Contact Assistant Planning Director Dianne Khin at 919-249-3332 or dianne.khin@apexnc.org for more information or to receive a copy of the plan brochure.
Apex’s rapid growth is a testament to its attractiveness to residents, retailers, and employers. As the construction of I-540 draws near, development pressure at the South Salem Street interchange area will increase due to the excellent access and availability of undeveloped land. As a gateway into Apex, this area must convey the small-town character so important to the community while helping achieve objectives for growth, development patterns, and development design. In addition, this area was deemed to be the best location for a regional bus and/or rail transit station if one is built in Apex, provided that transit-supportive development occurs here. Encouraging development that supports transit is a way to maintain the option of having regional bus and/or rail transit in Apex in the future.
For this reason, the Apex Comprehensive Plan identifies the interchange area as the location of a future activity center. The plan states that this activity center should feature compact development of mixed retail, office, and residential uses, allowing for preservation of more open land and for multi-modal access to a variety of land use types on foot, by bicycle, by car, by bus, or, eventually, by commuter train. As a step toward making the activity center a reality, the Comprehensive Plan recommended a small area plan that can guide development spurred by the future interchange. Thus, the I-540/South Salem Street Small Area Plan was undertaken. It was developed with input from an Advisory Committee of Apex citizens that clarified the community’s desires and concerns regarding specific issues, including retaining small-town character, pedestrian friendliness, access and mobility, and environmental protection. An intensive design charrette allowed the consultant team to collaborate with Town staff and officials to develop concept plans for the study area, inviting the community’s feedback at a public workshop and an open house. Representing the community at large, the Advisory Committee participated in the charrette through design sessions and focused meetings. This final plan, a refined and expanded version of the charrette products, will guide the Town of Apex in realizing the vision for the I-540/South Salem Street area.
The activity center is located southwest of downtown Apex in the northeast and southeast quadrants of the future interchange of South Salem Street and the planned I-540 freeway. The area covers approximately 500 acres, most of which is undeveloped, with the exception of scattered single-family residences and small farms. South Salem Street bisects the area. Other important roads that provide access to the study area include Apex Barbecue Road to the north, Apex Peakway and Tingen Road to the east, and Kelly Road and Holland Road west of I-540. Railroad tracks of the CSX line run parallel to South Salem Street, with few at-grade road crossings permitted now or in the future.
The study area features rolling hills, with steeper slopes in drainageways of streams. Several perennial streams lie east of South Salem Street, which follows a ridgeline, and intermittent streams are found throughout the area. Per the Town’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), perennial streams have 100-foot buffers on either side in which development is not permitted, while intermittent streams have 50-foot buffers.
Planned Transportation Links
The portion of I-540 (TIP# R-2635) from NC 55 in Cary south to US 1 is scheduled to open in 2010, and will extend to the NC 55 Bypass in southern Apex after 2010. The I-540 interchanges providing direct access to Apex will be located at South Salem Street and the NC 55 Bypass near Holly Springs, while closed-loop interchanges with no local street access will occur at US 64 and US 1. NCDOT’s design plans for I-540 indicate that the freeway will be below the existing grade, with a shift of the CSX line 180 feet to the south. Both the realigned rail line and a widened South Salem Street will be bridged to cross over I-540. Few grade-separated crossings of I-540 by other local streets have been identified in NCDOT’s plans, though the Town’s Transportation Plan recommends them.
Triangle Transit Authority has designated the rail route from the trunk regional rail line to Apex as a corridor to be studied, showing that Apex could become the terminus of a spur. TTA is willing to coordinate with the Town to pursue a future connection to the regional rail transit system. A station in Apex would open no earlier than 2015.
In order for a regional rail transit station location to be considered, the area must meet TTA’s guidelines for transit-supportive development. The guidelines differ for station areas of various intensities, and the station in Apex, should it become a reality, would be the least intense of the station area types. The guidelines are to be applied over an area within a half-mile of the station, which is approximately a 10-minute walk, the distance pedestrians can travel comfortably. One set of guidelines is applied to the core area (within a quarter-mile of the station) and another to the Implementationneighborhood area (between a quarter-mile and half-mile from it). These guidelines recommend minimum densities: 15 dwelling units per acre (DUA) within the core and 7 DUA in the neighborhood, and/or .5 commercial floor area ratio (FAR) within the core and .2 FAR in the neighborhood. The guidelines require mixed and concentrated uses, adequate access and parking, and an attractive, safe, and orderly station area environment.
