Check the nearby traffic before you head out. Live traffic cameras are available to help you steer through the maze on your way to work, shopping and other destinations.
It's time for CSX to pony up and be a responsible citizen in Apex. A recent report on WRAL-TV news highlights the questionable condition of the aging railway bridge that is more than sixty five years old. CSX and the State DOT agency have both deferred replacement and repair of the bridge for years and continue to point a finger to the other side with regards to responsibility. Some 25,000 cars pass under the bridge each day on their way to outlying destinations and many notice gaping holes and exposed rebar in the sides and bottom of the bridge and worry that pieces of the bridge could fall on their car at any time.
memo, "The bridge negatively impacts our citizens and clearly the traffic flow and safety of N.C. 55." On any given day traffic is constantly backed up to the town corporate limits in both directions as a direct result of not replacing an unsafe, decaying and inadequate overhead bridge. Town officials and citizens have questioned reliability of the bridge for many years and pressed for the bridge to be made wider to accommodate the huge volume of 
vehicles passing under it to deaf ears on the part of CSX.
An exciting new restaurant has moved into the spot at 100 North Salem Street in Historic Downtown Apex. The busy, friendly establishment offers a broad selection of fresh made Italian cuisine to downtown shoppers and is a huge hit with residents and visitors alike! Get there early to beat the crowds or find yourself standing in line (the line is usually both out front near sidewalk benches and inside where you can easily see a sampling of just-served menu items). Dine in or pick up your take out
orders (telephone 919-267-6237) for a great dining experience anytime Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
In its usual knee-jerk reaction to anything not explicitly approved by the Town of Apex, the Town's sign enforcer quickly removed a lovely art display recently placed on a utility pole across from the Town Hall and Community Center at the corner of Mason Street and Old Raleigh Road in June, 2008.
the day after this photo was made. Unfortunately the town's effort signals that the staff doesn't support artist efforts to be creative and add a little color to the local landscape.
raisers, yard sales or other similar events that need community participation to be successful.
It seems the NC DOT may have finally gotten enough complaints about the north Salem Street area in Apex that they may have decided to fix it. But not until 2009. Good news for Apex residents and visitors driving or biking on north Salem Street between Hunter Street and Highway 64.June 23, 2008
NBC17.com
Jaclyn Asztalos, Cary - Apex Reporter
DOT To Make Improvements To Apex Roadway
APEX, N.C. – Apex will see some road improvements in the next year.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation will be repaving and beautifying North Salem Street from Hunter Street to Highway 64 next spring.
Jim Stella with the Chamber of Commerce said that the road is the main entrance to downtown but is currently a dangerous roadway.
Stella said people swerve to avoid divots and bumps which could be life threatening for the many walkers and bikers in their path.The road could also give people coming to town the wrong impression.
“Folks might get the impression that all the roads are like that in Apex and might not want to move here or do business here. If they can get it paved, do a nice job and enhance with flowers it will be a good gateway into the town,” Stella said.
Steve Halsey with the N.C. DOT said the project will cost over $120,000. He said the project will be completed by next summer. Original NBC17 Report...
News & Observer
June 2, 2008
Sabine Bollmer, Staff Writer
Train fans climb aboard historic railway
BONSAL - The No. 17 steam engine left the tiny Bonsal train station shortly after noon Sunday, pulling three cars filled with more than 200 riders.A dark plume billowed out of the locomotive's smokestack. Streaks of white steam shot up as the whistle blew. The New Hope Valley Railway's first steam engine ride of the season took off on its bumpy and noisy nine-mile trip.
Among those on board were a little boy wearing a Thomas the Tank Engine T-shirt, a grandmother in a colorful Indian sari and a woman in a wheelchair. Read more...
News and Observer
March 22, 2008
David Bracken, Staff Writer
No smoothing out in sight for a bumpy ride in Apex
APEX - If you're one of the many cyclists who regularly ride down South Salem Street in Apex, you know the particular stretch we're talking about.Situated between Apex Barbecue and Tingen roads, this half-mile section is lined with cracks, unexpected bumps and the occasional pothole.
