'Tis the Season to Shop Small

👋 Good morning, Apex! Today is Thursday, November 13, 2025 and this is the 45th weekly issue of The Peak Weekly.

We’re just 2 weeks away from Black Friday and kicking off the holiday shopping season. Just a quick reminder to shop local whenever you can. We will highlight some of the best gift shops around Apex in the coming weeks.

Business owners - please reach out if you’d like to be included or have any special holiday deals that we can help highlight!

Also, don’t forget that Small Business Saturday is November 29.

Get out there and support Apex business owners, and enjoy some of the festive decorations, like Bless Your Heart Boutique’s window decor created by @taralettersstuff

One other quick topic that I want to touch on before getting into additional updates around town…

Miss Annie’s parking lot is back on the agenda in this evening’s town council meeting.

This agenda item is requesting the council to take action against Miss Annie for allowing students to park in her yard across from the school.

Here’s what I am worried about: This move by council member Gantt in his final town council meeting tonight is a very high-risk gamble with your taxpayer money.

Whether you love or hate the parking lot, your personal feelings, and mine, are irrelevant to tonight's agenda item. When imposing legal penalties on a property owner, only the law should matter.

Here's the legal reality: Miss Annie’s lot has a state designation as a Public Vehicular Area (PVA). Like it or not, this is a fact that everyone knows will be at the center of the discussion, but has been willfully omitted from the public record agenda item.

This Council might need to be reminded of the N.C. Supreme Court's recent August 2025 decision in Town of Apex v. Rubin, where the Town was found to have acted unconstitutionally and was ultimately found liable for the landowner's 10-year legal bill. If this motion passes tonight, I am concerned we will see another lengthy, and this time, taxpayer-funded legal battle.

Why do I believe the Town is on very shaky legal ground? In my analysis, the Town's argument (that this is just a "zoning" issue and that the PVA doesn’t grant property rights) ignores two relevant state laws:

• Direct Conflict: NC State Law (G.S. § 20-219.4) "expressly makes lawful" the act of designating property as a PVA/parking lot. The Town's UDO prohibits this parking lot. When state law says "Yes" and a town ordinance says "No," a separate "bridge" statute (N.C.G.S. § 160A-174(b)) says the state law wins.  

• The "Smoking Gun" Law: The NC Municipal code (Chapter 160A) already defines the Town's power on a PVA. This is not motor vehicle law. This is municipal code titled, “Cities and Towns.” It says a town cannot even regulate parking on a private PVA unless "the owner... requests in writing that such an ordinance be adopted" (N.C.G.S. § 160A-301). Miss Annie has not made this request. Yet here we are with a motion not only to regulate it, but to prohibit the lot altogether.

Looking into my crystal ball, I predict that the council will vote yes on some sort of negative action against her and/or her property. There will then be immediate legal action that will put a stay on any of that enforcement. The parking lot will continue during this time, so don’t worry if you have a child who parks there. Then, after a lengthy legal battle, the courts will uphold the rights given to her by the state which the town has no right to impose on. And Apex taxpayers will foot the bill.

But who knows. I might be wrong about everything. These are just some of my own personal thoughts and insights. Maybe the council will decide to not put us at risk. Or, maybe this motion that he sat on for four months after expressing a bunch of negative personal opinions only to put it out in his last council meeting while omitting the most important fact and laws on the public agenda is actually a super strong motion. 🤷‍♂️ 

You can attend tonight’s council meeting in-person at Town Hall or watch it live on YouTube here. It begins at 6pm.

Miscellaneous:

🚲️ Bikes for Hope
With a goal of delivering 150 bikes and helmets to local children this Christmas, Apex-based community initiative, Bikes for Hope, has returned for its third annual bike drive.

Donations are being accepted now through December 6 either via GoFundMe (funds will be used to purchase bikes) or by bike drop-off at Hope Community Church Monday-Saturday 8am-6pm, or during Sunday service. Last year, Bikes for Hope delivered 256 bikes and donated $5,500 to the local food pantry. Learn more by watching this interview with Tim Overton, who is leading this initiative.

👮‍♂️ Meet the Chief 
On Monday, Nov 17 from 8:30am - 10am, drop in to the Halle Cultural Arts Center to grab some Peak City Coffee and a light breakfast while meeting APD Chief Johansen and ask any questions on your mind.

👨‍👩‍👦 Wake County Adoption Fair
In Wake County, 45 kids are waiting to be adopted. There will be an Adoption Information Fair on Saturday Nov 15 from 11am-1pm at the Wake County Commons Building. Unlike private adoption, there is no cost to adopt through the County.

🌳 Get A Free Tree
Apply to Plant the Peak to have a free tree professionally installed at your home. This year's lineup of native species includes dogwood, fringe, gem magnolia, redbud, and serviceberry. Apply here.

🏭️ Data Center Update
The developer was anticipated to resubmit zoning/UDO amendments around Nov. 3. To my knowledge, this has not been done yet. Yesterday evening, Natelli Investments and their hired sound expert gave a short presentation on their sound study at the New Hill Community Center. They stated that they believe this will go in front of council sometime in the spring. More to come on this but you can follow the Protect Wake County Coalition on Facebook for regular updates.

