Since the owner of the former tobacco farm died in 2002, a town parks
official said, the town has been blocked from making an offer to buy the
land.
"The parks department had spoken with the owner a couple of times and
said if they ever wanted to sell it, the town would be interested in
buying," said John Brown, director of the town's Parks, Recreation and
Cultural Resources Department. "When the owner died, it went into a trust,
and buying it wasn't an option for us. It wasn't made available to the
public and just made available for a developer to buy."
The developer who has arranged to buy the farm is Michael D. Whitehead,
a co-executor of the late owner's estate.
Subdivision planned
When Lelia Seagroves Womble, 90, died in September 2002, a trust was
set up to handle her multimillion-dollar estate, which included the
Seagroves Farm.
Now the farm at 1617 Ten-Ten Road is in the early stages of becoming a
172-unit subdivision.
Whitehead, who could not be reached for comment, has drawn up plans for
the land that will include single-family houses, townhouses and patio
homes on the land's sloping meadows.
Besides being a co-executor to the estate, Whitehead was also a member
of the trust set up to distribute the estate's proceeds to charitable
organizations, including Apex Baptist Church, the Raleigh and Durham
rescue missions and the Salvation Army.
Paul Stam, another co-executor of Womble's estate, said that Whitehead
stepped down from the trust Nov. 12, 2003, and that his purchase of the
land is contingent upon getting the property rezoned for the development.
Stam, a lawyer in Apex and a state legislator, said the town "never
made an offer for the land." Brown said the property was never put on the
market.
Pushing for parkland
Some Apex officials still hope to obtain about five acres of the
Seagroves Farm as parkland. A local ordinance requires developers of
subdivisions to either provide open space or pay a fee to the town.
The town's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Commission
will vote Wednesday on whether to allow Whitehead to pay $150,000 in cash
instead of dedicating nearly five acres for a park or open space. The
proposal would then go to the Apex Planning Board and the town's
commissioners.
"Generally, our board goes by the master plan we adopted, and our
master plan calls for some kind of parkland on that piece of property, and
I would be surprised if we don't remain consistent on this piece of land,"
said Jimmy Perry, chairman of the parks board and a member since 1993.
The Seagroves property has a long history in Apex.
John H. Seagroves, a tenant farmer, bought a 92-acre farm for $540 in
1904, according to "The Historic Architecture of Wake County," by Kelly A.
Lally. In 1910, Seagroves and his wife, Nevada, built the one-story house
with a wraparound porch that's still on the property.
Erika Layko, president of the homeowners association for Surrey
Meadows, a community that abuts the Seagroves Farm, said a park is needed
and wanted.
"Put the park on the front of the land along Ten-Ten and that would be
a beautiful gateway into the town," Layko said. "A park would send a
positive message -- kids and good health -- about the priorities of Apex."