"I'm just not sure what they think cyclists are supposed to do there," cyclist Janyne Kizer said. "They're telling us to go there."
This section of South Salem, also known as old U.S. 1, is part of the U.S. Bicycle Route 1, which runs along the eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine. Kizer is one of dozens of cyclists who ride the route each Saturday.
Kizer has complained to the town of Apex but was told the road's condition is the responsibility of the state Department of Transportation.
Bruce Radford, Apex's town manager, is well aware of the problem. "Of all the roads I receive complaints about in the town of Apex, this one is much worse than any other," Radford said. "It will jar your teeth and your car as well."
In addition to being a popular cycling route, the section of road is an entry point into four subdivisions, Radford said. He has no idea when it was last resurfaced, and he says DOT officials have not been able to tell him when it will be repaired.
"We've not really received much hope that it's going to be repaired," Radford said.
Messages left with engineers in charge of road maintenance for N.C. DOT District 5, which covers Wake County, were not returned this week. Original article...
 Apex Farmers Market | Apex Farmers Market - Once a dedicated parking lot for the Apex Union Depot in the 1940-1970 years, the parking area at 220 North Salem Street at Center and Salem now provides parking for the Apex Chamber of Commerce, hosts free summer downtown concerts for local residents and on summer Saturdays turns into the Apex Farmers Market where local farmers and gardners offer fresh grown vegetables, fruits and crafts to area shoppers. Check out the Apex Farmers Market website... |
There has never been enough parking in downtown Apex until a free municipal parking facility was built in early 2007. Now there are so many parking places off Salem Street that most everyone can drive to the downtown historic district and park in the new, spacious lot across from the police station on Saunders street and easily get to any downtown destination.
Good shopping surrounds the Apex area. Most locations are just a few minutes to less than a half hour away. Closest are the historic downtown Apex shopping district and the new Beaver Creek Commons center located at the intersection of NC55 and NC64. Others are only a short drive away...
Area shopping centers
Historic Downtown Apex
Beaver Creek Commons, Apex
Brightleaf Square, Durham
Brier Creek Commons, Raleigh
Cameron Village, Raleigh
Carr Mill Mall, Carrboro
Carolina Premium Outlets, Smithfield
Cary Towne Center, Cary
Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh
Crossroads Plaza, Cary
North Hills, Raleigh
Northgate, Durham
The Streets at Southpoint, Durham
Triangle Town Center, Raleigh
University Mall, Chapel Hill
Zero lot line homes have gained in popularity in the last couple of years, but the alleged benefits of close living brings a significant increase in the level of danger inherent in the property design. The concept has gained in popularity with home owners that don't have time or don't want to maintain a large yard. The method also provides builders with yet another way to maximize profit and pack more homes onto a given piece of property during development.
them. Either way there is built in risk that comes with the close proximity of homes built with this construction method.
In both cases additional houses close to the ones that were burned had substantial damage as a direct result of being so close to the houses that were destroyed.News 14 Carolina
August 22, 2007
Ann ForteROLESVILLE, N.C. -- Three families are homeless after a fire ripped through their Rolesville homes Tuesday evening. The blaze happened on Ashbrittle Drive in the Village of Rolesville development.
"I was petrified. It was right across the street," recalled neighbor Jeanette Whalen.
Whalen said she heard a popping sound and looked out her window to see her neighbors' homes engulfed in flames.
"Our neighbor was trying to put it out with the hose and trying to get the dogs out," Whalen explained.
The fire spared Whalen's home, but the heat from it caused her siding to buckle. Fire officials believe the fire could have started in the garage of one of the homes that is a complete loss, then it spread to one next door. A third home sustained significant damage.
“The fire got ahead of us. When we got here, it was fully involved, and it's hard to put one out like that," said Rolesville Fire Chief Rodney Privette.
