Wendell approves special-use permit for 140 townhomes at Wendell Village

The Wendell Town Board of Commissioners on a voice vote approved a special-use permit for Edinburgh Development LLC to build 140 townhomes within the Wendell Village development, along with 42 single-family lots that do not require the permit.

The permit approval follows staff presentations, expert testimony from the applicant, and a public evidentiary hearing. Town planning staff described the reduced site plan, zoning context and required reviews; applicant representatives presented engineering, traffic and appraisal evidence intended to show the proposal meets the special-use criteria in the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).

Town staff said the 27-acre assemblage is zoned Corridor Mixed Use (CMX) and that townhomes are a multifamily use requiring a special-use permit in that district. The applicant offered voluntary conditions and amenities as part of the application: a covered pavilion with fireplace, playground, pickleball and ping-pong courts, a dog park, a variety of open-space areas, street trees, and building-design commitments (masonry foundations on street-facing sides, no vinyl siding, decorative garage doors, and Energy Star certification for all homes). The reduced site plan shows two stormwater ponds, a 20-foot perimeter buffer around the project and street connections to Rosalyn (Roseland) Way and Marshburn Road; final construction documents will be subject to technical review and Wake County stormwater review.

Civil engineer Luke Turner of McKim & Creed testified that the plan provides roughly 4,000 square feet more open space than the UDO minimum and that the layout exceeds the town's buffering standard by incorporating a continuous 20-foot buffer and an agreed 6-foot privacy fence along certain property lines. Traffic engineer Joshua Reinke (Bolton & Menk) testified the updated traffic-impact analysis shows fewer daily trips than the project’s prior multifamily approval and confirmed requested roadway and pedestrian dedications, including 9.5 feet of right-of-way dedication and pedestrian improvements along Marshburn Road. Appraiser Hunter Howell summarized a market-compatibility review, saying density (about 6.7 units per acre) and the mix of townhomes and single-family lots are comparable to nearby Wendell developments and are “in harmony with surrounding land uses.”

The applicant’s attorney, Collier Marsh, emphasized the permit covers the townhome portion of the previously approved development and asked the board to admit the application materials and the applicant’s evidence into the record. Town staff noted they present the analysis but do not make a recommendation on special-use permit approvals.

Following the hearing, a commissioner moved to grant the special-use permit; the board voted in favor by voice vote. The motion was approved and the permit will proceed to the preliminary plan and construction-drawings stage where the technical-review committee will evaluate stormwater, parking and final engineering details.

The permit includes multiple developer commitments (design standards, open-space and amenity provisions, buffers and a fence to be maintained by the HOA) that staff said will be enforced at development plan review. Staff also said parking calculations will be finalized with the preliminary plan; driveways and garages shown on the reduced site plan indicate the project will meet minimum on-lot parking requirements.

No formal roll-call tally was entered in the record; the board approved the permit by voice vote and there was no recorded opposition.

Planning and engineering reviews, Wake County stormwater review and technical construction approvals remain required before construction can begin.