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Malinda Salter stood before the Apex Town Council on Sept. 10 and described what could rise beside her neighborhood: “132 apartments, four walk-up buildings, no elevators.”
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TWG Development wants to build up to 132 income-restricted apartments on roughly 4.4 acres along Center Street, more than four times the 30 townhomes currently allowed.
The proposal could boost Apex’s affordable-housing supply. The town’s first review, however, has raised questions about parking, access and parts of the four-story design.
The developer has told residents it expects the apartments to serve households earning roughly 50% to 70% of the area’s median income, with rents of about $800 to $1,200 a month. But those figures are not yet binding.
Eric Sanchez, senior housing specialist for the town, said 132 income-restricted units would have a “profound and significant impact” on the town’s affordable-housing supply. The town would craft language to enforce the affordability terms, he said..
Salter, who said about 75 people packed a July neighborhood meeting, has helped organize nearby residents.
At that meeting, the project team said an earlier townhome-and-office plan had stalled and presented the apartment proposal as a response to growing affordable-housing needs, including for people filling expected hospital-related jobs in the area.
TWG’s proposed zoning would allow as little as one parking space per apartment, below Apex’s usual requirement of 1.5 spaces for one- and two-bedroom apartments and 1.8 for units with three or more bedrooms. The preliminary plan currently shows about 170 spaces for 132 units.
“Staff has not supported Multi-family parking at this low of a ratio,” planners wrote in the Sept. 18 review.
Town transportation staff also flagged access. As submitted, the 132-unit project cannot meet Apex’s access standards using Center Street alone because the property lacks enough frontage to separate two access points by the required 500 feet. Staff suggested exploring a connection to Investment Boulevard.
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“I don’t see how it can be overcome because it really does come down to the traffic,” Salter told The News & Observer.
Traffic Engineering Manager Russell Dalton said the developer may identify another solution as it revises the plan, and staff will make its recommendation later in the review. The project falls below the trip threshold that automatically requires a full traffic-impact study. The developer’s analysis forecasts long delays and Level of Service F, the lowest rating on the traffic-analysis scale, on some stop-controlled approaches. But Dalton said an F rating does not necessarily mean the project’s traffic impact is unacceptable. The town’s formal review remains underway, and an N.C. Department of Transportation project to widen Center Street is currently unfunded, Dalton said.
Planners also objected to the proposed four-story flat-roof design, saying it does not meet Apex’s compatibility standard and should be removed. Staff said the gable-roof version better meets the standard and sought more separation or buffering from townhomes to the west.
Andrew Taylor, TWG’s development director listed on the application, did not respond to multiple requests from The N&O about the parking, access and design concerns.
Wake County Public School System also flagged capacity concerns. In a Sept. 2 letter, the district said middle and high schools currently assigned to the property are expected to lack capacity for future students, meaning some could be assigned elsewhere. School construction or expansion within five years is not expected to resolve the concerns. Elementary schools were not flagged.
The property was rezoned once before, in 2024. Town planners recommended denying the 30-townhome proposal, citing among other issues future access constraints along Center Street, while the Planning Board recommended approval 7-1. The site ultimately received an entitlement for up to 30 townhomes and a nonresidential component, which the new application keeps as a fallback.
The Sept. 18 comments are only the first round of review, and town officials say the proposal could change substantially. TWG can revise and resubmit the plan before a second neighborhood meeting and eventual public hearings. The current schedule calls for Planning Board review Dec. 14 and Town Council consideration Jan. 12, though Town officials say those dates could change.
From her home in The Groves, Salter describes her current view toward the property as “a lush green field with these beautiful trees.” What the final proposal will put there remains unsettled.
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This story was originally published September 22, 2026 at 9:32 AM.