No one was injured, but at least one pet dog was killed in the blaze.This is the second such fire in the same neighborhood this summer. In June, a propane tank spontaneously combusted. That fire destroyed two homes.
"Ever since we had the fire on the next block, it's been a concern to all of us,” Whalen said, “and I think everyone's been really careful with flammables and stuff because the houses are frankly very close."
Fire investigators will be back on the scene Wednesday to try to determine what sparked the fire.A few firefighters did get sick from the heat while battling the blaze, but all are said to be doing fine. Original story...
Three cars collided - 10 people injured. Yet another accident takes it's toll at the intersection of Apex's Peakway and Old Raleigh Road. Town police closed down the roads for several hours in all directions due to severity of the accident until it could all be unraveled. All 10 people were taken to an area hospital for evaluation and treatment but only two were deemed to have "significant" injuries.
be needed "someday" and then only when the State of North Carolina says one is needed and after surveys show enough cars travel the two roads to justify the cost. No matter that hundreds of cars travel these roads each day and that the number of accident continues to escalate.
Board of Commissioners are quick to jump on and approve new development projects, all in the name of gleaning increased tax revenues, but when it comes to building enough roads and insuring there are adequate traffic signals and controls, the common practice is to get a road built, then worry about adequate traffic control and safety later after many accidents have taken place. Even later when traffic signals are added, needed left turn signals are frequently left out, claiming "the town shouldn't have to pay for stoplights and controls when it's the State's responsibility."
infrastructure is added to keep up with the pace of growth. The existing groups seem to be behind the times and not able to adequately plan for recent phenomenal growth or even be up to the task of keeping existing streets in safe condition.News and Observer
August 13, 2007
Staff Reports
Three-car accident injures 10 in ApexAPEX - An intersection was closed for more than 2 1/2 hours after a three-car collision sent 10 people to the hospital.
Police said that about 6:20 p.m., a Ford Expedition, a Toyota Matrix and a Chevrolet Venture collided at the intersection of Old Raleigh Road and Apex Peakway.
Authorities shut down the intersection until shortly before 9 p.m.
Of the 10 taken to the hospital, police said that two were seriously injured.
Details of the accident and the names of the drivers and injured were not available Sunday.
Apex police said they plan to file charges against one of the drivers. Original report...
Development of the last remaining large parcel of land in Apex is about to get under way. A 170 acre parcel stretches from across the street from the Town Hall on Hunter Street to NC 64 north of town. Town Planners and the Board of Commissioners had previously reviewed and approved the expansion under two major plans known as "trackside north" and "trackside south".
ce space. Work will probably begin immediately since the projects had been approved by the town and may take five or more years to complete.News & Observer
August 2, 2007
Sue Stock, Staff Writer
One more big development for Apex
The largest remaining tract of undeveloped land in Apex won't remain that way much longer.Construction could begin as early as this month on 170 acres in northeast Apex that connects the downtown area with U.S. 64.
Plans for the Villages of Apex, include 1,300 condos, townhouses and homes, a private elementary school, a 13-acre park, 35 miles of walkways, 220,000 square feet retail shops and 80,000 square feet of office space.
"It is the last project of that scope that will be possible in our town," Mayor Keith Weatherly said.
But the size of the project is raising some concerns about traffic, stress on Apex's already strained school system and cannibalization of the town's historic downtown, which has been experiencing a revitalization of its own.
Beverly and Bob Fuller own Out of the Kiln, an art studio and craft gallery on downtown's main drag, Salem Street. They also opened a gift shop, Traditions on Salem, next door in June.
"We just opened up a second store, so we weren't real, real worried about business dropping," Beverly Fuller said. "I think the thing is that people aren't afraid of the growth if it's done right. But have we yet to see it done right? I don't know."
Apex has been experiencing a growth spurt, jumping from 7,257 residents in 1990 to 26,311 last year. Its population is predicted to climb to 31,430 by 2011.
