[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",7315479,"mediaKeyId","2619972-2eae090854a31fd3d2a24e214451a0ec","parentId",2619972,"title","Wendell board approves conditional rezoning for eight townhomes after contested public hearing","audioSeconds",7048,"startMs",2202000,"endMs",9250000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2619972-2eae090854a31fd3d2a24e214451a0ec&start=2202&end=9250","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2619972-2eae090854a31fd3d2a24e214451a0ec/thumbnail_2202000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/7315479/Wendell/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Wendell-board-approves-conditional-rezoning-for-eight-townhomes-after-contested-public-hearing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7315479-afa98f6aaa6505a577c684475b6df66f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145006&Signature=jRwRvDLPHavbnLideackO8XpC4ktL55LLrN1zZwTIuG7N9nxXIQnZsZMZMxrvKOGD1PZesgLud9ZJNThfvymLsy6Kju~D16BqoyfX74hkLEAChzfIEKRKT~uyWe7Cs8gr04OAI-~fLSFpi1V1TIeDzPQIuSzQFJM8ynoRwWqQ8EchCLXZQQX3l5NAvnFtBFs2LGNEJBSuuJEJh4dy2cprO5Zf4Oh0mMFVC~bFcyhW-giQLIcXC6jWcjZa2MfrdRyqrk7EiaeZxqPaUMQddlMr162hGahcoDauR6fwitu1Z06U7149Z5hW0nhqEPF5CCvHeLHZW-hFIUYpkYyIRA08A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wendell, NC","date","2025-02-12T08:25:24.593Z","article","The Wendell Town Board of Commissioners on Jan. 27 approved a rezoning that will allow Cook Street Partners to build eight townhome units at the corner of Wendell Falls Parkway and Cook Street, rezoning the site from Residential-3 to Downtown Mixed Use Conditional District (DMX‑CD). The motion passed 3-2 following a public hearing that drew more than a dozen residents and extended discussion about traffic, stormwater, open space and compatibility with the nearby historic neighborhood.

Town planner Randall Coates told the board the request (Conditional District 2402) applies to the parcel near 200 Wendell Falls Parkway and that the applicant’s preliminary site plan shows eight attached townhome units with rear-loaded, 20-by-20 garages served by a 16-foot alley. Coates said the Unified Development Ordinance requires 1,000 square feet of open space per townhome (8,000 square feet total) but the submitted plan shows roughly 1,500 square feet; the applicant is seeking a fee‑in‑lieu to cover the remaining roughly 6,400 square feet. Coates also summarized zoning conditions offered by the developer, including a 15-foot landscape buffer with a 6-foot stained‑wood privacy fence on the west lot line, fiber‑cement siding (no vinyl), a three‑story height limit, and rear‑loaded garages.

Opponents who spoke during the public hearing said the small lot and three‑story townhome design would be out of scale with the older houses nearby, worsen existing congestion on Wendell Falls Parkway and Cook Street, increase safety risks near a bus stop and the elementary school, and strain stormwater and utility systems. Residents also noted the Wendell planning board voted 6-1 to recommend denial. Among residents’ concerns were: the narrowness of Cook Street during peak hours; the potential for overflow parking on Cook Street; the proximity to properties on the Wendell historic register; and the loss of a house on the lot that they described as historic.

The applicant and engineer responded to those concerns in the hearing. Parker Jones of Cook Street Partners said the house on the site was dilapidated and not economically feasible to rehabilitate. Louis Hardy of RDU Consulting said the parcel is in the town’s Blueprint Wendell 2030 place type described as downtown core/downtown fringe and that townhomes and denser residential development are allowed there; he also said the project could act as “a catalyst” for additional downtown investment. Hardy cited a trip‑generation estimate (ITE methodology) that projected about four AM peak‑hour trips and five PM peak‑hour trips for the development. The applicant said refuse containers would be stored inside garage areas and could be collected either from the internal alley or from Cook Street, and that site work would be phased to manage construction impacts. The applicant also confirmed the plan includes a fee in lieu for on‑site open space rather than providing all required open space on the lot.