Planned Open Space and Recreation
The Apex Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department has identified a need for an athletic complex at South Salem Street and Apex Barbecue Road. This planned park covers approximately 60 acres and includes facilities for baseball, softball, tennis, soccer, and skateboarding. According to the Apex Transportation Plan, the Holland Creek greenway would connect the park to other destinations inside and outside the study area as well as the American Tobacco Trail.
Future Market Conditions
A market study revealed that development supported in the study area will occur in three phases: before the opening of I-540 in 2010, between the arrival of I-540 and the opening of a rail transit station after 2015, and after the arrival of rail transit, should it occur. Prior to 2010, small-scale office and retail may occur in the South Salem Street corridor, along with some multi-family residential development. After the I-540 interchange opens, development will accelerate surrounding the interchange. Corporate tenants are likely to be attracted by the proximity to Research Triangle Park, RDU airport, and the rapidly expanding labor force in southern Wake County. Amenitized mixed-use employment centers will be supported after 2010, though freestanding single-use buildings will predominate before rail transit arrives. The opening of I-540 will also bring a rise in the number and price of single-family homes near the interchange, as well as neighborhood retail such as supermarkets, restaurants, and small shops. There will also be some support for condominiums after 2010. By 2015, the market can absorb 600 to 800 apartments, with vertical integration (i.e. apartments above offices or shops) becoming more prevalent after 2015. The arrival of regional rail transit would also increase support for stacked-flat condominiums.
I-540/South Salem Street Small Area Plan
The plan for the I-540/South Salem Street interchange area depicts an activity center identified in the Apex Comprehensive Plan as an area within which growth could be accommodated at higher densities than are currently present in Apex, focusing growth instead of allowing it to sprawl. This area is intended to have a different character from surrounding areas due to the center’s location, proximity to transportation routes, and land uses. This is one of two activity centers described as areas that could transition into transit station areas in the future, when and if there is substantial support for transit in Apex.
Development pressures will be building in anticipation of the I-540 interchange. While many of the uses that typically locate at or near an interstate interchange are the same uses that are appropriate for this location, these developments are not typically built at densities or in a manner appropriate for this activity center. This plan illustrates how those uses might be integrated into development that incorporates a broad range of uses and organizes them in a manner that has many benefits. The following describes the plan components and their importance.
- Mixture of uses – Mixing residences with non-residential uses fosters a vibrant 24-hour environment that is safer for all users. Mixed both horizontally and vertically within multi-use buildings, uses in the plan include office, retail, civic/community, open space, and residential.
- Connected system of streets – A well-connected street system improves access by providing multiple routes between destinations. The intent is to provide a system of interconnected, two-lane roadways that distribute traffic evenly, making them unlikely to require expansion to multiple lanes in the future. An ideal grid pattern providing the greatest level of connectivity within the core area would have blocks of 400 to 600 feet per side, but topography and other factors sometimes prevent the creation of a true grid. The plan’s street network is a modified grid that maximizes connectivity while responding to natural features, especially where streams are more common.
The configuration of South Salem Street, which is planned to be a four-lane divided road in the future, was studied to determine how it might move high volumes of traffic between downtown Apex and I-540, provide access to future commercial uses, and safely accommodate foot traffic. As a result, the plan shows a realignment of South Salem Street, separating it from the rail line for a short distance to create developable parcels on either side of the street for a more vibrant station area.
Recognizing the barrier that the rail line presents in accessing land in the southeastern half of the area, this plan calls for two underpasses. One takes advantage of the elevated section of the rail line and South Salem Street, an improvement that will allow these two facilities to cross I-540. A second underpass would be created under these two facilities closer to Apex Barbecue Road where the natural topography drops low enough to accommodate it. Additional crossings, such as the one illustrated over I-540, provide important connections that enhance circulation in the town.