Retailers have been following the boom, with the addition of Beaver Creek Commons off U.S. 64 and the still-under-development Beaver Creek Crossings nearby. Together, the centers encompass more than 1 million square feet of retail space.
And there is more demand that makes the Villages of Apex viable, said developer Mike Howington.
Howington is half of Apex First Development LLC, and also owner of Apex Electric. His business partner is a friend and Maryland developer named Warren Halle. Together they plan to invest at least $327 million in the project.
Already, retailers are trying to become a part of the project, said Calvin Ramsey of Coldwell Banker Advantage, a Raleigh-based company helping to lease the space.
"We haven't even marketed this thing yet, and we've just been inundated with calls about this thing," he said. "We're already being courted by several major upscale grocery stores."
Work on the Villages of Apex will begin this month or in early September, Howington said. The entire project could be built in as little as five years.
"It's going to change the whole area," Howington said. "We're actually building a new city."
Weatherly, Apex's mayor, said town planners are doing what they can to encourage developers to include new schools and infrastructure with their plans as Apex grows.
The town is planning road improvements, including the extension of Apex Peakway and a bridge over the CSX railroad tracks to help ease traffic, he said.
"We can't force the school district to acquire property, but certainly we're facilitating the discussion," Weatherly said. "We really intend to keep our growth rate at 3 to 4 percent [annually] on average."
Long ago Town of Apex business were served by an "ice house", a local small business that packaged bags of ice and delivered bulk ice to grocery stores, downtown merchants, the one screen movie theater and other merchants around the area. The business was located in the south central part of town near the railroad tracks where the structure can still be seen today. It's one of the historic original businesses structures from the past that closed but was left in it's original place.
Each year the Parks and Recreation Department of the Town of Apex, NC, has a "just for kids" parade on July 4th. Vendors line the streets with inflated slides and rides for the children and others have tents offering food or wares for the occasion. The downtown area is packed with residents and visitors from all around just wanting to get out and celebrate the day. At high-noon all the kids that care to participate line up at the center of town on Salem Street to join a procession through the historic downtown with their costumes, wagons, bicycles and tricycles and all sorts of home built outfits to celebrate the day.
Apex, NC, is the 14th best place to live according to CNN Money, July 17, 2007. Holly Springs, NC, is 22nd best place.CNN Money review...
CNN Money
July 17, 2007
Best places to live: Top 10014. Apex, N.C.Population: 26,300
Median home price (2006): $226,942
Average property taxes (2006): $1,940Apex is full of scenery, but the most striking area is the quaint Downtown Historic District. The turn-of-the-century train depot, built between 1867 and 1873, is still impressively intact, with an array of commercial and residential buildings now serving visitors and residents alike. Locals enjoy the small-town feel of the growing community. But some residents have to adapt to growth in less popular ways, like longer commute times to Raleigh or the Research Triangle, and recently implemented year-round school schedules. -A.B.
Gone are the days of quiet solitude in older neighborhoods in Apex, NC. In times past, living in one of the older houses in this former small country town would allow residents to sit on the porch or in the yard and have a little peace and quiet.
two block walk to downtown, past the railroad tracks two blocks away, to the small, quaint neighborhood gas station to have a 10 cent coca-cola and sit around the pot-bellied stove to hear the latest gossip. An occasional car stopped out front to purchase gas at the astounding price of 15 cents a gallon. After filling up, customers would walk inside the one room brick structure to pay for fuel and look through the glass display cases for cigarettes or snacks to purchase. Afterwards we would make the short walk back home to sit for a little longer on the front steps until it was completely dark.
Fast paced growth has taken away the serenity of these old neighborhoods and being outside near the more heavily traveled town streets is always accompanied by the sound of approaching trucks, motorbikes and fast moving loud cars producing a constant roar of engine noise and the scent of air pollution that comes with greatly increased traffic.
