“I think most people would acknowledge that southern Wake County’s future will not be rural,” Town Commissioner Charlie Adcock observed at the town board’s Oct. 20 meeting after hearing a summary of an updated land use plan for the drainage basin around the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant.

Adcock’s comment came after seeing maps showing Apex, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina’s anticipated growth areas reaching into the Harris basin. Both of the other towns have much longer borders touching the basin, and the new plan shows more industrial and business development in their areas.

Fuquay-Varina’s potential for growing into the basin is west of Piney Grove-

Wilbon Road and is shown as low-density housing. The town’s own land use plan for the same area also shows its potential use as low-density housing because no utilities are currently available there.

Fuquay-Varina planners want the new plan in its final form to provide options for Fuquay-Varina to change the potential use for its share of land in the basin as population grows and utilities become available.

The proposed, updated land use plan dealing with property around the Harris plant has been in preparation over the past two years. Those in on the study included professional planners and interested citizens. The study lists as stakeholders Wake County, the towns of Apex, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina and Progress Energy.

Also involved in the study were the North Carolina Wildlife Commission and the Capital Area Municipal Planning Organization (CAMPO)

Tim Gardner of the Wake County Planning Department presented and explained the proposed land use plan at a recent town board meeting. The study took into account the need to preserve valuable natural and historic areas as well as to open other areas for development. No action by the board was sought. Gardner’s presentation was informational. Fuquay-Varina’s planning director, Mike Sorensen, is a member of the planning committee.

After the presentation Adcock said he thinks the planning is a worthy effort; however, he expressed some concern that Apex, Holly Springs and Progress Energy would get what they are looking for with higher density uses shown in their areas, while Fuquay-Varina’s portion of the basin property would still be shown as rural or, specifically, low density housing.

Wake County Commissioners will ultimately approve a revised plan for development in the Harris basin. Commissioners want the municipalities involved to reach agreement on the final plan. Local town boards expect to get another look at the study and recommendations before the documents go to the County Commissioners

for approval.