Things to Do This Week in Apex:

Today, November 13

🥘 Potluck Luncheon
12pm - 1:15pm | Apex Senior Center

🀄 Mahjong & Mingle
7pm - 9pm | 104 W Chatham

🧠 Trivia!
7pm - 10pm | Bottle Theory

Friday, November 14

👕 Annual Christmas Clearance
7am - 12pm | Mabopane Marketplace

🎙️ Joe’s Cousin Live
8pm | Peak of the Vine

Saturday, November 15

🧑‍🌾 Apex Farmers Market
9am - 12pm | The Depot

👕 Final Annual Christmas Clearance
10am - 1pm | Mabopane Marketplace

🌎️ Holidays Around the World
12pm - 6pm | Sweetwater

🛒 Community Food Drive
1pm - 3pm | Hunter Street Park

🎸 CRUSH live
8pm | The Backyard Bar

🎤 Karaoke Party
9pm | Rudy’s Pub

Sunday, November 16

🌶️ Chili & Mac Showdown 
1pm | South Line Brewing Apex

🦃 Friendsgiving
2pm | Peakway Taps

🎷 JazzLive
3pm | The Halle

Tuesday, November 18

💡 Trivia Night
7pm - 8pm | Abbey Road Tavern

🎤 Open Mic, Salem Street Music Club
6pm - 9pm | Oaklyn Springs Brewery

🤣 Comedy Night
8pm - 10pm | The Backyard Bar

Wednesday, November 19

👶 Mom & Baby Meet Up
10am - 11:30am | Hope Community Church

📺️ FRIENDS Trivia Night
6:30pm - 8:30pm | Southern Peak Brewery

🔖 Christmas Cards for the Troops
6:30pm | Rudy’s Pub

Local Business Updates

🏨 Sweetwater Hotel
Construction will be starting soon on the luxury hotel coming to Sweetwater with meeting spaces, upscale accommodations and a rooftop bar. Here’s the most recent rendering:

🍕 🍺 Southern Peak Taproom & Pizzeria Now Open
Southern Peak Brewery is now officially open with second location - but this one with a kitchen - in Sweetwater. Items on the menu include meatballs, a charcuterie style board, nachos, garlic knots, soft pretzel and, of course, pizza.

✂️ Ribbon Cutting - The Spice & Tea Exchange
Tomorrow, Friday Nov 14, will be the official ribbon cutting ceremony for Spice & Tea Exchange at 104A North Salem. Stop by from 12pm-1pm for free tea samples, enter the raffle, and enjoy 10% off all consumables.

Civil News:

🛣️ Apex Peakway SW Connector
Project status as of 11/3: Paving completed on Apex Peakway from Jeames to Yateley. Retaining wall complete on the south side of the future bridge. Retaining wall in progress along Shangri-La/loop Road, north side of future bridge and Whitehall Manor. Water line complete from the bridge to Sugarland Drive. Apex Peakway will remain closed from S. Salem St to Towhee Dr until Summer 2026.

🪧 Smart Parking Signs
There have been some issues with the new parking lot displays that show number of open spots. Over the coming weeks, the Town will be removing them one or two at a time while working to troubleshoot, replace and resolve the issues.

 🅿️ Saunders Parking Lot
The final phase, Phase 3, is now anticipated to be completed by the end of November. Phase 3 will include 12 dedicated handicap/ADA parking spaces and 11 new bicycle racks.

🌳 Salem Streetscape
The bidding period has been extended to 11/19 as not enough qualified bidders met the 11/5 deadline. If there are enough bidders by next Wednesday, we should be able to stay on track for January construction.

/┆\ Pavement Condition Survey
The town is currently soliciting proposals from engineering firms for their every-3-year survey on pavement conditions. The town road system consists of approximately 260 miles of paved roads.

🗓️ Upcoming Town Meetings

Today, November 13
Town Council Meeting
6pm | Town Hall

Friday, November 14
Personnel Committee Meeting
4:30pm | Town Hall

Saturday, November 15
Neighborhood Beautification Grant Info Session
11am | The Halle

Monday, November 17
Tingen Road Bike/Pedestrian Crossing Public Meeting
4pm | Apex Senior Center

Monday, November 17
Culture and Arts Advisory Board Meeting
6pm | Town Hall

Tuesday, November 18
Town Council Work Session (Public Safety)
3:30pm | Apex PD

Tuesday, November 18
Board of Adjustment Meeting
6pm | Town Hall

A Look Ahead

November 22 | 10am
🦃 Turkey Trot 5k Run | Apex Community Park

November 22 | 10:30am - 3:30pm
⚯ ͛ A Day at Hogwarts | The Studio

November 22 | 8am - 11am
0||||||0 Car Show Jeep Edition | Sweetwater

November 29 | All Day
🛍️ Small Business Saturday | Apex

December 4 | 12pm - 1pm
🥪 Lunch Series w/ Water Resources Dept | The Halle

December 5th-19th | The Halle
🥗 18th Annual Holiday Tree & Wreath Exhibit and Auction

December 5 | 4:30pm - 7pm
🎄Tree Lighting Ceremony | Town Hall Courtyard

December 6 | 5pm
🎅🏻 Christmas Parade | Downtown Apex

In Case You Missed it…

🪴 Lichen or Knot Plant Company
The highly anticipated houseplant and decor store has opened in downtown Apex at 122 N Salem Street.

🍔 Al’s Burgers is Open
The burger shack teased us on their opening date a little bit, but it’s well-worth the wait. Al’s Burger Shack is now open at 2832 Teachey Place.

🍛 Kaara Modern Indian Restaurant
Now open. They are located at 2700 Stokesdale Ave, Unit 120 in Sweetwater.

A Final Note:

Thank you for taking time out of your day today to read this week’s edition of The Peak Weekly.

As always, if you have any ideas of how to make this newsletter better, want to nominate a local business or organization to be featured, or anything else, please respond to this email or email me directly at [email protected]

See you next Thursday... 😘