As residents of Haddon Hall, we are deeply concerned about how the proposed development at 1201 North Salem Street will affect our thriving neighborhood of more than 800 homes. We are not opposed to growth, but there is a difference between what has been proposed and smart development that respects its context and adds long-term value for all. It is incumbent upon the town council to protect existing neighborhoods from the downsides of proposed adjacent development and, if necessary, refuse to grant approval for projects don’t make our entire community better. We see several key concerns with the current proposal at 1201 North Salem Street that should be addressed:
· The proposed road connections at Charlion Downs Lane and Frenchurch Way create a shortcut through Haddon Hall for people traveling between the new development and Apex Peakway or West Williams Street. Charlion Downs is not able to accommodate an increase in traffic from hundreds of housing units and various retail enterprises. There are very real safety concerns with many young children living on the street and several blind turns. Increased traffic along Brittley Way and Haddon Hall Drive will be problematic on roads where rush hour congestion, speeding, and people running stop signs are already daily issues. The heavy traffic through Haddon Hall related to Peak Charter is a well-known local example of how adjacent development can lead to traffic and safety issues on our small neighborhood streets. We ask that the proposed street connections to Haddon Hall be eliminated or materially redesigned to prevent traffic cutting through our neighborhood.
· The latest plan pushes high-density housing up to the boundary with areas of Haddon Hall that are comprised entirely of single-family homes. This version of the plan eliminates more green space and entirely disregards the context of the surrounding neighborhood. This is the opposite of smart growth that preserves as much green space as possible and integrates respectfully with adjacent communities. We ask that a wider buffer be established with more preservation of mature trees to soften the transition between neighborhoods. We also ask for a meaningful transition in development style with an area of reduced density along the margin with Haddon Hall.
· The vast hard surface area of the proposed development will increase stormwater runoff through Haddon Hall. The increase in runoff from paved surfaces compared to a meadow area is significant. While the developers claim that there will be no net increase in the rate of flow, there will be an increase in the total amount of flow, which will strain our creeks and infrastructure on a daily basis, and overwhelm them during the type of extreme rain events that have become increasingly common. Meeting the minimum standards for engineering stormwater retention does not address these issues. We ask for further downstream stormwater analysis that includes studies of increased runoff volume and modeling the impact of major storm events to see how Haddon Hall will be affected and to prevent any issues.
· Adjacent to Haddon Hall, there is the clear issue of how this new development will affect traffic on North Salem Street, which is already chaotic during busy times of day and currently requires routine police presence to manage traffic coming in and out of Thales Academy – and that is before hundreds of housing units and new retail space is added right across the street. With no additional stop light planned on North Salem, this situation will only become more chaotic and congested, raising legitimate concerns about vehicular and pedestrian safety and overall traffic flow.
We ask the town council to review the proposed development with a critical eye toward the impacts listed above. You don’t need to look far in Apex to find examples of poorly planned development that our community already regrets. Just because the town plan opens the door to higher density development at 1201 North Salem Street doesn’t mean that the space must be filled with hundreds of units and should ignore what is happening around the site in terms of traffic, stormwater flow, and development style. The signees of this petition ask the town council to refuse approval for this project until the developer solves the significant issues we have raised.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
September 20, 2026
Final Vote October 13
September 18, 2026
All, The Apex Planning Board passed the rezoning request for this project along to the Town Council for a final vote at their meeting on October 13th at 6:00PM at Apex Town Hall (73 Hunter Street). Strongly encourage people to show up for that meeting and make your voice heard, they do allow community members to speak. You can also email the Town Council your concerns at [email protected]. Our efforts are not going unnoticed - a story about our concerns was recently featured by WRAL and the Planning Board vote was at least a split decision, with a number of community members standing up to speak effectively during the meeting. We hope to see you at the Town Council meeting on October 13th!
