A Veteran, a Can of Paint, and the Right Kind of Wake Forest Story
Before the formal agenda, Mayor Ben Clapsaddle brought Michael McKindrey to the front of the room. McKindrey, a former Air Force rescue medic who moved to Wake Forest’s Traditions neighborhood in 2019, had taken it upon himself to clean up graffiti on the town’s new greenway — offensive language that had been spray-painted on the path. He bought the right rollers, matched the surface, and got to work.
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“The words that were written were offensive,” McKindrey told the Board. “I’m sure that parents with their children cringed, and I couldn’t let that sit there unanswered. And if it happens again, I’ll be out there again.”
The Mayor presented him with a town challenge coin.
Ligon Mill Road Extension: $95 Million, Three Segments, and No Funding Discussion
Engineering Director Timothy Watson presented the proposed alignment for extending Ligon Mill Road from Grove 98 through Durham Road to Stadium Drive — roughly 1.5 miles of new four-lane divided roadway connecting the southern and northern ends of the town’s growth corridor.
The numbers are significant. The full estimated project implementation cost is $95 million, broken across three segments:
Segment A (from Grove 98 northward, including a major bridge over the Richland Creek floodway): just under $22 million
Segment B (through a large undeveloped tract): $32 million
Segment C (connecting to Stadium Drive): $41.2 million
Those figures include survey, engineering, permitting, right-of-way acquisition, construction, and construction inspection — not just the build itself. Watson was clear: “A big part of that cost is the bridge going across the floodway.”
Jason Pace of Exult Engineering, the on-call consultant that prepared the 30% design plans, walked the Board through the practical realities. Construction alone, if the entire corridor were built at once, would take roughly four years. The bridge over Richland Creek would take a year and a half by itself. Right-of-way acquisition — buying or easementing the land — is the cost that never goes down.
“Right-of-way and easements always go up,” Pace said. “That’s always gonna be.”
The inflation question
Commissioner Nick Sliwinski put the key question on the record: “The $95 million — that’s in today’s dollars.” Pace confirmed. Sliwinski drew a comparison to another major Wake Forest road project that started at a similar price point years ago and has only gotten more expensive.
“Obviously the further we push this down the road — no pun intended — the more expensive this will become,” Sliwinski said.
The Board unanimously approved the alignment for inclusion in future Comprehensive Transportation Plan updates and directed staff to pursue the next design phase. There was no discussion of how to fund the project.
What to watch: Watson said the town has been in contact with developers along the corridor and expects to share costs through the development process. NCDOT may take over segments once the road connects major nodes — NC 98, Durham Road, and Stadium Drive. But the path from a 30% design to a funded, buildable project is long. The next step is further engineering — and a conversation about money that hasn’t happened yet.
Vivian A. Jones Municipal Campus Signage: Wake Forest Board of Commissioners Gives Green Light
Assistant Town Manager Allison Snyder presented conceptual signage designs for the Vivian A. Jones Municipal Campus — the name given to the Town Hall complex in December 2025. The design features black aluminum panels with brick bases matching the Town Hall facade.
Commissioner Sliwinski raised a practical concern about the dark surface getting hot in summer sun, given downtown foot traffic and events. Snyder confirmed the material is durable and that anti-skateboard brackets are included.
The Board gave consent to move forward. Snyder said installation could happen this fall after a 3–6 week permitting process and 8–12 weeks for fabrication.
Downtown Traffic Study Approved: 1,814 Consultant Hours to Prepare for the S-Line
The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners unanimously authorized Town Manager Kip Padgett to execute a contract with Kittelson & Associates of Raleigh for a comprehensive Downtown Traffic Study. Total potential cost: $336,796, covering 1,814.5 consultant hours over an 18-month study period.
Long Range Planning Manager Brad West framed the study around two items from the 2019 Comprehensive Transportation Plan: studying traffic around the Seminary Loop and preparing for the S-Line rail corridor’s impact on downtown. Kittelson is already familiar with Wake Forest from NCDOT’s earlier Transit-Oriented Development study.
What the study covers
The study area spans the heart of downtown — roughly from Wingate Street east to South Franklin, from Wade Avenue south to Holding Avenue. Kittelson will analyze at least 20 intersections, develop conceptual recommendations for 12, and produce microsimulation models and 3D visualizations for key areas, especially the Seminary Loop.
The S-Line question dominated the discussion
Commissioner Adam Wright flagged the Elm and Main Street intersection, which he said needs a left-turn signal. West confirmed Elm is a major priority — it’s slated for a grade closure under the S-Line project, which will eliminate one of the few east-west crossings of the railroad in the downtown area. After Elm, West noted, there isn’t another crossing until Youngsville.
That detail landed with the Board. Commissioner Faith Cross said the road closures from the S-Line “really concern me with the way downtown functions right now.” Commissioner Sliwinski pressed on the Brick Street crossing — another planned closure that would funnel additional traffic into downtown. West acknowledged the reality: “The current situation is not sustainable.”
