Sustainable Development

As Wake Forest continues to grow, it should strive to set itself apart in the region as a community committed to sustainability. By supporting a healthy, sustainable environment and promoting green development practices, the Town can help ensure the well-being of residents and the protection of its natural assets for generations to come.

Adaptive Reuse

Adaptive reuse is the method of repurposing or “recycling” an existing structure for a new use other than for what it was initially intended for. Adaptive reuse can be used to bring life to aged, underutilized, or disinvested buildings in the community that are still structurally sound and feature desirable built form. It can also be leveraged to preserve Wake Forest’s historic structures and heritage while supporting new, activated uses.

Green Buildings

Green buildings are buildings that are designed to reduce or eliminate negative impacts on the environment and human health. They are efficient structures that reduce the resources used (energy, water, and materials) through improved siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certifications are awarded to development that meets the sustainability standards of the Green Building Rating System.

CASE STUDY WEST GEER STREET

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA

Located at the edge of Downtown Durham, West Geer Street between Foster Street and Madison Street features successful examples adaptive reuse. Many seemingly obsolete buildings like former auto repair shops or industrial buildings were repurposed into trendy new restaurants, lounges, and bars with façade art and outdoor patios. Through repurposing older structures, the area was able to retain much of its original gritty character, while reinvestment stimulated new energy and activity into the area. Nearby apartment buildings also contribute to resident foot traffic and the economic viability of the area. A similar approach should be considered for repurposing existing auto-oriented structures along S White Street, such as unique food and drink establishments and collaborative workspaces.

Low Impact Development

Low Impact Development (LID) is the integration of green infrastructure and conservation of on-site natural features to mitigate stormwater runoff and protect water quality. Green infrastructure is an attractive and sustainable alternative to traditional concrete (or “gray”) infrastructure that substitutes paved and hard surfaces with vegetated or permeable areas. It has numerous environmental benefits on top of stormwater management, including reducing urban heat islands, improving air quality, and promoting economic vitality through attractive urban settings. Examples include incorporating pearmeable surfaces, xeriscaping, grassed swales, rain gardens, bioretention strips, and green roofs into parking lot, streetscape, and building designs. Native and locally adapted vegetation should be encouraged to support LID, pollinators, and wildlife habitats.

Key Recommendations

| Encourage private developers to incorporate green building, LID, and green infrastructure practices in future developments. | Incorporate green infrastructure into public streetscapes, prioritizing pedestrian-oriented areas like

Downtown, TOD, and Neighborhood

Commercial areas.

| Continue to incorporate sustainable design best practices into Town-owned infrastructure and community facilities, striving for LEED certification for future facilities.

| Use the Environmental Protection

Agency’s (EPA) “Revising Local Codes to Facilitate Low Impact Development” guide to help identify regulations within the UDO that discourage LID practices. | Work with homeowner’s associations (HOAs) to allow the use of solar panels on residential properties. | Support the use of attractive, safe, and sustainable street furniture and infrastructure, such as solar streetlights,

LED traffic lights, and smart bus shelters. | Expand the electric vehicle (EV) charging network by requiring the installation of charging stations, or the infrastructure needed to accommodate future charging stations, in all new parking lots, especially parking lots of multifamily and large scale developments, and increasing supply of public charging stations.

| Promote adaptive reuse over redevelopment for structures that are structurally sound, feature desirable built form, and/or are historically significant. This includes creating an online inventory of buildings available for adaptive reuse. | Develop a solar energy ordinance and enroll in the SolSmart program, a national designation program funded by the US Department of Energy charged with making solar power faster, easier, and more affordable.

| Explore ways to incentivize renewable energy and passive solar design in the Town’s development standards.

SolSmart’s Solar Enegery Toolkit can be used as resource for better promoting solar panels within the code.