Next Steps
September 4, 2026
Thanks to all who have signed our petition! We're getting close to 200 signatures, which is awesome. I'll be emailing each member of the town council to share my thoughts and the link to this petition so they can see all the signatures and your comments. The rezoning meeting for this proposed development will be held at Apex Town Hall on Monday, September 14, at 4:30 PM. Definitely encourage people to attend! You can also submit written comments in advance of the hearing by emailing: [email protected]. Put “Rezoning # 25CZ24 – North Salem Street PUD” in the subject line. Include your name and address for the record. The Town's published Planning Board procedure says written statements are delivered to Planning Board members before their vote. For Planning Board hearings, the Town has instructed residents to submit them at least two business days before the vote. If you would like to email anyone on the town council and share your thoughts with them, here are their names and email addresses: Mayor Jacques Gilbert — [email protected] (he does NOT have a vote) Mayor Pro Tem Terry Mahaffey: [email protected] Council Member Arno Zegerman: [email protected] Council Member Ed Gray: [email protected] Council Member Shane Reese: [email protected] Council Member Sue Mu: [email protected] Thanks and we hope to see you at the zoning hearing on September 14th!
Reached 100 supporters
August 22, 2026
123 Comments
It's already difficult enough to get out of the neighborhood in the mornings and afternoons due to Thales on one end and Peak Charter on another. Traffic already backs up and comes to a complete stop on N Salem, Blackburn, Haddon Hall (onto 55), and Peakway during school start/end times. Adding the vehicles of about 450ish units without dealing with the already existing problem is asinine. It is beyond ridiculous that this usage has been approved. There has consistently been zero thought given
The plans that have been discussed are too dense for the amount of space. Traffic in the area already bad due to thales school dropoffs and Salem street being a one lane road.
I live in Haddon Hall. I want to protect my neighborhood( and it's habitat) being affected by the traffic this development can bring.
Growth and responsible planning do not have to be opposing goals. Apex can continue to add housing and economic activity while also requiring development to respect the communities, infrastructure and natural resources already in place.
That area is already so congested. We don’t need more traffic in apex.
This project needs to be completely redesigned. Traffic on Salem Street is already horrible and this will make it much worse. It is also completely irresponsible for the developers to propose high density housing bordering upon single-family homes. That absolutely guarantees a huge amount of traffic going through Haddon Hall. Haddon Hall is a neighborhood not a thoroughfare connecting major roads. This development needs to change to a much lower density or have no road connections to Haddon Hal
I live in haddon hall. Specifically Charlion downs lane, so this directly effects me.
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As residents of Haddon Hall, we are deeply concerned about how the proposed development at 1201 North Salem Street will affect our thriving neighborhood of more than 800 homes. We are not opposed to growth, but there is a difference between what has been proposed and smart development that respects its context and adds long-term value for all. It is incumbent upon the town council to protect existing neighborhoods from the downsides of proposed adjacent development and, if necessary, refuse to grant approval for projects don’t make our entire community better. We see several key concerns with the current proposal at 1201 North Salem Street that should be addressed:
· The proposed road connections at Charlion Downs Lane and Frenchurch Way create a shortcut through Haddon Hall for people traveling between the new development and Apex Peakway or West Williams Street. Charlion Downs is not able to accommodate an increase in traffic from hundreds of housing units and various retail enterprises. There are very real safety concerns with many young children living on the street and several blind turns. Increased traffic along Brittley Way and Haddon Hall Drive will be problematic on roads where rush hour congestion, speeding, and people running stop signs are already daily issues. The heavy traffic through Haddon Hall related to Peak Charter is a well-known local example of how adjacent development can lead to traffic and safety issues on our small neighborhood streets. We ask that the proposed street connections to Haddon Hall be eliminated or materially redesigned to prevent traffic cutting through our neighborhood.
· The latest plan pushes high-density housing up to the boundary with areas of Haddon Hall that are comprised entirely of single-family homes. This version of the plan eliminates more green space and entirely disregards the context of the surrounding neighborhood. This is the opposite of smart growth that preserves as much green space as possible and integrates respectfully with adjacent communities. We ask that a wider buffer be established with more preservation of mature trees to soften the transition between neighborhoods. We also ask for a meaningful transition in development style with an area of reduced density along the margin with Haddon Hall.
· The vast hard surface area of the proposed development will increase stormwater runoff through Haddon Hall. The increase in runoff from paved surfaces compared to a meadow area is significant. While the developers claim that there will be no net increase in the rate of flow, there will be an increase in the total amount of flow, which will strain our creeks and infrastructure on a daily basis, and overwhelm them during the type of extreme rain events that have become increasingly common. Meeting the minimum standards for engineering stormwater retention does not address these issues. We ask for further downstream stormwater analysis that includes studies of increased runoff volume and modeling the impact of major storm events to see how Haddon Hall will be affected and to prevent any issues.