News and Observer
March 31, 2007
Toby Coleman and David Bracken, Staff Writers
Mayor's ba-a-a-d joke
Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly responded to news that a man was keeping a flock of sheep in his downtown Apex house with a lot of jokes.He even went on WRAL-FM's "Bill and Sheri in the Morning" show Tuesday to face baaas and a bunch of cracks.
He respond-ed with what he said was a lighthearted jab at a neighboring town: "Very frankly, you might expect this sort of thing in Holly Springs, but ... it was a surprise to us in Apex."
That didn't play well in Holly Springs.
"Well, you know, he's a jerk," said Holly Springs Mayor Dick Sears on Wednesday morning.
Sears cooled down later in the day after Weatherly called him to apologize. He said that he no longer thought Weatherly was a jerk.
"You just shouldn't do those kind of things," Sears said. "If the joke was on Apex the whole show, then leave it on Apex."
"If anybody took that as a serious commentary they missed the point and that's unfortunate," Weatherly said later.
"I certainly didn't mean to demean the good people of Holly Springs," the mayor added. "That would be ludicrous."
News and Observer
March 28, 2007
Michael Biesecker and Toby Coleman, Staff Writers
Sheep owner charged with 30 cruelty counts
APEX - The suburban shepherd who shared his downtown Apex house with 77 sheep has been charged with 30 counts of cruelty to animals.David Watts was being held this morning in the Wake jail in lieu of $30,000 bond.
On Tuesday, Watts denied in an interview that he had abused his flock. He said that so many lambs were born this year that he was a little overwhelmed. Read more...
A second report reveals more on the life and troubles of the sheep owned by David Watts of Apex. He claims "so many lambs were born this year that he was a little overwhelmed, but denied he abused his flock." It would seem more like he wasn't able to provided adequate care all along and isn't up to facing reality. The veterinarians remarks indicate "some in the flock showed signs of serious neglect that had been continuing for many months, probably years."News and Observer
March 28, 2007
Michael Biesecker and Toby Coleman, Staff Writers
Lambs just kept coming, owner says
77 sheep seized; 60 more are found
APEX - The suburban shepherd who shared his downtown Apex house with 77 sheep said that so many lambs were born this year that he was a little overwhelmed, but denied he abused his flock."It was just bad timing for me," David Watts said Tuesday. "I just got hit with the extra animals this year that needed extra supervision."
Veterinarian Kelli Ferris, who examined the sheep that Watts surrendered to Wake County animal control officers Monday, said that some in the flock showed signs of serious neglect that had been continuing for many months, probably years.
So far, 30 of the sheep have been euthanized after it was determined they were too sick to recover. Read more...
bright spring Monday morning about a flock of sheep grazing in the town cemetery they knew right where to go. A dilapidated old 1910 home next to the cemetery was being shared by David Watts with his flock of some 80 sheep. They lived in and around the first floor, on the porch, in fenced off areas under tarps and trees and virtually all around the property. He lived on the second floor of the house, apparently alone.
Mr. Watts could be seen occasionally walking some of his sheep on leashes in the neighborhood surrounding the house and cemetery. Neighbors had called police and animal protection personnel numerous times about the foul smell in the neighborhood but until now no one could justify taking the animals away from him. He will now
face criminal charges and is to blame for some thirty or more having to be euthanized due to severe sickness and untreatable conditions.News and Observer
March 27, 2007
Michael Biesecker and Benjamin Niolet, Staff Writers
80 sheep weren't flock, but roomies
APEX - When Apex police got the call early Monday that wayward sheep were grazing on the floral arrangements in the town cemetery, they didn't have to guess where the animals had come from.On an adjacent downtown property, a short stroll from the quaint restaurants and art galleries lining Salem Street, David Watts had long shared his crumbling house with what authorities say was a flock of about 80 sheep.
"He lives upstairs, and the sheep were living downstairs," Apex Police Sgt. Robert Towell said. "He considered them pets." Read more...
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