There is a very informative article on the progress of the Wake County Park at Wendell Falls in the Eastern Wake News this week.  Click here to read it.  I am very glad that 224 people responded to the survey. 

Wake County did purchase an additional 100 acres on the opposite side of Lake Myra, making the park about 225 acres now (and growing!)  This fits in well with the third Cornerstone of Responsible Development (Preserving Open Space) put forth in this blog here. 

Wendell, NC

We have made literally thousands of decisions about Wendell Falls in the last four and a half years.  This week we are making what may be some of the most visible decisions for the project:  designing the pools, amenities, monumentation, and signs.  We are going with a three pool layout at the main amenity center with an activity pool with a big water fountain and lots of splashy things, a competition 8 lane lap pool, and a slide pool which will be in the second phase. 

Picking out the detail of the pool area is like picking the trim level in a new home.  We need to balance what is popular now and judge whether it will still have the same appeal 20 or 30 years down the road.  The pool company we selected has been building commercial pools for 52 years, so they have seen a lot of things come and go.  We need to fit the pool design in with the site plan for the amenity area which fits into the larger site plan for the 19 acre amenity area.  It is like a great big puzzle.  With some work, we should have some renderings of the whole thing in about 30 days.  Stay tuned.

We are also finalizing the monumentation and lighting that will be accenting the project.  From the main entrances to the neighborhood entrances to the commercial monumentation, everything will be planned together.  Included in this exercise is choosing the directional signs, the traffic signs and posts, and the sales signs. 

We are taking extra care in the selection of these things, as we realize that these will be extremely important in the overall feel of Wendell Falls.

Wendell, NC

The Wendell Falls interchange is making tremendous progress.  The girders on the seven lane bridge at the main entrance to the project are being set as shown in the picture.  The interchange leads to Wendell Falls Parkway which will serve the heart of Wendell Falls.  The interchange and parkway are designed to handle traffic flows in the year 2030 and beyond.

As noted in my November 2, 2007 entry, NCDOT originally planned to build the interchange when it built the US 64/264 bypass, but eliminated the interchange to save money.  Without a private initiative, the interchange would not get built for another 20 years or more.  We expect to open the interchange in the first quarter of 2009.

Greg Ferguson to Speak at Wake County Gathering

I have been invited to speak as a panelist at the “2008 State of East Wake” organized by the Triangle Business Journal.  Several hundred are expected to attend to learn about all the great things happening in Eastern Wake County.  Click here for more details.

We have been working hard on putting the marketing program together for Wendell Falls.  The sales and marketing is being handled by Fonville, Morrissey and Barefoot, the advertising and creative folks are from Craig Jackson and Partners, and the public relations firm is Fleishman Hillard. 

It has been challenging to define Wendell Falls into one phrase.  There is so much that we could focus on that we risk getting either too general or too specific.  We have several ideas for advertising tag lines and some of the general ideas are below:  Read the rest of this entry »

Since my last post, some have asked me about other schools in the Wendell Falls area.  They point out that Lake Myra Elementary won’t be able to accommodate all the students moving into Wendell Falls.  That is true, but we have been talking with the the planners at Wake County Public Schools for several years and there is much more going on:

Wendell Middle is under construction and will be open in 2009.  This three story facility sits on 24 acres and will cost about $31 million to build.

East Wake High is undergoing a major renovation at a cost of over $25 million.  Phase IIA will be complete this December and Phase IIB will be complete by August 2009.

So by fall of 2009, the Wendell Falls area will have two brand new schools, and one completely refurbished school at a total cost of over $72 million.  I know that the planners are already evaluating even more sites in the immediate area.  The school system is getting it right by planning ahead and anticipating the growth in Eastern Wake County. 

Please let me know your thoughts on this.

Lake Myra Elementary School (E-34) is under construction. We first contacted Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) back in mid 2005 to let them know about the upcoming Wendell Falls. I have to admit that after showing them our grand plans for a master planned community in Eastern Wake County, they did not seem too impressed. Perhaps lots of folks come to them with grand plans that don’t materialize. However, at that first meeting, we did get from them the parameters that would help us define, and subsequently create, the site that is now Lake Myra Elementary School. What we got was a wish list of everything that WCPSS would love to have if it could start from scratch on every school. A new elementary school site would: Read the rest of this entry »

Lake Myra Park, part of the Wendell Falls Master Plan, is taking shape. Wake County Parks and Recreation is seeking input for the kinds of things that residents would like to see incorporated into the design of the public park.

Early Planning for Wake County Parks and Recreation

We first planned for the area that is now the park back in late 2005. Rather than keep it private to Wendell Falls, we met with Wake County Parks and Recreation Department to see if it would be suitable for public purposes. We recognized that Lake Myra and the Land adjacent to it is a beautiful feature that would be enjoyable to all residents of Eastern Wake County. After a year and a half of negotiating, discussing, and getting approvals, we transferred the 126 acre parcel to the county in mid-2007. It encompasses the entire eastern shore of Lake Myra and follows Mark’s Creek up to the new interchange we are constructing on US 64/264.