- Compact form – A compact development form makes travel by means other than automobile (such as walking, biking, or riding transit) convenient by locating complementary uses near each other. With a compact form, an average development density of 11 dwelling units per acre for residential development and an average floor area ratio of .35 for non-residential development can be achieved. Growth in Apex is occurring at a rate that makes this density feasible, and by concentrating that growth here and in other activity centers in Apex, land is utilized more efficiently and the pressure to develop the rural areas of town is greatly reduced.
- Transit facilities as an integral part of development – With the characteristics described above, development can more easily support transit. As traffic congestion worsens, access to work, shopping, and services via modes other than the automobile is increasingly important. To facilitate the use of transit in this activity center, the area could initially be developed with surface parking that, in addition to serving the development, could support park-and-ride bus transit users, since I-540 will accommodate high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes that will likely be used by express buses. Later, these lots could be converted to more intense mixed-use development with structured parking, meeting TTA’s transit station area guidelines for development densities as well as accommodating park-and-ride rail transit users.
If provided, a regional rail station here would complement the transit stop proposed for downtown Apex, yet accommodate the range of uses desired for an end-of-the-line, “destination” station. The plan locates the potential station at the center of the study area as a focal point. The land within a quarter-mile of the station, which TTA calls the “core,” is intended to be the more intensely developed portion of the area with a greater vertical mixture of uses than the balance of the area. Thus, most of the development is within a five-minute walk of the station.
- Well-designed streets and streetscape – Attention to street design is critical to an attractive street system that enhances bicycle and pedestrian activity while connecting the public (street) and private (homes and businesses) realms. The streets within this area should balance pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular needs through the following characteristics:
- Wide sidewalks on both sides of each street, connected by well-marked crosswalks and other pedestrian safety features.
- Where possible, street trees to provide shade as well as aesthetic relief in a primarily man-made environment.
- Continuous “street walls” created by side-by-side building facades close to the street. Such walls, when articulated by windows, doors, awnings, and other architectural detailing, add interest and variety to the streetscape and make the street an attractive and comfortable space whose function is similar to that of a well-designed indoor space.
- On-street parking that serves multiple purposes: it provides convenient access to building entrances, buffers pedestrians on the sidewalks from vehicular traffic on the street, and calms traffic.
- Narrow streets, vehicular lanes, and curb extensions that allow street crossings to cover shorter distances, making pedestrians safer. These narrower streets also slow traffic and contribute to the pedestrian scale of outdoor spaces.
- Street and pedestrian lighting that adds to perceived safety.
- Where applicable, medians to provide for safe travel and as a pedestrian refuge.
- Buried utility lines, which should be coordinated with street tree and lighting locations to avoid conflicts.
- Metal pole and mast arm traffic signals where applicable along South Salem Street.
- Site furnishings such as benches, bus shelters, planters, and trash cans.
- Well-defined and connected pedestrian system – The pedestrian system clearly demarcates routes intended for pedestrian traffic. On or near streets, special materials such as pavers, concrete, and striping define pedestrian spaces and make drivers aware of foot traffic. While the plan’s pedestrian routes generally coincide with streets, additional connections, including mid-block walkways and greenway trails, create a more intricate system. Two critical crossings are indicated on the plan: the proposed pedestrian tunnel to the transit station from the southeast side, and the planned culvert that allows the Holland Creek greenway to pass under I-540.
- Adequate parking – The plan includes surface lots to serve current parking needs and can later be converted to structured parking and additional building space. On-street parking supplements these lots while calming traffic and serving other purposes mentioned above, including acting as a buffer between pedestrians on the sidewalks and vehicular traffic.
- Open space – Greenways supplement the pedestrian network by connecting to destinations within the area, adjacent development, and the local and regional trail systems. A regional park covers 60 acres and includes soccer, baseball, softball, tennis, and other facilities. Small parks and formal greenspaces are placed throughout the study area, as are more natural open spaces, some of which may be used for passive recreation, particularly where stream buffers will be preserved as required by the Town’s UDO. The small area plan includes roughly 160 acres of green space, which is about 32% of the total area.
Recommendation & Implementation
In order for the development patterns, mix of land uses, and other elements described in this plan to become a reality, several steps should be taken.
- Update land use plan to more specifically reflect the arrangement of uses proposed in this plan.
- Create an overlay zoning district for transit-oriented activity centers in order to encourage the building scales, building relationships, and design characteristics that are envisioned for transit-supportive areas.
