The
Morrisville & Preston
ypi. 1, No. 1
ress
Morrisville, N.C
Mto24. 1995]
Here’s a first for you^i^t New homes planned in Morrisville
You have a first in your
hands.
It’s the first issue of The
Morrisville and Preston
Progress, a monthly news
paper serving two of Wake
County’s most progressive
communities.
The Progress is being
published by Durham-based
Kirkland Newspapers, Inc.,
which also publishes three
Wake County weeklies. The
Apex Herald, the Fuquay-
Varina Independent and the
Gamer News.
This isn’t our first venture
in the field of monthly pub
lishing. We also serve the
Cleveland School area near
Gamer with the Cleveland
Plus.
The inaugural issue of The
Progress was distributed by
mail to nearly 3,500 Morris
ville and Preston residents.
For those who may not have
received a copy, we’re also
making the newspaper
See HERE’S page 3A
By SUZETTB RODRIGUEZ
The population of Morrisville
could easily double in the next few
years when several new Preston
communities take root, town offi
cials say.
Last month, developers submitted
a preliminary subdivision plat call
ing for 99 single family homes to
be built in a first phase on the east
side of Crabtree Crossing Parkway.
And plans are in the works,
Preston developers say, to build an
aiiitional 542 houses, villas, apart
ments and cluster homes in Morris
ville over the next few years.
Town manager Bill Cobey says
the town welcomes the new devel
opments and the balance residential
growth will bring to what has been
a largely industrial and canmercial
area.
He says the town staff is working
hard on a financing plan to com
plete a water and sewer connection
to Raleigh so that the town can
meet the demand for development.
Even though Morrisville has
limited sewer capacity, the town
board has encouraged developers to
get their plans in and approved,
says town planner Leisa Powell.
The latest preliminary plan sub
mitted by Preston will go before the
planning and Zoning Board Thurs
day night for review, she added.
Lx)ts for the proposed subdivi
sion, according to the plat, average
13,124 square feet in size, or about
one-third of an acre, with the smal
lest being 10,000 square fee.
Smoke
is No-No
in yards
Leaf-burning ban
to start on June 1
The fall tradition of burning
leaves in Morrisville yards is no
more.
Starting June 1, the town will no
longer issue permits for the burning
of residential yard waste. Instead,
all yard waste must be placed at the
curb for pickup by BFI, the fum
under contract to the town of waste
disposal services.
The burning of leaves and other
debris had been allowed with the
issuance of burning permits, which
restricted the hours of burning as
well as the distance from a
residence. Fire Chief Tony
Chiotakis said the yearly average
for permits has exceeded 100.
State law changes all that. The
law, according to Chiotakis, won’t
allow burning in a municipality that
offers residential pickup.
"This is going to be good for
Morrisville, said Chiotakis. "It’s
safer for children and elderly
people, and houses are being built
so close together that burning has
become a real nuisance. It’s just an
other sign of progress for the
town."
Yard waste is picked up on the
first and third Wednesdays in Janu
ary, April, May, June, October, No
vember and December. It is picked
up the first Wednesday only in Feb
ruary, March, July, August and
September.
Residents should place trim
mings, clippings and leaves in clear
plastic bags or brown p^r bags.
Limbs and brush should be tied in
bundles not to exceed four feet long
by 18 inches wide and 18 inches
tall. Residents also are asked to tie
bundles with string or twine and to
limit the weight of individual bags
so one person can easily pick them
up.
STREET OF DREAMS-Jim Wahibrtnk, execu
tive officer of the Home Builders Association of
Raleigh and Wake County said some 25,000
people are expected to tour the Dream Home
Showcase in Preston Village.
From lavish to lovely, Showcase lane
reflects the latest in decorating trends
The Dream Home Showcase in
fteston Village, boosted by mild
weather and sunny skies, attracted
an opening weekend turnout of
3,446, slightly above last year’s
opening turnout at Sunset Ridge in
Holly Springs.
