Wendell advances full-build design for Wendell Falls Parkway–Eagle Rock Road; accepts developer fee-in-lieu payments

The Wendell Town Board received a project update on design work for the Wendell Falls Parkway and Eagle Rock Road intersection and approved two fee-in-lieu agreements with developers that will contribute toward the intersection’s full build-out.

Planning staff said VHB, the town’s engineering consultant, is designing a full-build intersection consistent with the town’s transportation plan: four-lane divided roadways with medians, multiuse paths, and turn-lane configurations sized for future traffic. Staff told the board VHB will deliver 60% construction drawings in April 2025 and 100% drawings in fall 2025; right-of-way plans were scheduled for completion in April and the town would start the right-of-way process thereafter.

Staff also explained coordination with multiple developers and with NCDOT, which maintains both roads. “DOT has been an active partner in this and they are very supportive of us collecting a fee in lieu, to for some improvements as long as we spend it at that intersection,” the planning director said.

Two separate fee-in-lieu proposals were before the board. The Wendell Estates proposal covered two turn lanes (a 200-foot right turn from Eagle Rock onto Wendell Falls Parkway westbound and a 50-foot left turn from Wendell Falls Parkway onto Eagle Rock northbound) with an estimated fee of $716,415.20. A second package covering turn-lane work associated with the Edwards/Eagle Trace developments totaled $1,736,908.60; that estimate also included additional length added to a left-turn lane after a revised traffic impact analysis and allocation of signal and utility relocation costs. Staff said the estimates follow NCDOT quantity and contingency standards and include mobilization, earthwork, traffic control, drainage, signal modification, utility relocation and right-of-way costs.

The board voted to accept both fee-in-lieu payments; staff said collected fees will be applied to the town’s project at the intersection rather than piecemeal construction by individual developers. Board members praised the coordinated planning approach and described the actions as proactive transportation planning.

Staff said future work will include coordination on right-of-way acquisition with affected property owners and integration of developer-funded frontages into the full-build drawings.