Wake Forest Community Plan - April 2022

Wake Forest Community Plan - April 2022

TOWN OF WAKE FOREST Community Plan

Adopted April 19, 2022

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Board of Commissioners Vivian Jones , Mayor Adam Wright , Commissioner Bridget Wall-Lennon , Commissioner (through December 2021) Steering Committee Ann Welton

Thanks to Those Who Participated A special thank you goes to everyone who participated in the planning process for the Wake Forest Community Plan. This Plan was made possible by the contributions and insights of the residents, business owners, property owners, developers, and representatives from various groups and organizations.

Planning Staff Courtney Tanner , Planning Director Jennifer Currin , Assistant Planning Dierctor Brad West , Long Range Planning Manager Dylan Bruchhaus , Planner II - Long Range Melanie Rausch, Planner I - Long Range Michelle Michael , Senior Planner - Historic Preservation Ben Coleman , Zoning Enforcement Officer Josh Michael , Planning Administrative Assistant Kari Grace , Senior Planner - Development Services Patrick Reidy , Senior Planner - Development Services Emma Linn , Planner I - Development Services

Jacob Anderson Joseph Lassiter Kenneth Christie Leeann Tedder Ryan Akers Sheneque Duncan Shipman Northcutt Shynese Hockaday

Chad Sary , Commissioner Jim Dyer , Commissioner Keith Shackleford , Commissioner Liz Simpers , Commissioner (through December 2021) Nick Sliwinski , Commissioner Planning Board Joe Kimray , Chair Karin Kuropas , Vice-Chair Colleen Sharpe , Board Member (through December 2021) Christopher Joyner , Board Member Michael Siderio , Board Member Michael Hickey , Board Member Sheila Bishop , Board Member Thomas Ballman , Board Member

Stacey Mortiz Timothy Shail Zee Khan Town Departments Administration Communications Downtown Development Economic Development Finance Fire Human Resources Inspections Information Technology Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Police Public Works Wake Forest Power Wake Forest Renaissance Centre

Project Consultant

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 2 3

4

Plan Context

2

Additional Considerations

62

What is the Community Plan?

3 4 6 7 8

Housing Affordability Residential Character

63 64 65 66 67 68 68 69 70 70 71 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 86 88 89

Regional Setting

History

Senior Housing

Planning Area Existing Land Use Current Zoning Overlay Districts

Commercial Development

Minority & Women-Owned Businesses

10 12 14 22 24

Setbacks

Parking Lots

Demographic Snapshot Past Plans & Studies Community Outreach

Screening & Buffering Community Character Historic Preservation Community Facilities Utility Lines

Public Transit

Vision & Goals Vision Statement

28

S-Line

Capital Boulevard Street Connectivity

29 30

Goals

Sidewalks & Multi-Use Paths Bikeways, Greenways & Trails Local Food Systems Conservation Design Green Space Preservation

Tree Canopy

Sustainable Development

Tourism Gateways

Downtown Wake Forest

5

Land Use & Development Why is a Land Use Plan Important?

32

Implementation

90

33 33 34 35 36 48 50 54 58

Next Steps Partners Action Matrix

91 92 93

Sustainable Growth Planning Jurisdiction Growth Strategy

Land Use Plan

TOD & ACtivity Center Areas Residential Areas Plan

Commercial & Industrial Areas Plan

Downtown Area Plan

1 PLAN CONTEXT

The Town of Wake Forest is a fast-growing community positioned just north of Raleigh and northeast of North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. Incorporated in 1909, the Town grew as a community of rich heritage, small-town character, home to a vibrant and historic Downtown, festivals and events, and scenic natural areas cherished by its residents. Over the past two decades, the Town has experienced unprecedented growth reflective of the surrounding region, prompting new development that has been primarily residential. Today, residents enjoy attractive suburban living with access to nearby urban amenities.

In August 2020, the Town initiated an update to the Wake Forest Community Plan to address Wake Forest’s continual growth and ensure future development supports a thriving community with a high quality of life. The planning process included an extensive analysis of existing conditions and robust community engagement to identify unique issues and opportunities within the Town. Together, these components formed the vision, goals, and recommendations of this Community Plan. The Plan establishes a roadmap for how Wake Forest should develop and grow over the next 10 to 20 years to achieve its vision along with the critical steps necessary to do so.

2

WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY PLAN?

The Community Plan and Future Land Use Map (Community Plan) is Wake Forest’s new comprehensive land use plan that creates a long-term vision for the Town to implement over the next 10 to 20 years. The Community Plan is built off past planning efforts, existing policies that remain relevant, and at its core, community input from a wide-ranging outreach process. It presents a cohesive vision that is representative of Wake Forest’s residents, business community, and community stakeholders. The Community Plan outlines the critical steps essential to ensure future growth and development in the Town aligns with the community’s priorities. The Community Plan is a product of an 21-month planning process that included considerable community engagement. It began in the summer of 2020 and ended spring of 2022. The planning process included the seven steps below:

PROJECT BRANDING To better brand the Community Plan, the logo above was created for the planning process.

1. Project Initiation This step included project kick-o meetings with Town sta , the Board of Commissioners, and Town Department Heads to discuss the overall direction of the Community Plan and any policy issues facing the Town.

3. Existing Conditions This step included >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106

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