Wake Forest planning board backs Church Street rezoning with conservation, affordable-housing recommendations

The Wake Forest Planning Board voted to recommend approval of rezoning case RZ24-01, the Harris Tract application from Church Street Company, but attached recommendations that the Board of Commissioners seek a permanent conservation easement for a wooded parcel and that the applicant consider providing affordable rental units.

The case covers 55.93 acres at 0 Harris Road (Wake County Tax PIN 184-139-2412) and would rezone property described in the application from bridal holding district to neighborhood mixed use conditional (NMX), open space conditional, and residential mixed use conditional (RMX). The planning board motion said the application “generally meets the comprehensive plan” and passed with all members present voting in favor.

The recommendation to the Board of Commissioners asks Church Street Company to provide 5% of multifamily rental units to households at 80% of area median income (AMI) and asks the town to work with Church Street to preserve roughly 30 acres of wooded open space directly across from Joyner Park; if the town does not accept ownership, the motion requests that the applicant place that acreage into a conservation easement in…