Katherine Prieskom, spokesper
son for the Home Builders Associa
tion of Raleigh-Wake County, said
the event attracted 1,983 visitors
Sunday after an opening-day
turnout of 1,463.
As many as 25,000 Triangle resi
dents are expected to tour the new
homes before the Showcase closes
on June 4. Hours are 11 a.m. until 9
p.m. except Sunday, when the
hours are noon to 7 p.m. Tickets
are $5 for adults and $3 for seniors
and children.
See FROM, page 2A
FOR THE KIDS-Playhouses are a new addition to this year's
showcase and appeal to the youngstere taldng the home tour.
Morrisville hosts Day at the Park
By BIFF ELLER
An estimated 5,0000 people attended Satur
day’s Day at the Paik, the yearly festival
sponsored by Morrisville’s Dqwrtment of
Parks, Reae^on and Cultural Resources.
The fifth annual festival ran from mid-
momiog to nearly 11 pan. and featured fea
tured music, foo^ and games. A helicopter,
pig races and face painting were attractions
which drew lines of folks from Morrisville
and beyond.
Wanda Cooley, busy making hot dogs at a
booth set-up by the First Baptist Church of
Morrisville said business bad been brisk all
day. When aslxd the favorite way people
liked their hot dogs fixed, Cooley saii "all the
way, of course."
Musical entertainment featured Dr. Tom "T-
Bone" Tucker, Doc Waller and The Fantastic
Waller Family, the SupCT Grit Cowboy Band,
Jackie Gwe Family and Friends and 'Ifre Em
bers.
The festival was capped off with a firewwks
display.
Members of the Half Century Club reported
a good business selling homemade baked
items, with the brownies and marshmallo
treats being the hot sellers. Proceeds of the
bake sale will go to the club’s goodwill fund
that purchases fruit baskets, and get well cards
for people in the community, said Martha Up
church.
Most of people at the festival were from
Morrisville, but there were many visitors from
out-of-town. One fellow who arrived early
and planned to stay late made the trip from
Durham. "We’ve been coming for the last
three years," said Bonnie Rorie, who was en
joying the music and the food while waiting
for the Jadde Gore band and The Bnbers.
"The barbecue is real good and those curly
fries are absolutely awesome," said Rorie.
Rebecca Everest, pausing to have her blood
pressure checked by the Morrisville Fire and
Rescue Department said she’d seen signs for
the event while out in the area picking straw
berries. "We just decided to come out, and
we’ve enjoyed it," she said.
Hiis year’s festival was the best one yet, ac-
coding to Alan Carroll, director of Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Resources. "We feel
great about it We’re voy pleased and already
talking about next vear," said Carroll. The first
Morrisville festival in 1991 was initiated to
ctxnpliment the fire department’s fall bar
becue. It has grown each year since then.
Ashley Stephenson, 8, of Morrisville
stopped long eix>ugh afta' her inspection of a
N.C. National Guard helicopt» parked on the
grounds to say her favorite part of the festival
was "The Dr^on", an inflated balloon attrac
tion. "You know, the thing you jump on," she
said.
MAKE MINE ALL THE WAY-Wanda Cooley
prepares another hot dog at the Morrisville
First Baptist Church booth.
Preston developer Tim Smith
says homes in the first phase will
range in price from $250,000 to
$300,000.
He plans to break ground on the
new project in about 18 months
when town officials have said they
believe additional water and sewer
edacity will be available.
And there are other projects on
the way.
Still in the planning stages is a
300-unit apartment complex to be
built on the west side of a future
extension of Crabtree Crossing
Parkway, he said.
And nearby, 150 more lots for
single family homes will edge an
eight-hole expansion of the Preston,
golf course on the north side of the
Morrisville Parkway.
There’s more.
Smith says there are plans to
build 62 villas and 30 cluster
homes on the west side of Crabtree
Crossing Paikway along the golf
course.
"MfMrisville’s riding on the coat
tails of growth in the region. I think
it’s going to be the next boom
area," he added.
