Apex planning board approves realignment of Pristine Water Drive to 1010 Road to add access for proposed 2320 parcel

The Apex Planning Board on May 11 unanimously approved an amendment to the town's transportation plan to realign a future major collector street so a proposed development at the parcel labeled "2320" would have a second point of access at the Penny Road/1010 Road intersection.

Planning staff'presented the change as a targeted realignment that would shift the collector slightly north to align directly across from Penny Road and create a full-movement access there once 1010 is widened. "The purpose of that major collector street is to provide future connectivity," said Miss Cox of planning staff during the presentation, adding that transportation, parks, police and fire reviewed the proposal and raised no objections. Staff recommended the amendment to the board.

Clay Coyle of Foundry Commercial, the project applicant, told the board the developer will construct the Pristine Water Drive extension to the edge of their property, build a dedicated driveway from the golf-course parking lot to the new extension and make parking-lot improvements. "We will be building a dedicated driveway from their current parking lot out to the new Pristine Water Drive extension, which will give their traffic access to that signalized intersection at Penny Road, hopefully make it safer for those customers to get out onto 1010," Coyle said.

Board members pressed the applicant on internal road connections, NCDOT coordination and whether the design would cross the Colonial Pipeline; Coyle said the team is "in talks with them" and will follow pipeline requirements for any crossing. Several members noted the realignment avoids bifurcating Knight's Play's parking and described the outcome as a practical compromise for both property owners.

After discussion, a board member moved to approve the transportation-plan amendment; the motion passed unanimously. The board's approval is a recommendation to town council as part of the formal plan-amendment process; any required permits, NCDOT approvals and private agreements for construction across neighboring parcels remain to be negotiated by the developer.

Next steps: the amendment advances with the board's recommendation; construction of the roadway extension would be the developer's responsibility and would require additional site- and right-of-way approvals, including any needed NCDOT permits.