Wake County, North Carolina Planning & Development Feed

Launch-preview, server-rendered feed for the Raleigh–Cary–Research Triangle metro — the fastest-growing large metro in the Southeast for homebuilder activity, data-center expansion, and life-sciences campus development. Covers Wake County's unincorporated planning plus the City of Raleigh and the Triangle ring: Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Morrisville, Wake Forest, Garner, Knightdale, Wendell, Zebulon, and Rolesville.

Demo figures: 54 rezoning applications open · 7 hearings in the next 30 days · 13 decisions in the last 30 days

Last updated: Monday, April 14, 2026, 06:05 UTC. Demo dataset for launch review. Figures are sample records, not a live production feed.

Stat bar

Open rezonings	Upcoming hearings (30d)	Approvals (30d)	Denials (30d)	Active subdivisions	Last updated
54	7	13	4	31	Apr 14, 2026

Upcoming hearings calendar

Date	Body	Top agenda items	Source
Apr 15, 2026	Raleigh Planning Commission	Z-14-2026 (Glenwood South residential tower) · Z-17-2026 (Six Forks corridor) · 3 CUPs	raleighnc.gov
Apr 16, 2026	Wake County Board of Commissioners	Rolesville ETJ agreement · Unincorporated subdivision plats	wake.gov
Apr 22, 2026	Raleigh City Council	Second reading Z-11-2026 (West Hargett) · First reading Z-14-2026	raleighnc.gov
Apr 23, 2026	Cary Planning and Zoning Board	Research Triangle Park edge campus · Crescent Green phase III · Parkside Town Commons	townofcary.org
Apr 29, 2026	Apex Planning Board	Beaver Creek Commons expansion · Salem Village PUD amendment	apexnc.org
May 5, 2026	Holly Springs Town Council	Friendship Road industrial rezone · Ten Ten Road commercial	hollyspringsnc.us
May 13, 2026	Raleigh Board of Adjustment	Variance requests for 5 infill projects	raleighnc.gov

Recent notable decisions

Date	Applicant	Location	Outcome	Summary
Apr 10	Kane Realty Corporation	Raleigh — North Hills	Approved	488-unit vertical mixed-use; 3-to-1 parking reduction with shared-use agreement
Apr 7	D.R. Horton NC	Fuquay-Varina	Approved	492-lot subdivision preliminary plat
Apr 3	Lennar Corp Raleigh	Wake Forest periphery	Approved with conditions	218-lot SF subdivision; stream-buffer easement
Mar 31	NoVo Campus Developers	Research Triangle Park / Morrisville edge	Approved	94-acre life sciences campus; master plan amendment
Mar 26	401 North / Garner LLC	Garner	Denied 5–3	Industrial rezone rejected; neighborhood opposition and traffic findings

Active rezoning applications

App ID	Filed	Applicant	Project type	Acreage	From → To	Stage
Z-14-2026	Feb 19	Kane Realty	Mixed-use	12.4	"DX-20-UL" → "DX-40-UL"	PC Apr 15
Z-17-2026	Feb 24	Highwoods Properties	Office	18.6	"OX-7" → "OX-12"	PC Apr 15
Z-11-2026	Jan 28	Grubb Properties	Multifamily	7.9	"RX-4" → "RX-7"	Council Apr 22
Z-21-2026	Mar 3	Northwood Ravin	Multifamily	14.1	"RX-4" → "RX-7-CU"	Staff review
Z-26-2026	Mar 7	NoVo Campus Developers	Office/R&D	94.0	"OP" → "OX-12"	Approved Mar 31
RZ-2026-08	Mar 11	Toll Brothers NC	Residential	128.5	"R-30" → "R-6"	Cary Apr 23
RZ-2026-10	Mar 13	Lennar NC	Residential	188.8	"R-40" → "R-10"	Wake Forest TC
CUP-26-006	Mar 17	QTS Realty Trust	Data center	140.0	CUP on "I-1"	Cary P&Z Apr 23
Z-30-2026	Mar 21	Woodfield Development	BTR	22.1	"RX-3" → "RX-5"	Intake
Z-34-2026	Mar 26	Trammell Crow Residential	Multifamily	9.8	"RX-4" → "RX-7"	Intake

4-field wedge highlights — Wake County / Raleigh

Recent conditions of approval

"Applicant shall dedicate a 75-foot undisturbed riparian buffer along the unnamed tributary of Marsh Creek per the Neuse River Basin Rules, and shall place the buffer in a conservation easement prior to recordation of the first final plat." — Z-09-2026, Apr 3, 2026

"Applicant shall provide 14% of total residential units as Affordable Housing units targeted to 60% AMI for a minimum 20-year period, enforceable via recorded deed restriction. In-lieu fee of $2.1M to the Raleigh Affordable Housing Trust Fund permitted in lieu for up to 40% of the requirement." — Z-11-2026, Apr 10, 2026

"Applicant shall construct and dedicate a 10-foot multi-use path along the property's Six Forks Road frontage and shall contribute $380,000 to the City of Raleigh Complete Streets program for intersection improvements at Six Forks/Lynn Road." — Z-17-2026, Mar 31, 2026

Notable community objections (last 30 days)

68 residents of the Garner area submitted written opposition to the 401 North industrial rezoning, citing traffic on Timber Drive, noise from heavy-truck operations, and conflict with the adjacent R-20 neighborhood. PC recommended denial; Council denied 5–3.

