on March 13 to Prostruction. Midtown Niki Development Partners from Topeka, Kan., purchased the building in December of last year, and they are planning to bring Old Chicago, a restaurant featuring deep-dish Chicago-style pizza and 110 beers from around the world, to the site.

• It has been Baby Moon and then 2010 Global Cuisine – and maybe something in between – and now the restaurant at The Eatery on South Main Street will be named Fine and feature steak, seafood and sushi when it opens some time in April. The posted date of April 1 has passed.

• No Lone Star at the corner of Retail Drive and Warmoven Street. The company has pulled the building permit and has been told to secure the site. No reason was given.

• The Mello Mushroom plans to build at the corner of Wake Drive and South Main Street (U.S. 1-A) between the American Pride carwash and Taco Bell.

• A Texas Roadhouse, a Chili’s and a Red Robin are under construction on out-parcels at the Shoppes at Caveness Farm.

• A Steak ‘n Shake is planned at Wake Pointe Shopping Center (Wal-Mart) next to O’Charley’s.

• Plans for a Carolina Ale House have been approved at the corner between the N.C. 98 bypass, the extension of Retail Drive into the North Park office buildings and the ramp from the bypass to Capital Boulevard. Construction has begun.

New stores and services

• Some of the national stores said to be looking at Wake Forest are Kohls, J.C. Penney, Marshall’s and T.J. Maxx.

• An Aaron Rents Furniture store is seeking Wake Forest Planning Department approval for a store on an out-parcel at Wake Pointe Shopping Center (Wal-Mart).

• Planner Ann Ayers is reviewing plans for Heritage Medical Center which would be at the corner of Rogers Road and Heritage Branch Road. The developer is Heritage Medical Office Associates in Raleigh.

Government projects

• Thompson Construction has begun clearing the 110.5-acre site on Forestville Road that will be Heritage High School. The school is slated to open in the fall of 2009.

• Clearing and grading has begun on the future site of the American Legion building on East Holding Avenue between the water tower and the North Wake Senior Center. The town owns all three lots, but it will deed that middle half-acre to the American Legion in exchange for the land the current Legion building occupies next to the existing town hall. It is part of the land acquisition for the new town hall on Brooks Street. The town is also paying for the new building and small storage shed.

• The town also purchased the small building and 0.64 acres on Brooks Street where the Green & Wooten Insurance Agency stood, paying owners Shirley and John E. Wooten Jr. $495,000. John Wooten III, who operates the agency now, said it has moved to 10433 Ligon Mill Road. “It was hard for us to leave downtown Wake Forest,” Wooten said, but they could not find a suitable site. Now his customers can drop in on their way to Wal-Mart, Wooten said.

• Wake County is building the Northern Regional Center on East Holding Avenue next to the Wake Forest Library. Due to open in January of 2008, the center will offer an array of services. Ross Yeager, the director, wants to offer the services the Wake Forest-Rolesville-North Wake area wants. To give him your ideas, call 623-8312 or send a note to ryeager@co.wake.nc.us. The enlarged parking lot now being built will serve both the center and the library.

Commercial projects

• The YMCA at The Factory, an extension of the Banks D. Kerr Family YMCA in Wakefield, held its ribbon-cutting Friday, March 30. Members will enjoy a 21,000-square-foot facility for adult fitness with a nursery and youth programs. A membership at one YMCA includes membership at the other. You can join at either facility or by calling 562-9622.

• Rex Health Park at Wakefield is underway in the northwest corner of Capital Boulevard. There will be a 39,500-square-foot wellness center and a 113,000-square-foot multi-specialty ambulatory care center. The wellness center will be similar to those Rex operates in Cary and Garner, with a gym, heated pools, physical rehabilitation services and nutrition and exercise programs. The ambulatory care center will provide therapeutic and diagnostic services, heart, vascular and oncology services.

• It has been a year since the planning and town boards approved the plans, but a three-story, 118-unit apartment building for active seniors is now under construction on the east side of South Main Street just south of the N.C. 98 bypass. The apartments will not have kitchens. The residents, who are expected to be single people in their 80s who do not need assistance, will eat meals in the communal dining room.

• Crews are moving dirt around on the south side of Rogers Road behind the BB&T Bank and The Factory for a 32,000-square-foot, two-story building that will be Heritage Medical Park. Andy Ammons said he sold the land two years ago and the developer now is a group called Vanguard, headed by George Venters of Raleigh. One of the tenants will be a specialized pediatric dentist.

• At the end of South Main, between it and Capital Boulevard, the former Weavexx tract is being transformed into Glenn Boyd’s Nissan dealership. He also owns Crossroads Ford in Cary and Wakefield Ford in Wake Forest. Poythress Commercial is constructing the large building and parking lots; the January building permit said the cost would be $2.8 million.

Housing projects approved for more water

• Alexan at Ligon Mill will be a 288-unit apartment complex south of Caveness Farm Apartments, north of the Wal-Mart store and east of the Shoppes of Caveness Farm shopping center. The increased water allocation for the project was approved by the town board in December. Once it has all the approvals, construction may start in 2007. The developer is Trammell Crow Residential. See the Nov. 29 and Dec. 20 issues of the Gazette for details.

• Holding Village will be a 1,300-home traditional neighborhood development that includes shops and services south of the N.C. 98 bypass, east of South Main Street and the CSX rail line, west of Heritage North and north of Heritage Wake Forest. The town board approved the increased water allocation in October and changed the town’s zoning ordinance to allow for a traditional neighborhood in January. There was a public hearing about the project on April 3, and the planning board discussion was delayed until May 1.