Board members debated those technical and planning points at length. Planning staff and the town manager explained that the fee‑in‑lieu is included in the town’s UDO as an accepted option for small infill lots where providing the required open space on site is impractical; funds collected via fee‑in‑lieu are directed to town projects such as parks and sidewalks. Staff also said the N.C. Department of Transportation and Wake County have participated in technical review of the site’s utilities, stormwater and other thresholds and that the site does not trigger a state erosion or stormwater permit threshold based on disturbance area as currently proposed. The town also noted a separate Local Assistance Program (LAP) project to install a traffic signal at Wendell Falls Parkway and Wendell Boulevard will include stormwater work from the boulevard down to Cook Street.

After the public hearing the board considered a motion to approve the rezoning with the conditions proposed by the applicant. The motion passed on a 3-2 vote. The planning board had recommended denial (6‑1). The conditional district approval ties the development to the submitted site plan and the proffered zoning conditions; staff said fee‑in‑lieu payments would come to the board for final acceptance at the time of building permit/platting.

The decision does not authorize construction: the developer must still complete site engineering, secure any required Wake County or NCDOT approvals, meet building‑permit requirements and coordinate refuse and other public‑works needs with town staff. Several residents asked the board to seek a reworked plan with fewer units or added visitor parking; one commissioner asked staff and the applicant to continue to examine ways to address on‑site circulation, trash pickup logistics and the fence/buffer along the western lot line.

Votes at a glance: the board voted 3-2 to approve Conditional District 2402 (rezoning to DMX‑CD) with the development conditions presented. The planning board’s recommendation was denial, 6-1.

The approved site plan and the proffered conditions will be recorded with the town; staff said future fee‑in‑lieu payments and any required engineering changes will be brought back to the board as they are negotiated and finalized.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Wendell Board Meeting - January 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Wendell Town Board voted 3-2 to rezone a parcel at Wendell Falls Parkway and Cook Street to a downtown mixed-use conditional district, allowing a developer to build eight townhome units. Planning staff said the proposal meets the town's comprehensive-plan place type; opponents and nearby residents raised traffic, historic-character and open‑空间/","taxTitle","Wendell, Wake County, North Carolina","taxId",46442,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},7315473,"Wendell police outline new Axon body‑worn camera program; release governed by state law",847,1290000,2137000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2619972-2eae090854a31fd3d2a24e214451a0ec&start=1290&end=2137","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2619972-2eae090854a31fd3d2a24e214451a0ec/thumbnail_1290000.jpg","/articles/7315473/Wendell/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Wendell-police-outline-new-Axon-bodyworn-camera-program-release-governed-by-state-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7315473-6f2131b794ca57b81aa19e75e5ef2a51/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145006&Signature=Wb6r5knBdutzRyIi1GDzabypkU7FmmUNyt5QbcOSrTcmiTmZu6wDefoVocblp3f4RRdtjPCy0pDJymvrqZTH2GH-QRvo9GL-OTStN6EKZF7z1Alkl7ETRfy20UqxKUrwoe~fGI6W2oSBQgFv3jzWwN7PzpKfROoVmYwmkRdEqA7F6661tMfJAwx7EWrn8eSOU8FxWSFLiq3nvpVZXqC95el0AzbDdPAETknNZ~M~ZQ4MJ~mFNMM3kk7fa48Z1gQXO4jcoODGWACJ2mv7XLOqz2aTj4hrXo2YZbEETCeLdRca03EVEB0-rIbdnAUoTLJD6-fAe9ya398azkbz~QJKOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief John Slaughter presented the Wendell Police Department’s proposed body‑worn camera (BWC) program to the Town Board on Jan. 27, describing equipment selection, operating policy highlights, training plans and next steps for deployment.

Slaughter said the department budgeted funds in the FY25 budget to purchase Axon body cameras and that the town also received grant funding to offset program costs. He described the Axon devices as compatible with the Evidence.com system used by the Wake County district attorney’s office and said the cameras will complement existing in‑car video and improve documentation of officer contacts away from the patrol vehicle.

Key policy points Slaughter described: officers will test body cameras at shift start, the cameras should be used for virtually all citizen contacts and remain recording until the officer has left the scene, supervisors will conduct quarterly substantive reviews of footage (three in‑car and three body‑camera recordings per quarter) as part of training and quality assurance, and equipment will be wirelessly downloaded via in‑car MiFi or by docking stations at the department. The records and evidence manager will be responsible for submitting video for court evidence; supervisors will have access to officers’ footage for reviews, while officers can play back only their own videos.

