Wake Forest approves special-use permit for new Fire Station No. 6 and training facility

The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners approved a special-use permit (SUP-24-02) for a new fire station and training facility located at 1621 and 1701 Waite Avenue after a quasi‑judicial hearing in which town staff and several expert witnesses testified under oath. The board admitted the staff report, architectural renderings, site plans and expert memoranda into the record and voted to approve the permit unanimously.

The permit covers a roughly 4.48‑acre site on the north side of Waite Avenue. Town planning staff member Patrick Reedy presented the staff report, identifying the addresses and parcel details and outlining the eight findings required by the Unified Development Ordinance for special‑use permits. “This property is on the North side of Waite Avenue … the addresses are 1621 and 1701 Waite Avenue,” Reedy said as he described the site and surrounding zoning.

Why it matters: Town and fire department witnesses said the station will improve emergency response and provide local live‑fire training that Wake Forest currently obtains offsite. Fire consultant Greg Grayson and Chief Ron Early said a local training facility would reduce travel for annual live‑fire practice, help maintain the town’s insurance and public‑safety standards, and support firefighters’ readiness as the town grows.

The hearing included sworn expert testimony addressing each UDO finding. Chief Ron Early, who identified himself as Wake Forest fire chief, told the board the town’s growth has stretched current resources: “Whether you like it or not or unfortunately or fortunately, we're at the point where this town has grown to the point where we are lacking in fire station or fire protection, fire EMS, and hazardous material protection.” He and other witnesses said the new station is intended to serve the eastern portion of the town and the adjacent unincorporated Wake County service area.

Architect Gina Moore described the building scale and materials and said the design steps down toward neighboring properties to reduce perceived height and massing. Civil engineer Blake Hall detailed buffers, existing vegetation retention, utility extensions to the site and a voluntary 6‑foot opaque fence proposed along the northern and eastern property lines. Hall also noted a pond and associated dam limit the ability to fully widen Waite Avenue at the site, and that the site design places the building and parking to maximize distance from residences.

Traffic consultant Cliff Lawson testified the site will not create a traffic safety hazard or undue congestion and that the parking supply will meet projected demand. Lawson’s sealed memorandum was included as an exhibit and reviewed by NCDOT, he said. Hall added the project team coordinated with NCDOT on driveway treatments; the state division traffic engineer requested emergency‑vehicle signal preemption on the adjacent signal so emergency apparatus can proceed through the intersection when responding.

A chief focus of the hearing was the station’s training facility. Consultant Greg Grayson explained the town plans a pre‑engineered training structure commonly used in North Carolina and said most training would use theatrical (simulated) smoke: “There will be smoke. There's no way to say that differently.” He told the board the department intends to use simulated smoke about 70% of the time and that the facility will not use petroleum‑based (Class B) fuels. He said industry practice limits burn loads in these facilities: “The most that can be used in a burn situation is 3 wooden pallets and 1 bale of straw.” Grayson recommended mitigation practices — posting training schedules, vegetation and possible berms, wind observation tools and a departmental policy spelling out when and how live burns occur.

Real‑estate appraiser Frank Leatherman reviewed comparables for two existing Wake Forest stations and said he found no evidence of negative impacts to adjoining residential property values in those cases: “In both instances, the property values continued to be consistent in the neighborhood.”

Discussion vs. decision: Board members questioned witnesses and then deliberated publicly on each of the UDO findings. Commissioners expressed they were satisfied the eight findings were met after hearing the staff report, the expert memoranda and the sworn testimony. The formal action was approval of SUP‑24‑02; the board instructed staff to prepare the permit paperwork.

Documents and conditions: The town admitted the staff report and 11 exhibits, architectural renderings, the site plan and experts’ memoranda into the record. No variance requests were made; project witnesses said the site plan conforms to UDO standards and that the applicant is not requesting deviations from ordinance requirements. The consultants identified mitigation measures the department plans to adopt for training operations and suggested the department adopt formal policies to govern burns and notify the public of significant training events.

What’s next: Staff will prepare the permit documents and any associated conditions for the town file. The hearing record will remain available and the town will control training operations per the department’s policy and the facility’s construction and operating plan.

Ending: The permit authorizes the town to proceed with construction design and permits consistent with the site plan and the testimony the board relied upon; detailed construction timelines and specific funding appropriation decisions were not part of this hearing and remain subject to separate budgeting and contract approvals.