Future Plans for Lake Myra Elementary School Site

The new park will include active and passive recreation, and will have a section that is shared with Lake Myra Elementary School (now under construction) and the Town of Wendell parks department.

Participate in the Survey

Current Wendell residents, future Wendell Falls residents, and other interested parties can provide input into the design of the park by going to the Wake County website and filling out the survey. There will also be more meetings open to the public for additional input.

Your Feedback is Requested

What do you think? Please let me know.

It has been four short years since we began working on Wendell Falls. We went to the Town of Wendell in April of 2004 to talk with Town officials about the possibility of building a community in the Lake Myra area. We had one large parcel in mind at the time, but the project grew. Wendell Falls is now an assemblage of 44 parcels and consists of over 1,300 acres.
There have been several milestones along the way including:

• Water and sewer allocation from Wendell for 4,000 homes plus commercial–Feb 2005
• Master Plan concept approved by Wendell–Sep 05
• Agreement with NCDOT to allow us to build the interchange on US 64/264 approved–Jan 06
• Development Agreement with the Town of Wendell approved–Jun 06
• Master Plan approval–Oct 06

Confidence in The Wendell Falls Vision

We were pretty confident about our chances early on, so we purchased our first part of Wendell Falls in November 2004 prior to any approvals. We bought more Eastern Wake County property in March 05 and much of the rest of the land by the beginning of 06.

Excitement is Building in Eastern Wake County!

We are a few short months from beginning to realize the product of our efforts. It is exhilarating to watch the construction on a daily basis, and we look forward to the next big milestone of the first Wendell Falls lot delivery this summer followed by the milestone of the Us 64/264 Highway interchange and parkway opening at the beginning of the new year.

Have You Noticed the Changes Occurring in East Wake County?

Comment and tell us your thoughts.

Here is an interesting thought:  Wendell will be the economic hub of commerce and development in Eastern Wake County in the near future.  I say this because I am looking at the approved and proposed annexation maps of Eastern Wake County.  Knightdale will be 14.5 square miles at buildout and Zebulon will be 16.36 square miles.  Wendell’s approved future footprint is 23.44 square miles and may extend southeast across the county line into Johnston County.  This addition could total almost four more square miles.  Current water and sewer allocations are as follows:

·        Knightdale           3.5 million gallons per day (MGD)

·        Zebulon                2.4 MGD

·        Wendell               4.65 MGD

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Impact of Eastern Wake Development by the Numbers

It is difficult to overstate the economic impact of Wendell Falls master planned community on Eastern Wake County. The tax base of Wendell Falls at buildout will likely be between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion in today’s dollars. The 4,000 homes at an average of $300,000 each is $1.2 billion alone, plus a potential $300 million in commercial value. Eastern Wake County is comprised of three towns: Knightdale, Wendell, and Zebulon. The 2007-2008 tax bases of the towns are as follows:

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Triangle Apartment Market an Indicator?

Two recent news articles are particularly interesting. The News and Observer reported on April 14 that institutional apartment sales in the first quarter of 2008 have almost reached the volume for all of 2007. My interpretation is that the reason for all the activity in the apartment market is full apartments. With apartment vacancy dropping like a rock, my observations are:

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In my previous entry I set forth our vision for responsible Triangle development. Of course, we did not develop this vision without being acutely aware of what is going on around us, and these ideals of protecting the environment, providing for traffic, preserving open space, and planning for schools are not ours alone.

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I hope it is clear in this blog that in planning Wendell Falls we have been trying our best to address the most important concerns people have regarding development in the Triangle. In addressing these issues, we have come up with what we are going to call the Cornerstones of Responsible Development. They are:

• Protecting the environment
• Providing for traffic now and for the future
• Preserving open space
• Planning for schools

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Home Prices in Wendell Falls

We are getting more inquiries each week on our home availability and pricing. The first lots will be available this fall and the first homes will be available at the beginning of 2009. Here’s something that you are not likely to get form any other developer or builder: Our pricing strategy. Our first delivery of 355 lots will be in three pods with a price segment in each pod. We expect the pricing to be close to the following:

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If you are reading this, you may or may not be a future homeowner in Wendell Falls. Since we are a little under a year from the first home delivery (scheduled for first quarter 09), it is a little early for us to be on a marketing push. Believe me, we will have a substantial marketing campaign coming soon. This blog is not intended to be a marketing tool. It is intended to do the following:

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We have received a significant amount of press coverage lately. One reason for this is that there are many things about Wendell Falls that are newsworthy. I will admit that anytime we have a project, we believe it is newsworthy, but sometimes the reporters don’t. But unlike many neighborhoods, Wendell Falls is more than just another new home community, and the impact of Wendell Falls will reach far beyond the boundaries of the project. When something affects the entire community and a good portion of Wake County, it becomes attractive to report.

