Board approves Buffalo Station townhomes, commercial parcel and developer agreement that dedicates park space

WENDELL, N.C. — The Wendell Board of Commissioners approved annexation and rezoning for a roughly 27.15-acre property at 1012 Wendell Falls Parkway, clearing the way for a primarily townhome community that the developer will partially dedicate and equip as public recreation space under a linked developer’s agreement.

The Buffalo Station proposal calls for 83 alley-loaded townhomes, a roughly 1.3-acre commercial parcel at the Jake May/Wendell Falls Parkway intersection and several on-site amenities the developer agreed to construct and then convey to the town: a pickleball court, a tennis court, a natural play area and a 10-foot multiuse path that connects into nearby neighborhoods.

Why it matters: The site sits adjacent to the future Wendell Athletic Complex and near other approved mixed-use developments; staff and the applicant described the project as a way to fill a neighborhood-scale commercial node and add walkable recreation close to existing subdivisions that currently lack dedicated open space.

What the board approved

- Land use and housing mix: 83 townhomes (all alley-loaded), a 1.3-acre commercial outparcel restricted to neighborhood-serving uses (staff and applicant limited uses such as ATMs, funeral homes and standalone alcohol stores to keep the parcel oriented to small retail, medical or daycare uses).

- Open space and amenities: The project provides more open space than the minimum required and dedicates a neighborhood park with a multiuse path; the developer will construct pickleball and tennis courts and a natural play area and transfer the facilities to the town under the developer’s agreement.

- Design commitments: The conditional district requires anti-monotony provisions, minimum 20-foot lot widths for townhomes (raised from 16), garage and driveway dimensions to accommodate trash and recycling storage, material and facade modulation standards and front porches or covered entries on all units.

- Developer’s agreement: The board held and closed a required public hearing before approving a developer’s agreement that documents the developer’s obligation to build the courts, play area and the multiuse path and to dedicate the park to the town. The agreement also reserves water allocation for the project and sets the terms for dedication.

Public comment and board discussion

Nearby residents spoke in the public hearing with mixed responses. Some urged additional screening around the tennis court and expressed concern about proximity to existing yards; one nearby resident asked whether the new recreation elements would be lit (staff and the applicant said the tennis court would not be lighted and that the team added additional landscape screening against nearby back yards). Other speakers voiced concerns about runoff and general development pace along the corridor.

Applicant remarks

Brian Duncan, representing Delta Land Design for the developer, said the project preserves roughly 67% open space due in part to floodplain and environmentally sensitive areas and that sidewalks, the multiuse path and the collector road connection would improve local pedestrian and vehicle connectivity. Duncan said the commercial parcel is intended to be neighborhood-serving retail or services rather than larger regional retail.

Next steps

The rezoning and the development agreement were approved at the meeting; staff noted the project will require county stormwater and sedimentation/erosion-control permits before grading or site work begins. The town will accept the parkland dedication and the developer will be required to complete the public improvements per the developer’s agreement.

Ending

Commissioners emphasized a desire to maintain screening for adjacent homes and to preserve the undeveloped floodplain near Buffalo Creek. The board approved the package and directed staff to finalize the developer’s agreement consistent with the adopted conditions.