Wendell Exchange PUD rezoning and special-use permit approved to create industrial/commercial innovation district
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Summary
The board approved rezoning and granted a special-use permit for Wendell Exchange, an 83.6-acre nonresidential PUD designed for industrial, flex, and commercial uses; the project includes traffic mitigation measures, buffer requirements, and transit easements.
The Wendell Town Board approved the Wendell Exchange planned unit development rezoning and granted the quasi‑judicial special‑use permit after a presentation by staff and testimony from the applicant's experts.
Staff described Wendell Exchange as an 83.63‑acre PUD along US 64 Business and Keith Road intended for nonresidential uses across three zones: a commercial frontage at US 64 Business (Zone 1), a mixed commercial/industrial zone (Zone 2), and a primarily industrial zone (Zone 3). The project includes perimeter buffers, architectural commitments modeled after the nearby Wendell Commerce Center, and public‑utility routing to Raleigh Water.
Transportation witnesses said the developer's traffic impact analysis assumed roughly 775,000 square feet of industrial space plus retail components and estimated the project could generate about 11,317 daily vehicle trips. Proposed mitigation includes turn lanes, frontage improvements on Keith Road, realignment of 3 Sisters Road, and signal warrant analyses that would trigger signal installation at defined build thresholds; the developer and NCDOT would coordinate implementation and cost responsibilities.
Applicant representatives emphasized the site's role in the town’s Innovation District and committed to a transit stop easement and a fee‑in‑lieu for future transit stop construction. The planning board had recommended approval. After hearing from supporters and neighbors, the Board voted to approve the rezoning and grant the special‑use permit.
Next steps: the applicant may submit construction drawings and coordinate signal warrants, DOT encroachment approvals, and Raleigh Water review as part of the buildout process.