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Great News! The Fire Commission voted on March 6 to move forward with a joint venture with Wake County and the Town of Wendell to build a Fire/EMS/Police station on almost eight acres in Wendell Falls. This will be a major public safety facility for eastern Wake County. This is another example of several groups working together to provide infrastructure in Wendell Falls. As with the joint venture between Wake County Parks, Wake County Schools, and the Town of Wendell to construct a public park next to the new Lake Myra Elementary School (see the 11/27/07 post ) we are very proud to be a part of many agencies working together for a common good.

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When we were planning the location of Wendell Falls Parkway, it became clear that a very old house was standing in the way of the required alignment. This house is not on any historic register, but we believe that it very well may be in the future.

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Your writer is Greg Ferguson. Up to this point, I have not used the word “I” in this blog because I wanted to focus on Wendell Falls and the team effort. I also don’t feel entirely comfortable writing in the first person. However, if you already know me, I am a prolific reader and continuously bent on self-improvement, so when I am intrigued about a topic or if I want to improve in an area, I will go read a few books about it. I have read up on corporate blogging and listened to the advice of some team members and the prevailing thought is that it is imperative to write in the first person. I read blogs from other businesspeople and have come to the realization that my initial goal of giving you a “behind the scenes”look at Wendell Falls will be enhanced by making it more personal.

I was particularly motivated by Mark Cuban’s blog. My favorite entry is called The Sport of Business. It really hits home for me. Since I am a car guy, I also like Bob Lutz’s blog too. Although I won’t go into what songs I listen to or my favorite foods, I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you on a more personal level.

We have been giving a lot of tours of Wendell Falls lately. We have been showing our master planned community to several elected officials, including a recent visit by Wake County Commissioners and mayors of Wake County towns. We have also taken Wake County staff members (County Manager, Deputy County Manager, Wake County School staff members) out to see the progress. Once we get into the main part of the project on the tours, we often hear, “Wow!”from those that have not seen it yet. While most tour participants are familiar with the location, the size of the site and the activity going on surprises those that have just seen the Master Plan on paper or on maps. There are probably 300 pieces of equipment working and over 500 people employed in the construction.

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In order to gain valuable insight from Triangle residents, we arranged four focus groups this week to get some feedback from people that may not have seen or heard of Wendell Falls development yet. The first group was with 11 real estate agents in the Triangle ranging in experience from 2 years to over 30 years. They represented all areas of Wake County and some Durham County. The second group consisted of 12 current Wendell residents. The third and fourth groups of about a dozen each were people that were looking to buy a new home within four years and who were open to considering all areas of Wake County. Each session lasted at least two hours.

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The dry weather conditions continue and the media coverage of the discussions about responsible water use almost rival the coverage of the presidential candidates. We are aware of the concern about future water sources and solutions, and we are taking proactive steps in several areas to address the issue.

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Naming our master planned community was a job the whole team enjoyed. We put a lot of thought into the naming of Wendell Falls.

At first we considered using Lake Myra in the name due to the lake’s prominence in the community. However, since the lake has been around since the beginning of the 1900s, most of the names having something to do with the lake were already taken. We then looked at another major feature of the project, Rocky Falls. Rocky Falls is a picturesque waterfall near the center of the community that has been a local landmark for over 150 years.

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We sold a school site to Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) this week for an elementary school. We have planned this for almost three years now. WCPSS originally expected to open the school in 2010 or 2011, but due to some internal decisions in the school system, the date was moved up to 2009. Wendell Falls was prepared to have the school site ready in 2010 or 2011, but the early date has caused us to shift resources to get the school site ready early. Therefore, we will build the access road (Elk Falls Drive) and bring water and sewer to the site in 2008 rather than constructing the improvements in the normal course of our development. As a result, Wendell Falls will have significantly more invested in the site than the sale price to WCPSS. We also set aside funds to help ensure the school system can meet its expected opening date. However, we believe this is important for the area, the school system, the community, as well as for Wendell Falls.

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“Regionalism” is a word that gets used in planning circles which, loosely defined, means that governing agencies in a given area get along and cooperate. We have a perfect example of governing agencies getting along in Wendell Falls. We have provided a school site adjacent to the parkland we sold to the county. This was no coincidence, since we have planned from the beginning, with input from both the county parks and recreation folks and the school system, that the two uses would be able to overlap. This will produce efficiencies in construction, programming, use, and parking, among other things.