Wright also raised the Seminary Loop one-way concept that residents frequently bring up. West said it will be studied, but noted NCDOT has reservations about pedestrian safety — two lanes of one-way traffic could create a “racetrack effect.” Roundabouts near the seminary campus are also on the table.
How it’s being paid for
Commissioner Fatmi asked the money question. Assistant Town Manager and CFO Aileen Staples said funding will come from the current year’s budget and Municipal Service District (MSD) funds, split across two fiscal years.
Commissioner Cross asked whether the price was reasonable for the scope. West said he did “a sanity check” with another large firm not involved in the RFQ process and received a similar range. He noted the South Main Street corridor study from a few years ago ran $175,000 for a single corridor — this study covers a larger area with significantly more analytical depth.
What to watch: The entire study rests on the assumption that the S-Line is coming and that federal rail funding holds. West and the Board treated this as a given Tuesday night. But even without the S-Line, downtown traffic around the seminary is already a problem — this study has value regardless. The 18-month timeline means results by fall 2027.
Monuments Policy: Wake Forest Board of Commissioners Reviews Options, Signals 4-1 Support for Restrictions
Parks Director Ruben Wall brought the Board two options.
Option 1 would have created a structured proposal-and-review process allowing community groups, nonprofits, and residents to petition for monuments on town property, with a seven-step review process ending at Board approval.
Option 2 bans new monuments outright, with exceptions for the Historic Preservation Commission, cemetery memorials, the Public Art Commission, and the Sponsorship and Naming Rights Policy.
Staff recommended Option 2. Wall was direct about why: “If a policy is erected, you will have to pick and choose quite often from a number of groups that will likely be coming to the town.”
The debate
Commissioner Sliwinski spoke first and firmly: “I’ve just got some things that stick out in my mind in the last five years in this state relating to monuments that I just can’t quite want to see us go through.” He went with Option 2.
Commissioner Fatmi was the lone voice for Option 1. He said he likes “murals, public art, monuments” and acknowledged that Option 2 is “the safer option” legally but called himself “a little more risk tolerant.” He walked through Option 1’s seven-step review process, emphasizing it doesn’t simply allow all monuments — it creates a framework for evaluation.
Commissioner Cross sided with Option 2, noting the Public Art Commission and Historic Preservation Commission are already doing good work. Sliwinski added that “nothing precludes us from changing this policy in the future.”
The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners signaled 4-1 support for Option 2, with Commissioner Fatmi dissenting.
Sponsorship and Naming Rights: Approved with a $500K Amendment
Wall then presented the Sponsorship and Facility Naming Rights Policy — a more comprehensive framework than the Town’s existing guidelines. The Town’s largest naming-rights deal to date was $40,000 for the Wegmans Fitness Court. Wall said the Town needs a policy that can handle facilities worth millions.
The policy also includes termination provisions. Mayor Clapsaddle made the case with a blunt example from personal experience: a Medal of Honor recipient whose name was placed on military facilities, who later committed multiple homicides. “We don’t have that,” he said, referring to a formal process for removing a name.
The amendment
Commissioner Cross flagged one concern: the draft set the Board approval threshold at $1 million, meaning the Town Manager could approve deals up to that amount independently. Cross pushed it down to $500,000 — the level from the previous policy.
“Up to a million, I feel like I’d wanna know if it were $999,000,” she said. Commissioner Shackelford agreed.
The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners passed the policy unanimously with the $500,000 amendment. Because both this policy and the monuments policy were approved at the work session, they were pulled from the April 21 regular meeting agenda.
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Taylor Street Park Renamed for Officer Joey McCrea Wiggins
The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners unanimously approved renaming Taylor Street Park at 416 N. Taylor Street to Joey McCrea Wiggins Park, honoring a Wake Forest native and police officer who served with the town of Wake Forest Police Department from January 2001 until his death on August 2, 2006, at age 39.
Wiggins was born January 5, 1967, and grew up in Wake Forest’s Northeast community. He attended Wake Forest-Rolesville elementary, middle, and high schools, where he played baseball, football, and basketball and participated in the Jr. Civitans, VICA, and the Athletic Club. He coached AAU basketball and was the proprietor of About Face Basketball. After working at Welch Paper Company, he joined the Wake County Sheriff’s Department in 1990 and then the Wake Forest Police Department in 2001. He is survived by his wife Jeanne and children Joey II, Jené, and Jason. (Note: The Town’s resolution spells the officer’s middle name as “McMrea.” His 2006 obituary and public records confirm the correct spelling is McCrea.)
Commissioner Keith Shackelford, who knew Wiggins personally, provided the most resonant moment of the evening. He described the Taylor Street basketball courts in the mid-1980s — “all out basketball, every day during the summer” — and called Wiggins one of a “string of great basketball players in Wake Forest in the eighties.” The police department funded the park renovation through years of annual golf tournament proceeds.
