APEX - Veridea, a planned community that promises to fatten Apex's tax base by millions, may also stretch town ordinances beyond recognition.

And the proposal is testing the patience of town planners being asked to throw away their rule books for an urban development the likes of which the town has never seen.

Slated for 1,015 acres near U.S. 1 and N.C. 55, the massive mixed-use project will include luxury apartments stacked over major department stores and offices, sprinkled with pockets of green space and marbled with bike lanes and pedestrian walkways to discourage traffic.

The development is estimated to bring 8,000 homes, 20,000 residents, 30,000 jobs and $20 million in yearly tax revenue once it reaches full build-out, expected within the next 10 to 15 years.

But before the first shovel of dirt is tossed, town planners want developer Tom Hendrickson to work within town guidelines.

Hendrickson, the principal of Lookout Ventures, says Veridea can't move forward without some ordinance and zoning flexibility.

Using existing town codes is "akin to using a hammer where a screwdriver is required," he told town staff in a nine-page letter distributed early this month.

The disconnect became more evident last week at the first of several work sessions between the town and developers.

The Town Council, town staff, Hendrickson and his lawyer made small talk over pizza and soda before the three-hour work session kicked off with Hendrickson's pitch -- which calls for, in part, no town council approval of major subdivision plans, no minimum or maximum square footage for non-residential buildings, no lighting standards and no material standards.

In other words, it calls for no pre-set notions of what Veridea can look like.

Then department heads took aim at Veridea's sustainable development plan, released Oct. 1 after more than two dozen drafts and 5,000 staff hours, Hendrickson said.

Dianne Kihn, Apex planning board director, recommended that Veridea's team reconsider requests to be exempt from rules builders have had to follow since 2000, when the town's Unified Development Ordinance was adopted.

One part of the proposal Kihn cited -- lack of any architectural or signage standards -- could end up in design disaster, she said.

"If they really want to, they could have 30-foot poles with a giant plastic Burger King sign," she said.

Beyond the issue of the development's appearance are the added costs of police and fire protection.

Fire Chief Mark Haraway said the development would require an additional $3 million facility to service new residents, including a $750,000 fire truck necessary to navigate narrow streets.

The special truck has two drivers, stationed at the front and rear, operating in concert to squeeze in and out of tight spaces. Raleigh and Greensboro have similar models, Haraway said.

Police Chief Jack Lewis predicted the force would have to add up to 37 sworn officers to adequately protect and serve Veridea residents.

Lewis estimated the equipment startup costs per officer at about $10,000 for uniforms, body armor, radios, laptops and weapons. The $370,000 total price tag does not including salaries, benefits or vehicles.

"Someone has to bear the cost at an early level," he said. "Police start the moment we start work there."

Lewis also cautioned developers about creating adequate parking, especially for residents who live on public streets, who would be the lion's share of Verideans.

"People think they should be able to park on the public street in front of their houses," Lewis said. "Parking can be a real time suck for officers."

Lewis forecasted a different kind of policing for the possibility of dense, narrow streets -- which might mean officers on golf carts and Segways.

Hendrickson admitted his staff had not done a good job of presenting what Veridea needs to get off the ground, but stressed that the development will require innovative thinking.

"Your current ordinances are your 'comfort zone,' " he said. "We can't do it that way -- we would be spread over 5- or 6,000 acres."

Mayor Keith Weatherly said the Veridea team and town staff need to individually massage issues before their next session, tentatively scheduled for Monday.

He said the project will be exhaustive.

"The scope and magnitude is unprecedented for us," Weatherly said.