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Let’s discuss schools. This is a subject that is challenging in any growing market. There are many different view concerning who should provide schools for master planned communities. Some people believe that developers should pay for schools, should help pay for schools, or some version of this. Others maintain that it is the responsibility of the public school system.

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The last entry leads into the next subject. Developers often get portrayed as not pulling their own weight or not “paying their fair share.”  We would like to take this opportunity to point out that the Wendell Falls developers, who are Triangle residents, have taken utmost care while planning this community. With the construction of the interchange and parkway, the land set aside for the county park and public school, the donation of land for a regional emergency room hospital, the oversized water and sewer lines, and many other things, Wendell Falls will be much more than just a master planned community. It will be used by far more people than just the residents of Wendell Falls, and it will be a major factor in the responsible growth of Eastern Wake County.

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We got a permit yesterday that we submitted for approval 14 months ago. Our permits and agreements now total almost 100. This newest permit will allow us to begin the big earth moving parts of the construction process. This will be the activity that drivers will be able to see on the 64 bypass. We installed the traffic control devices–the barrels and barricades–last week so that we can begin construction on the interchange that will serve Wendell Falls. The interchange will lead into a seven lane road that will go through Wendell Falls and point to the Town of Wendell. It is our belief that this will also become a major connector to northern Johnston County.

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We had local elections recently and Cary and Raleigh elected anti-growth candidates to their city councils. There has been much discussion in the News and Observer lately about the amount of money in the local races from the real estate industry. The paper’s editorial page editor wrote “People don’t want to sacrifice their quality of life so the developers, so desperate for influence, can stay fat and happy.” A portion of Wendell Falls developer’s rebuttal published on 10-29-07 follows:

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Along with the homeowners’ documents we have been putting together the landscape and architectural plan for the entire project. The landscape plan sets forth the monumentation, signage, streetscapes, lot landscaping criteria and more. It is our hope that the landscaping and monumentation have a dramatic impact on the overall impression from Wendell Falls.

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We have been putting together the homeowners’ documents for the project for some time now. We understand that the documents can be a blessing and a curse to homeowners, but when we invest the kind of time and money it takes to build something as large as Wendell Falls, we need to ensure that project looks and feels as we envisioned in year six and in year twenty as it does in year one. The positive side for homeowners is that they know their investment will have the same look, feel, and standards in the future as when they made their investments.

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We met this week with the YMCA to go over our floor plans for the clubhouse which will have the YMCA component in it. The Folks at the Triangle Area YMCA know a lot about how things should lay out. They provided advice on many areas that will dramatically improve the utilization. For example, should the weight room be next to the cardio and do the locker rooms lead out to the pool and is the nursery in the right location? Great input there.

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We have begun working on the marketing plan about a year in advance of delivering the first lots. We have many things to highlight about the project, so we have to decide what to focus on. We made a list of marketing concepts or key areas to highlight. We have Fonville Morrissey Barefoot Builder Marketing Group as our marketing company who will help us decide on an advertising company to help deliver the message. Some of the concepts overlap and belong in more than one category. By the time you read this, you may have seen some advertising focusing on one or more of the following:

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We got our bids back for the interchange, parkway, and first 355 lots. We are within budget, so we will award the contracts. We still have lots of coordination to go with NCDOT. We need to post a financial guarantee with the state prior to commencement to prove we have enough money to build the project. The cost of the interchange and parkway alone will be over $30 million.

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In the past week we met with several agencies to finalize many of the details for Wendell Falls. Wake County Public schools notified us recently that they wanted to move the date of the opening of the elementary school up about two years and that they wanted the infrastructure in place to build it. We had to scramble to make arrangements to do this, but we are glad to do it. We have begun working on getting them the sewer, water, and road access they need to open in July of 2009.

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We have been getting more and more approvals in the past 60 days or so. I counted almost 60 permits, approvals, and agreements that we needed to get in the last three and a half years just to begin the first phase. Smaller projects don’t require as many approvals, but Wendell Falls is a very large project. For example, we met with the state office of archeology last week to see if a farmhouse on the property is eligible for the National Historic Registry. In order to get a ruling, we had to dig a few hundred holes and we came up with over 1,200 artifacts from the site. We learned that an “artifact” is pretty much anything that is not dirt, rocks, or plants. After a few months of investigation and a report a few inches thick, the office determined that the site is not eligible for historic preservation. However, parties interested in Wake County farm life can find this information and lots of other stuff down at the state office in Raleigh.

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Hi. Welcome to the Wendell Falls blog. The Wendell Falls official website will give you all the slick marketing materials about how great the community is and we hope you enjoy it. This blog will give you the “Behind the Scenes” look at the development through the developer’s eyes. The purpose is twofold: one is to give you a feel for what is involved in developing the project and the other is to get to know us better. Please feel free to respond. We are always seeking input and feedback to enhance the Wendell Falls community experience.

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