Cobey says, in the meantime, the
town board will respond to growth
as it occurs, adding staff and ser
vices as they are needed.
When the Preston subdivisiems
are buUt out, be projects the town’s
current population of 1,800 tt) dou
ble. The addition of more people to
the city limits is something be
looks forward to.
Shopping centers
eyeing completion;
weather is factor
By BILL KIRKLAND
It was a long winter for Lacy
Mayes and Ronald Price.
Mayes is the superintendent for
the consfruction of the Preston
Corners Shopping Center, located
in the heart of the Preston commer
cial area at the intersection of Cary
Parkway and High House Road-
Price has the same position at
Cornerstone Village, another shop
ping complex springing up at the
High House Road-Davis Road in
tersection, which is half a mile
from the entrance to Prestonwood
Country Club.
The wet winter meant construc
tion delays for bofli projects, whose
general contractor is John S. Clark
Company, Inc., of Mount Airy.
Price writes in each day’s weather
on a wall calendar, and he shows
38 days lost to bad weather. How
ever, a mild spring is bringing both
shopping centers closer to reality.
Mayes believes many of the 19
shops at Preston Comers will open
as early as July.
"Each tenant is responsible for
fitting up its own space," Mayes
explained. By mid-May, work was
under way in three of the spaces
and others were expected to follow
soon.
The anchor stores - Haimafcffd
Food and Drug Superstore and Kerr
Drug Store - will open in October
or November, reports Marvin
Waldo, senior retail consultant for
the project’s developer. Kane
Realty Corp. of Raleigh.
Hannaford, based in Portland,
Me., went back to the drawing
board after purchasing Wilson’s
Supermarkets of Wilmington, the
original lessee. The space has been
expanded and is being redesigned,
accOTding to Waldo.
The shops at Preston Corals wUI
offK' a wide variety of goods and
services for residents of Preston
and surrounding Cary communities.
The complex includes four eating
spots plus a Jitters coffee house and
a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop.
Shoppers can dine at El Dexado
(Mexican food), Rzza Hut, China
Gate and Manhattan Bagel Co.
State Farm agent Chuck Tickle
will have offices in Preston
Comers, as will Dr. Bobbi Stanley,
a dentist, and Preston Optometry
Center, headed by E>r. Kenneth
Rousselo.
Mitchell’s Hair Styling also will
be located at Presttm Comers, join
ing Tae Qwon Do, the Toy Chest,
Pack ’N Post, Medlin Davis
Cleaners, Premieres Video, Ivy
Cottage Gifts and The Rower Bas
ket.
The shops themselves will have
33,016 square feet of floor space.
Hannaford Food will cover 47,766
square feet and the Kerr Dmg space
will cOTtain 9,600 square feet. The
parking lot will have 446 spaces.
At Cornerstone Village, most of
the 500,000 bricks going into the
construction of the 79,000-square-
foot facility are already in place,
and a September opening is
planned.
A development of the Mount
Airy-based Granite Development
Ltd. and Durham attorney Richard
Drew, Cornerstone Village will be
anchored by a Lowes FreshMart
Superstore, which will contain
46,000 square feet of floor space,
and Kerr Drug Store, which will
cover 9,600 square feet
Craig Hunter of Mount Airy, a
partner in the project, said other
shops at the center will include
Carbonated Video, Fantastic Sam’s
hair saiem, PostNet mailing sCTvice,
an eye care center, a gourmet cof
fee and gift shc^, and a pet groan
ing and supply store.
Of the six ouq>arcels flanking the
center, diree have been sold to Na
tions Bank, Fonville Meurisey and
Coastal Federal Credit Union. The
remaining three ouq)arcels are un
der contract and should close
within the next three months.
"We, along with the grocery
store, Lowes, are cutting no comm
on the development of this project,"
Drew commented. He noted that
landscaping alone will cost over
$130,000.
Delivered expressly
to the residents of
Morrisville and Preston