29 speakers opposed QTS Realty Trust's 140-acre data-center CUP in the Cary-Morrisville edge, primarily over water consumption, grid capacity, and neighborhood tree-canopy preservation.

Recent staff recommendations

Raleigh Department of Planning and Development staff recommended approval with conditions for Kane Realty's North Hills mixed-use, citing alignment with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and the applicant's commitment to 14% affordable units. PC voted with staff 10–1.

Cary Planning staff recommended approval for the NoVo Campus Developers life-sciences master plan amendment, subject to 18 specific conditions covering stream buffer, parking max, and transit easement dedication. P&Z Board voted unanimously with staff.

Recent hearing outcomes

Raleigh PC, Apr 1, 2026: 9 items heard over 3h 52m. 7 approved (5 unanimous, 2 split 9–1), 1 denied (7–4), 1 continued.

Cary P&Z Board, Apr 2, 2026: 5 items, 4 approved, 1 continued. Notable: unanimous approval on the NoVo life-sciences master plan.

Top active developers in Wake County (last 12 months)

Rank	Applicant	Filings	Typical type	Notable
1	D.R. Horton NC	16	Single-family	Fuquay-Varina + Wake Forest + Holly Springs
2	Lennar Corp Raleigh	13	Single-family + BTR	Triangle ring concentration
3	Toll Brothers NC	9	Residential master plan	Cary + Apex
4	Kane Realty Corporation	7	Mixed-use, urban infill	North Hills + Downtown Raleigh
5	QTS Realty Trust + Northwood Ravin + others	6	Data center + multifamily	Triangle data-center corridor

Historical decision trends

24-month: applications 34 (Apr 2024) → 58 (Mar 2026); approval rate 78% → 83%; avg days filing-to-decision 66 → 57. Life-sciences master plans from 0 in 2024 to 4 in Q1 2026. Data-center CUPs from 1 in 2024 to 7 in 2025.

Related counties

• Johnston County, NC (Clayton, Smithfield — boardwalkai pos 22 eclipse)
• Durham County, NC
• Orange County, NC (Chapel Hill, Hillsborough)
• Franklin County, NC
• Chatham County, NC
• Mecklenburg County, NC (Charlotte — separate metro)

Related glossary pages

• Conditions of approval
• Rezone application
• Staff recommendation
• Subdivision approval
• Planning commission
• Conditional use permit

Wake County planning FAQ

How do I find planning commission meetings in Wake County?

Raleigh — the primary jurisdiction — runs a Planning Commission that meets at Raleigh Municipal Building, 222 W. Hargett St. Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Morrisville, Wake Forest, and Garner each run their own planning boards. Wake County unincorporated activity goes through the Wake County Board of Commissioners. cityminutes aggregates every meeting and decision across all of them on this page.

Who owns a property in Wake County?

Wake County Register of Deeds (wake.gov/departments-government/register-deeds) and the Wake County Tax Administration (wake.gov/departments-government/tax-administration) maintain ownership and parcel records. The production record model joins each active rezoning application to its Wake County parcel PIN.

How long does rezoning take in Raleigh?

In the last 12 months, the median time from intake to final City Council action for a Raleigh rezoning is 73 days. Cary averages 82 days. Cary's life-sciences and data-center master plan amendments average 124 days due to environmental and infrastructure review.

What's the planning department phone number for the City of Raleigh?

Raleigh Planning and Development: (919) 996-2626. Wake County Planning, Development, and Inspections: (919) 856-6216. Cary Planning Department: (919) 469-4080. cityminutes is not the official line — we link to the source on every decision.

Why is Raleigh a big homebuilder market?

Wake County ranks in the top 10 US counties for single-family building permit volume (2025). D.R. Horton, Lennar, Toll Brothers, Pulte, Meritage, and KB Home all run active Triangle divisions. The geographic-priority analysis (V3.1) ranks Raleigh-Durham DMA at composite #11 — outscoring Phoenix and Austin on intent-weighted B2B search signal.

How often is this data updated?

Every Monday at 06:00 UTC. Changelog at /planning/nc/wake/changelog/.

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