- Develop design guidelines to supplement the standards set forth in the overlay zoning district. The guidelines should communicate expectations regarding development’s character and quality and conform to TTA’s requirements for Level 2 station areas.
- While ensuring that development follows the small area plan, allow flexibility in its phasing. Though a mixture of uses in future development is desired, the phasing of development should allow for single uses to develop in response to current market demands, as long as future phases introduce other uses that complement first-phase development and create the mixture intended.
- Conduct a preliminary engineering study with input from NCDOT and TTA to determine the appropriate geometrics for the realignment of South Salem Street. Then, work with property owners and/or developers to implement the new alignment through the development process or through capital improvements.
- Update the Town of Apex Transportation Plan to reflect, at a minimum, the following:
- Grade separation at Apex Peakway and South Salem Street
- Realigned South Salem Street
- Holland Road extension with grade-separated crossing over I-540 south of Apex Barbecue Road
- Potential transit station location
- Revised collector street system
- Modify local street design standards to allow narrower travel lanes and other features illustrated in the plan.
- Connectivity
- In the neighborhood area, require a street connection at least every 1200 feet, encouraging more connections where topography and other conditions allow. In the core area, require one every 400 to 600 feet, except where NCDOT roadway design standards require greater distances between intersections.
- Require developments to connect to each other and existing streets, and to provide stubout connections to potential future developments.
- Whenever possible, provide driveway access on commercial collectors and local residential streets. When driveway access onto South Salem Street is necessary, use shared driveways to minimize access points.
- Street Design
- Follow this plan’s typical cross sections for South Salem Street, commercial collectors, and residential streets.
- Base horizontal and vertical design features on local standards and the standards in “A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets” produced by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (1994).
- Arterial design standards should include a design speed of 45 mph. Design speeds for collectors and local streets should be 30 to 35 mph.
- Connectivity
- Coordinate with NCDOT and TTA to make the best use of land holdings, which would likely include reserving land that will be critical for future transit-oriented development, leasing it or utilizing it for temporary uses until the market will support the type of development needed surrounding the transit station.
- Coordinate with NCDOT to ensure that the South Salem Street bridge section design accommodates four lanes. The adopted Transportation Plan identifies South Salem Street as a four-lane divided facility connecting I-540 and downtown Apex, while NCDOT shows the planned bridge over I-540 as a three-lane facility.
- Promote and provide as many vehicular and pedestrian crossings of South Salem Street and the rail line as possible to maximize connectivity.
- Coordinate with NCDOT to ensure that design plans for South Salem Street and rail line improvements needed to construct these facilities across I-540 take into consideration the proposed underpass. The construction of such improvements by NCDOT should provide the ability to pass under South Salem Street and the rail line via a north-south grade-separated crossing, as shown on the plan.
- Explore possibilities of underpasses and overpasses in addition to those shown on the plan.
- Though a pedestrian tunnel passing under the rail line at the transit station is proposed in the plan due to current physical conditions, a pedestrian overpass should be considered since it would create the perception of a more convenient connection and increase visibility of the station.
- For the maximum number of I-540 crossings by local streets and greenways, coordinate with NCDOT to incorporate such facilities into design plans.
- To ensure that parks, a school, and other community facilities can be created and integrated into private development, reserve the land that is best suited for these uses.
- Waive resource conservation area (RCA) requirements within a half-mile of the station since they would prevent the intended density and connectivity.
- Pursue the dedication of land for rights-of-way and greenways that are important to the realization of the plan through the private development process.
- Pursue stream crossings without significantly compromising water quality. Vehicular stream crossings should be pursued every 2,500 to 3,000 feet. Bicycle and pedestrian crossings can occur at shorter intervals.
- Explore opportunities for public-private partnerships to make necessary, transit-supportive infrastructure improvements. Examples include the following:
- The construction of surface and/or structured parking lots that serve new development as well as transit (park-and-ride lot).
- The construction of critical road connections that also serve as access to new development.
- The construction of public spaces in key locations, such as the formal green in front of the transit station, as an integral part of new development.
- The construction of greenway trails.
The examples listed above may involve the creation of an easement or the dedication of land to the Town by the owner/developer, funding support for the improvements from the Town, and a maintenance agreement between the two entities.