· Adjacent to Haddon Hall, there is the clear issue of how this new development will affect traffic on North Salem Street, which is already chaotic during busy times of day and currently requires routine police presence to manage traffic coming in and out of Thales Academy – and that is before hundreds of housing units and new retail space is added right across the street. With no additional stop light planned on North Salem, this situation will only become more chaotic and congested, raising legitimate concerns about vehicular and pedestrian safety and overall traffic flow.
We ask the town council to review the proposed development with a critical eye toward the impacts listed above. You don’t need to look far in Apex to find examples of poorly planned development that our community already regrets. Just because the town plan opens the door to higher density development at 1201 North Salem Street doesn’t mean that the space must be filled with hundreds of units and should ignore what is happening around the site in terms of traffic, stormwater flow, and development style. The signees of this petition ask the town council to refuse approval for this project until the developer solves the significant issues we have raised.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
September 20, 2026
Final Vote October 13
September 18, 2026
All, The Apex Planning Board passed the rezoning request for this project along to the Town Council for a final vote at their meeting on October 13th at 6:00PM at Apex Town Hall (73 Hunter Street). Strongly encourage people to show up for that meeting and make your voice heard, they do allow community members to speak. You can also email the Town Council your concerns at [email protected]. Our efforts are not going unnoticed - a story about our concerns was recently featured by WRAL and the Planning Board vote was at least a split decision, with a number of community members standing up to speak effectively during the meeting. We hope to see you at the Town Council meeting on October 13th!
Next Steps
September 4, 2026
Thanks to all who have signed our petition! We're getting close to 200 signatures, which is awesome. I'll be emailing each member of the town council to share my thoughts and the link to this petition so they can see all the signatures and your comments. The rezoning meeting for this proposed development will be held at Apex Town Hall on Monday, September 14, at 4:30 PM. Definitely encourage people to attend! You can also submit written comments in advance of the hearing by emailing: [email protected]. Put “Rezoning # 25CZ24 – North Salem Street PUD” in the subject line. Include your name and address for the record. The Town's published Planning Board procedure says written statements are delivered to Planning Board members before their vote. For Planning Board hearings, the Town has instructed residents to submit them at least two business days before the vote. If you would like to email anyone on the town council and share your thoughts with them, here are their names and email addresses: Mayor Jacques Gilbert — [email protected] (he does NOT have a vote) Mayor Pro Tem Terry Mahaffey: [email protected] Council Member Arno Zegerman: [email protected] Council Member Ed Gray: [email protected] Council Member Shane Reese: [email protected] Council Member Sue Mu: [email protected] Thanks and we hope to see you at the zoning hearing on September 14th!
Reached 100 supporters
August 22, 2026
123 Comments
Much has already been said here, but it feels like the housing is being planned before the infrastructure to support it. I have no problem seeing more housing options available for folks coming to Apex, but it needs to be done in a way that doesn’t create problems for both the new and existing residents.
It's already difficult enough to get out of the neighborhood in the mornings and afternoons due to Thales on one end and Peak Charter on another. Traffic already backs up and comes to a complete stop on N Salem, Blackburn, Haddon Hall (onto 55), and Peakway during school start/end times. Adding the vehicles of about 450ish units without dealing with the already existing problem is asinine. It is beyond ridiculous that this usage has been approved. There has consistently been zero thought given
The plans that have been discussed are too dense for the amount of space. Traffic in the area already bad due to thales school dropoffs and Salem street being a one lane road.
I live in Haddon Hall. I want to protect my neighborhood( and it's habitat) being affected by the traffic this development can bring.
Growth and responsible planning do not have to be opposing goals. Apex can continue to add housing and economic activity while also requiring development to respect the communities, infrastructure and natural resources already in place.
That area is already so congested. We don’t need more traffic in apex.
This project needs to be completely redesigned. Traffic on Salem Street is already horrible and this will make it much worse. It is also completely irresponsible for the developers to propose high density housing bordering upon single-family homes. That absolutely guarantees a huge amount of traffic going through Haddon Hall. Haddon Hall is a neighborhood not a thoroughfare connecting major roads. This development needs to change to a much lower density or have no road connections to Haddon Hal
I live in haddon hall. Specifically Charlion downs lane, so this directly effects me.
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Much has already been said here, but it feels like the housing is being planned before the infrastructure to support it. I have no problem seeing more housing options available for folks coming to Apex, but it needs to be done in a way that doesn’t create problems for both the new and existing residents.