• Adopted Western Area Plan
• Community Meeting Summary – Dec 5, 2007
• Design Workshop Summary – Jan 9 & 10, 2008
• Final Draft Plan Map
• Final Advisory Committee Meeting Summary – March 5, 2008

Any questions or comments about the Western Area Plan can be directed to Brendie Vega, Principal Planner at brendie.vega@apexnc.org or 919-249-3339.

Map

Click here for a map of the Western Area Plan Study boundaries.

Background & Information

The Western Area Plan study area encompasses approximately 22,170 acres and is defined by the municipal agreement line with Cary to the north, Chatham County to the west, Holly Springs to the south, and future I-540 corridor to the east.  There are currently 3,049 dwelling units in the study area, with approximately 8,323 residents.  The purpose of the Western Area Plan is to adequately plan for future growth driven by the Regional Water Reclamation Facility and the Triangle Expressway toll road project, both of which are planned for completion around 2013.

The Town of Apex currently has various planning elements in place for the Western Area Plan, including the 2025 Land Use Plan, Transportation Plan, Parks and Recreation Plan, and Utility Plans.  The main focus of the Western Area Plan will be to update the 2025 Land Use Plan, with corresponding changes to the Transportation Plan, and possible changes to the Parks and Recreation Plan.

Public Comment Process

LandDesign was hired as the consultants for the plan in the summer of 2007.  The Western Area Plan Advisory Committee was appointed by Mayor Weatherly and confirmed by the Town Council in the fall of 2007.  This 15 member group is made up of design professionals and citizens who live in the study area and has met 3 times thus far to help guide the plan.

LandDesign held stakeholder interviews on November 19th and 20th with transportation professionals, economic development specialists, development/real estate community representatives, historic preservation professionals, and town staff.  The top two items identified as important to the plan were the need for more infrastructure/infrastructure funding (water, sewer, roads) and economic development opportunities/increased tax base.

The first Community Meeting was held on December 6, 2007.  The 57 public participants identified the following issues as the most critical to the success of the Western Area Plan:

• Build WWTP on land owned by Progress Energy (18 votes)  This item is not in the scope of service provided by the consultants and will be mentioned in the plan, with the consultants moving forward with the assumption that the location of the WWRF is fixed.
• No commercial on US 64 between Jenks Road and the county line (10 votes – the particular discussion was regarding not wanting retail; office uses or mixed uses would be acceptable.)
• I-540 corridor is essential for Apex and western area success (10 votes – the discussion was regarding the need for a political push to get the highway built sooner rather than later)
• Range of housing choices (8 votes – the particular discussion was to ensure availability of workforce housing for teachers, police officers, etc.)
• Develop in hubs, not strips (7 votes)
• Co-locate utilities (7 votes – the discussion was regarding the multitude of utility easements crossing the land—they would like for utilities to be co-located within one easement)
• Mixed-use along US 64 (6 votes)
• Need for good planning of a logical road network for the study area (north – south connectivity) (5 votes)
• Maintain the character of the Old US 1 and New Hill – Olive Chapel Road roadways (5 votes)
• Plan should address schools (4 votes)
• Equestrian character / facilities (4 votes)
• Commercial (office, retail, light industrial) and institutional uses should seek more office / knowledge-based tenants and users (4 votes)
• Need for commercial and institutional site certification (sites approved and ready for development) (4 votes)
• Neighborhood business as part of the mix (4 votes)

The Planning Department and LandDesign hosted a public Design Workshop on January 9 and 10, 2008.  There were approximately 70 participants over the course of the two day event.  The final design map was well received during the public presentation at the end of the workshop.

The third and final Community Meeting for the Western Area Plan was held on February 13, 2008 at the Apex Community Center.  The open house afforded citizens the opportunity to see the current draft of the Western Area Plan and to talk with Planning staff and the consultants about what they liked and disliked about the plan.  More than 60 citizens reviewed the draft plan, which was received favorably for the most part.  The plan includes some new ideas for the western area such as:

• An equestrian overlay district for equestrian oriented development.
• A Scenic Byway designation for New Hill-Olive Chapel Road.
• Lower densities in the westernmost part of the study area to help protect Apex’s drinking water critical watershed.
• Neighborhood Commercial Activity Centers to support residential areas (small scale retail such as grocery stores, dry cleaners, etc.).
• Several strategic areas are identified for economic development opportunities (office and institutional as well as light industrial).

The Western Area Plan was adopted by Town Council on June 17, 2008.