Wendell — Members of the Planning Board could barely contain their glee last Monday as they listened to a presentation about plans to develop land near the Food Lion shopping center.

Amos Greene wants to develop a 38-acre tract of land that stretches from Wendell Boulevard to Marshburn Road, curves around the shopping center and backs up to Robinwood and the post office. Greene’s proposal calls for a mixed-use development including retail stores, restaurants and a range of housing from apartments and townhomes to condominiums and single-family homes.

Planning Board member Ginger Bullock endorsed the plan.

“We have a tremendous need in this town for townhomes and condos,” Bullock said. “There’s enough demand out there to fill these and probably more.”

The plans call for 16 townhome units, 24 two-story condominium units, one 28-unit apartment complex and nearly 61,000 square feet of office space.

There is also 15 acres set aside for single-family homes.

Other board members were interested in the kinds of retail development planned for the project.

Maps provided by Greene show lots set aside for restaurants, medical offices, a bank and a pharmacy.

Greene cautioned Planning Board members that those were just ideas.

“We don’t have any specific tenants in mind right now,” Greene said. “That could all change as we get into this.”

Planning Board member Paul White encouraged Greene to work with the N.C. Department of Transportation to make sure there will be enough capacity along Wendell Boulevard and Marshburn Road to handle the additional traffic.

Planning Board members approved Greene’s sketch plan. He now must develop a preliminary plan which would provide more details about the project, including specific lot lines and uses for those lots.

Planning Board member Larry Vaughan asked Greene to limit the number of entrances the new development will create onto Wendell Boulevard

Greene said he would work to limit the number of driveway entrances. He also pointed out that part of the development calls for realigning the entrances into the Food Lion shopping center.

Those driveways have been a source of consternation for town officials for some time. The western entrance is virtually invisible to drivers entering Wendell. The easternmost entrance is plagued by a poorly-placed entrance sign that gives truck-drivers fits as they try to make deliveries to businesses in the shopping center. Planning Board member Bob Sams said Greene’s plan was a welcome addition to the town.

“While it doesn’t rise to the level of Lee Iacocca’s claim of hitting a home run, our tax base is going up in Wendell and this will certainly help it,” Sams said.