Wall said the renovated park is nearly complete — featuring ramped playground structures accessible to all mobility ranges, climbers, sensory panels, swings, slides, and shaded seating — and that the Board can expect an invitation for an opening ceremony soon.
Wake Forest Board of Commissioners Reviews February Financials: Strong Numbers, but Softer Than Last Year
The financial report got the lightest treatment of the night. Commissioner Cross highlighted the $10.3 million net increase in General Fund balance and the approaching delivery of the $1.65 million ARPA-funded ladder truck. CFO Staples offered context that tempered the headline numbers.
On the General Fund: Staples noted the Town is “not necessarily behind, but like last year at this time we were running $13 million ahead.” Debt service payments and capital outlays in the remaining months will level things out. “We kind of peaked in the middle of the year with the tax revenues coming in,” she said.
On the Electric Fund: The dramatic year-over-year improvement — from a $42,000 net gain to $3.55 million — is largely attributable to last year’s one-time generator purchases, not a structural improvement in margins. No rate increase is planned for next year’s budget. The internal loan repayment to the General Fund will begin soon.
On ARPA: $4.6 million remains to be spent by the December 31, 2026 federal deadline. The ladder truck will take a big chunk, but the clock is ticking.
No commissioner asked about forward revenue projections, economic risk, or the impact of current macroeconomic conditions on the Town’s financial outlook.
E-Bikes: Wake Forest Board of Commissioners Directs Staff to Research Enforcement Fines
During commissioner reports, Commissioner Adam Wright proposed a tiered fine structure for e-bike violations:
First offense: $500
Second offense: $1,000
Third offense: $2,500
Wright framed it as a parental accountability measure — “the only way I know how to get some of these parents’ attention is to do some financial fines.” He noted some of the bikes being purchased for minors can reach 80–85 miles per hour.
Commissioner Fatmi clarified that the fines would target major safety violations — speeding, trespass — not minor infractions like missing helmets. Wright agreed.
Mayor Clapsaddle reframed the discussion as a consent item, not a vote. The Board was directing staff to research the legal framework and return with a formal proposal. “We’re not talking about next week,” he said. Town Manager Kip Padgett confirmed.
Padgett also noted that speed limit signs are going up on the greenways within the next month, responding to an earlier concern from Commissioner Fatmi.
Commissioner Reports: Greenway Praise, STEM Saturday, and a Fish Fry
Commissioner Wright announced STEM Saturday on April 11 at the Wireless Research Center (free, 10 AM – 2 PM) and Friday Night on White. He also asked staff to look at the Ligon Mill and Cnus Road intersection, citing frequent accidents.
Commissioner Cross reported that the AARP Age-Friendly Committee will bring prioritized recommendations to the Board in May or June. She confirmed the e-bike issue was raised directly by a constituent at a recent coffee chat. She’s hosting Friday Night on White this weekend (Bounce Party Band) and plugged the Wake Forest Fire Department fish fry on April 17.
Commissioner Fatmi attended an interfaith Seder at Temple Beth Or for Passover, volunteered at the Easter Extravaganza at Joiner Park with his wife, and ran the Ian K. Lewis Memorial 5K.
Commissioner Shackelford praised the new greenway connection from Seventh Street to Roseville. He described a resident who now commutes from Traditions to Anytime Fitness entirely by greenway — “exactly what we were trying to do.” He thanked Assistant Town Manager Candace Davis and Parks Director Wall for years of work on the project.
Mayor Clapsaddle congratulated Erica Shingleton on earning her Certified Park and Recreation Professional credentials and was designated the Town’s delegate for NC League of Municipalities officer elections.
Wake Forest Board of Commissioners Enters Closed Session
The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners entered closed session at approximately 9:32 PM under N.C.G.S. 143-318.11(5) (real property acquisition) and N.C.G.S. 143-318.11(3) (attorney-client privilege). They emerged roughly 30 minutes later and adjourned without reporting any action taken.
What’s Next for the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners: April 21 Regular Meeting
The sponsorship and monuments policies were pulled from the April 21 agenda after being approved Tuesday. Items to watch at the regular meeting:
Fire Station 6 installment purchase financing — the first concrete funding step
Contiguous annexation petition for 7.76 acres at 1313 N. White Street (Ritchie Family Properties)
North Main Street closure resolution for the July 4th Children’s Parade
Check and purchase order signing procedures amendment
Proclamations for Building Safety Month, Municipal Clerks Week, Earth Day, National Bike Month, and Arbor Day
The April 21 meeting includes public comment. If you have something to say to the Board, complete the comment form on the Town of Wake Forest website before the meeting. You’ll get three minutes at the podium.
Tom Baker IV is the founder, publisher, and principal investigator of Wake Forest Matters.
Tom Baker IV is the publisher of Wake Forest Matters, Wake Forest's only independent local newsroom. A Wake Forest native, Navy veteran, and intelligence professional, Tom launched Wake Forest Matters to bring serious accountability journalism to his hometown. Tips and story ideas: publisher@wakeforestmatters.com
