May 9, 2007

Published in Wake Forest, NC

            They are responding to comments earlier this spring about the lack of detail and the blandness of the town hall exterior at that stage in the design process.

            The rest of the agenda demonstrates just how busy that new town hall will be.

            First, before the public hearing about the budget, will be a public hearing about the proposal to expand the downtown Municipal Service District to include all of the Renaissance Plan area. The Downtown Revitalization Corporation has objected to that expansion, instead favoring an increase of 7 cents in the 10-cent district tax.

            There will be a number of Burlington Mills and Ligon Mill neighbors at the meeting to hear how the commissioners decide the disputed rezoning request at the corner of those roads. Jim Adams is asking for conditional use neighborhood business there to build a gas station and convenience store. The matter was delayed from both the March and April meetings to give Adams time to meet with the neighbors. Because the planning board recommended against approval of the rezoning, four of the five commissioners must vote for the rezoning for it to pass.

            Along with the special use permit for 288 apartments and a rezoning request for Holding Village (please see accompanying article in this issue), the commissioners will be asked to approve the Gateway Commons Shopping Center at the intersection of the N.C. 98 and Jones Dairy Road and a development plan for the Mellow Mushroom pizza restaurant at the corner of Wake Drive and South Main Street,

            They will also be asked to authorize the planning and inspections department to proceed with demolition of a house at 417 Seventh St. that was seriously damaged by a fire in April of 2006. Planner Bill Summers says the owner, Colonel M. Woods Sr., has not begun renovations or demolition despite several conversations and did not appear at the public hearing about demolition in February. The cost of the demolition will become a lien against the property.

            There are two annexation petitions on the agenda. If the board approves the petitions, the annexation hearings and action will take place at the June regular meeting.

            ECI Custom Homes wants the town to annex 34 acres between Wait Avenue (N.C. 98) and Oak Grove Church Road for the future Landings at Bishop’s Grant subdivision being developed by Contentnea Creek.

            The Wright People – Ricky Wright, Bob Neeb and Charles Nassif – are asking the town to annex 29 acres in the 13700 block of Capital Boulevard, east side that has been approved as the Capital Boulevard Business Center for general office, retail and restaurant use.

            The agenda also includes:

• Consideration of the pay for Town Manager Mark Williams. The board has recently evaluated his performance.

• Consideration of a $196,744 contract with Kimley-Horn for the engineering plans to widen South Main Street to three lanes – two travel and one turn – from Forbes Road to Forestville Road.

• Discussion about whether to include the cost of paving some or all of the dirt streets in town.

• Consideration of a request Tom Shipman with the Greater Wake Forest Area Baseball Commission for $20,000 to build a pressbox/fieldhouse/concessions building at Flaherty Park. The Wake Forest Rotary Club has pledged $10,000 toward the project.