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February 18, 2013

Developers for a potential auto dealership had a pre-application meeting with staff on February 13, 2013.  Utilization of existing buildings at the center and some expansion were proposed. View a sketch of MacGregor Shopping Center that was discussed during the meeting.

February 3, 2012

Town staff conducted a “pre-submittal” meeting with representatives from Costco, at their request, prior to this date to discuss a "conceptual plan" to remove all the current buildings at MacGregor Shopping Center except for the existing bank (at the corner of Edinburgh and Highway 64). They would be replaced with a 147,000 square foot store and an associated gas station.

To date, a site plan for a potential Costco at MacGregor shopping center has not been submitted to the Town of Cary for review; thus nothing has been approved by the Town. While a pre-application meeting is a required first step in the Town’s development process, the conceptual plan does not constitute a formal submittal so there is no decision before the Town at this time.

The Development Process

Below is a summary of the status of this issue thus far and how this project would be reviewed according to Town regulations if this site is pursued by the developer.

Zoning

• The shopping center land is zoned for General Commercial (GC) uses, and a Costco retail store is allowed by law on this property.
• Neither the Town Council nor staff has discretion whether such a retail use might be permitted at that location based on zoning.
• No changes to the zoning will be necessary if the landowners decide to move forward with this proposal.

Because a Costco-type store is allowed, no public hearing would be held. This potential developer will, however, have to submit a plan that meets all established development standards related to transportation, landscaping, architecture, stormwater, and the like. Determination of compliance with all of those requirements occurs at the next stage in the development process.

Site Plan Submission

Should the developer decide to proceed, the next step would be for the applicant to submit a formal site plan that meets the Town's requirements.

Several months ago, representatives from Costco discussed a "conceptual plan" with Town staff during a pre-submittal meeting. A pre-application meeting is a required first step in the Town’s development process. That plan would remove all the current buildings except for the existing bank (at the corner of Edinburgh and Highway 64) and replace them with a 147,000 square foot store and an associated gas station. The conceptual plan does not constitute a formal submittal, however, and staff does not know whether – or when – an applicant might submit a plan for development. Sometimes the pre-application meetings do lead to developers taking next steps, but frequently Town staff never hears from them again.

Site Plan Review

When/If a site plan is submitted, the Town will ensure that any proposal meets the Cary Land Development Ordinance (LDO). Again, this is when traffic would be evaluated against applicable traffic and transportation requirements. The site plan review process takes several months and is typically handled by Town staff as an administrative function.

A site plan typically undergoes several cycles of review:

• At the beginning, staff conducts an initial review (to determine submittal completeness and ensure that it generally meets the basic Town requirements).
• When a 2^nd submittal is received, staff notifies landowners within 400 feet of the property by letter that a plan is under formal review. (Please note: This is not required by law and it should not be viewed as an opportunity to deny a project if it meets the zoning and development requirements. The notification is a practice that Town Council has established as a courtesy to adjoining property owners to allow interested parties to look at the plan and offer comments.)

Availability of Information

You can obtain general information about the Town’s development process and follow the progress of an individual, specific development plan in the following ways:

1. General information that describes all of the Town’s development processes is located in the award-winning VIP (Virtual Interactive Planner) section of our website: http://vip.townofcary.org/

2. You can monitor development submittals on the Town's website in a couple of ways:

• Go to the Plan Review and Design page and view Active Projects in the Review Process sorted alphabetically or sorted by date.
• Register and create an account on our online plan review page and see what’s going on: http://townofcary.contractorsplanroom.com/secure/

3. Call the Planning Department at (919) 469-4082.

4. Visit our offices on the 3^rd Floor of Cary Town Hall at 316 N. Academy St., Cary, NC 27513.

Contact

Jeff G. Ulma, AICP
Planning Director
(919) 469-4082
jeff.ulma@townofcary.org