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Planning board approves White Street mixed‑use conditional rezoning; asks for stronger affordability and traffic measures
Summary
The planning board approved RZ24-04 to rezone about 3.93 acres at North White Street to a neighborhood mixed‑use conditional district with a site master plan; the board recommended increasing the affordable housing commitment to 8% and asked the town to consider a stop sign at Royal Mill Avenue and North White Street if appropriate.
The Town of Wake Forest Planning Board approved legislative case RZ24-04, a conditional rezoning to convert approximately 3.93 acres at the southeast corner of North White Street and Royal Mill Avenue from Neighborhood Business (NB) to Neighborhood Mixed Use Conditional District (NMXCD). The application was filed by FLM Engineering on behalf of the owner, Thales Academy.
Staff said the site plan proposes a mixed-use building fronting North White Street with parking behind the building, a proposed gathering area, and multiuse paths on both frontages. The master plan includes pedestrian connections, parking behind the principal building, required tree and parking screening, and a proposed underground stormwater control measure in the parking area. Staff recommended approval, finding the request generally consistent with the town's comprehensive plan and area guidance for neighborhood commercial development.
Key conditions and technical points discussed at the meeting included a requested reduction in multifamily parking from 1.8 spaces per unit to 1.5, a proposed maximum building height of four stories (reduced from the NMXCD maximum of six), and a proposed commitment that at least six percent of units be affordable for ten years at 70 percent of area median income. The applicant also proposed a one-time payment of $20,000 to the town for safety improvements at the intersection of North White Street and Royal Mill Avenue; the town would determine how to use those funds.
Transportation and utilities were a focus. Staff referenced a 2024 Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) recommending turn-lane striping and other access changes; the TIA was based on data collected in late 2023. The TIA recommended a 50-foot left-turn lane on North White Street and through-right-turn lane improvements. The applicant said no new roadway widening was proposed beyond striping and the multiuse path construction required by the comprehensive transportation plan.
The burial of overhead power lines was discussed. The applicant reported Wake Electric communicated that burying the substantial transmission line along Royal Mill Avenue would be prohibitively expensive; the applicant cited an estimated cost of about $92,000 to bury the smaller North White Street line and roughly $1,000,000 for the Royal Mill transmission line. Because Wake Electric indicated it could not or would not underground the transmission feeder, the applicant requested an exception from the UDO requirement to bury the lines.
Public commenters raised concerns about overhead power lines, parking adequacy, architectural character at the gateway, and potential traffic impacts during events at the adjacent Flaherty Park. Margaret Watkins and Stephen Stoler, both residents, urged burying lines where feasible, asked about parking agreements with the nearby church, and encouraged stronger architectural commitments. The applicant's representative, John Frazier of FLM Engineering, said the $20,000 payment was proposed to allow town discretion for safety or pedestrian improvements and that the traffic study did not recommend new stop control or a signal at the intersection.
After discussion, Planning Board member Almquist moved to approve RZ24-04 as generally consistent with the comprehensive plan and in the public interest, with two additional recommendations: (1) increase the affordable-housing commitment to 8 percent and (2) install a stop sign at Royal Mill Avenue and North White Street if deemed appropriate by the town following town review. The motion was seconded by Planning Board member Davis and passed unanimously.
The approved conditional district includes a site master plan and multiple conditions described in the staff report (setback and frontage modifications, tree protection requirements, a 20-foot Type B street buffer, a proposed six-foot fence where a 15-foot Type B buffer is used, building frontage and pedestrian access requirements, and a proposed 10-foot multiuse path along the frontages). The board's 8 percent affordability recommendation and the stop-sign recommendation are advisory to the Board of Commissioners, which will consider the zoning map amendment and any final conditions.