On public release, Slaughter told the board there is a state law process governing access to body‑worn camera footage: members of the public generally must pursue a court order or subpoena for release, and material needed for prosecution is provided through the normal subpoena process. He added that in high‑profile circumstances — for example an officer‑involved shooting — the town manager and legal counsel could pursue judicial review and other steps to authorize release if it is in the public interest. Board members were told the department will follow federal and state privacy rules (e.g., HIPAA) when patients or medical‑privacy issues arise.

Slaughter also described anticipated benefits: recorded evidence for prosecutions and probable‑cause development, training material to correct or reinforce officer actions, faster evidence transfer to prosecutors via Evidence.com (avoiding DVDs), and potential future productivity tools (Axon features that transcribe interactions and may reduce reporting time). He noted the department is exploring switching in‑car cameras to Axon as well and that any in‑car change would be contingent on funding and replacement schedules.

The board asked about public‑access procedures and whether anyone could request footage directly; Slaughter reiterated the state‑law and subpoena processes. Commissioners and staff also discussed routine supervisory review schedules, handling of longer multi‑hour events, and equipment redundancy (spare cameras for officers). No formal board action was taken at the presentation; staff said a policy and training schedule will be finalized prior to deployment and officers will not receive cameras until they have been trained and have signed required policy acknowledgements.

","Chief John Slaughter briefed the board on the department’s planned Axon body‑worn camera rollout, funded in the FY25 budget and supported by a grant. Policy covers activation rules, quarterly supervisor review, evidence handling via Evidence.com and public‑release limits under state law.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},7315470,"Board approves cemetery master‑plan contract negotiations and new brownfield task order",336,9251000,9587000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2619972-2eae090854a31fd3d2a24e214451a0ec&start=9251&end=9587","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2619972-2eae090854a31fd3d2a24e214451a0ec/thumbnail_9251000.jpg","/articles/7315470/Wendell/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Board-approves-cemetery-masterplan-contract-negotiations-and-new-brownfield-task-order","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7315470-7b4a2760061537b54db67d5ebe46e91e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145006&Signature=oqg7foKGIi0WxpmVhVtLGqtW~T0eEN7jbtcRIL8ML5iYd0oK-zqhe~5ADQboyYx2hnUya-nkRJFjWvNOqlgYVs0oczb8LDn-ksJfikvJvOk4a-nIibsG9U3GFJHM8DILKT~ho4PFRgnX72BTnMg5hP0hqgm7CporNvOJi3BuN0yIPBw6ikkHbxf29~5zPh35gFGNvgNspgVzhowmHqkXbdJ1abXZiuLSvCMnuPV10Hg29O9Cpp-1P4gfRsbjVfikUZT0Hw609cZzHYipAhF9sxgoDyE3e-6GuKwxr129YoawbN8z~IP9ZIMyYTNH5UE1sD1TAPHTqkKeSlQ65v3ejw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the same meeting the Wendell Town Board voted on two administrative items:

• Green Mount Cemetery master plan: Staff asked the board to approve rankings and authorize the town manager to negotiate a contract for design services for the Green Mount Cemetery master plan. The planning and administration review ranked W.C. Fry LLC first; the planning budget includes $25,000 for the master plan work in FY25. The board approved staff’s recommendation and authorized the town manager to negotiate and sign a contract with the top‑ranked firm.

• Brownfield task order 15 (West Fourth Street block): The board approved Task Order 15 under the town’s master services agreement with Geosyntec to continue environmental work in the West Fourth Street block (site eligibility determination, Phase II environmental site assessment, lead‑paint and asbestos surveys, and a site‑specific QAPP). Staff said the work would be limited to commercial and light‑industrial parcels in the block and would not impact adjacent residences; the task order has a not‑to‑exceed amount of $19,354 and will be paid from the town’s EPA brownfield assessment grant. The board authorized the town manager to sign the task order.

Both administrative actions were approved by voice vote; the meeting packet indicates the cemetery master‑plan design is expected to continue into FY26 for contract completion and that the brownfield work supports downtown redevelopment and property readiness for future reuse.

","The town authorized staff to negotiate a contract with W.C. Fry LLC for the Green Mount Cemetery master plan (FY25 budget funding) and approved Geosyntec task order 15 for EPA brownfield assessments (not‑to‑exceed $19,354, grant funded). Both votes passed unanimously.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Wendell board approves conditional rezoning for eight townhomes after contested public hearing

Wendell police outline new Axon body‑worn camera program; release governed by state law

Board approves cemetery master‑plan contract negotiations and new brownfield task order