Want a say in the future of Apex growth and development? An upcoming public forum will give you the power to do just that.
The town is developing Peak Plan 2055, the strategic plan for the next three decades. An event on March 25 is designed for resident feedback on different growth scenarios that will inform the plan’s direction.
The Line spoke with Shannon Cox, Long-Range Planning Manager for Apex, on what to expect and how input guides the planning process.
“We really want people to participate at this stage so they can determine how Apex wants to grow,” Cox said in a phone interview Thursday.
How it works: The forum is drop-in style from 4-7 p.m., but show up no later than 6:30 p.m. to give yourself enough time.
Expect to start with an introductory video to orient participants to the goals of the forum. Next, attendees will advance to the next room with different stations. Staff and consultants are there to ask questions and receive remaining comments not addressed by the scenarios and interactive stations.
What is Peak Plan 2055?“It’s really our vision for how we’re going to grow between now and 2055,” Cox said.
The plan serves as a “guiding document” for private development and town projects. Now is the time to inform the long-range vision.
In Apex, which is rapidly growing, the plan is typically updated every 10 years.
Five different growth scenarios will be presented for resident feedback, informed by the first phase of the feedback process.
Cox said the scenarios are crafted to capture more extreme differences so that participants can compare the tradeoffs. The final recommended scenario will be an informed mix of what people say they like and don’t like about the sample scenarios.
Two scenarios will reflect how Apex has been growing most similarly to the current land use map on density and development. One scenario has more of a residential growth focus and one has more of an employment growth focus.
Two other scenarios will show what it would look like if Apex decided on more compact growth. This would be more of an urban-like development concentrated along specific corridors. Like the other scenarios, one would focus on more residential growth and another on more employment growth.
Another scenario will show what it looks like to have no growth or slow growth. After hearing from residents in the first phase that it’s growing too fast, this scenario will show what it would actually take to do that, Cox said.
How the town is reaching out to youth: The town will host a session specifically for middle and high-school-age Apex residents to give their opinions on the long-range plan. The town is proactively reaching out to groups, including the Apex Youth Council, but all Apex kids in that age group are invited to the 3-4 p.m. youth-specific session.
“It’s a group that we don’t always hear from, and we think it’s really important they have a voice in how Apex grows,” Cox said.
What else? “Participation really matters,” Cox said. “We really use the input that we gather.”
The plan changes based on that feedback.
The town will share the information after the forum, but “it’s a richer conversation if we can engage in person.”
How to attend: Public Forum #2: How should we grow from here? will be held 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, at Apex Town Hall, 73 Hunter Street.
- Drop in anytime from 4-7 p.m. but arrive before 6:30 p.m.
- The youth-specific event is 3-4 p.m.
💬 What else do you want to know about the Peak Plan 2055? Email line@theassemblync.com.