Overview

In summer 2007, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted special legislation enabling the Town to require parkland dedications for new multi-family development. Since 2007, the Town has begun to review the ordinance provisions, plans, and policies to identify adjustments that are needed to implement the new authority. The primary objective of the Town's land dedidcation ordinance update is to make adjustments so as to apply recreational land dedication requirements to new multi-family residential development, pursuant to the new legislation. The Town will develop a fee structure that assures, through both policy and procedures, that an equitable value is assigned between the various types of residential development.

Schedule

• December 15, 2011: Council Public Hearing
• January 9, 2012: P&Z Board – Work session
• January 23, 2012: P&Z Board - Meeting
• February 9, 2012: Council Decision

Previous Meetings/Public Input Opportunities

Council Work Session – September 13, 2011
- Presentation
- Minutes

Public Meeting – August 8, 2011
- Presentation
- Minutes

Council Work Session – December 14, 2010
- Presentation
- Minutes

Background

The Town of Cary has, for decades, actively provided recreation facilities for use by Town residents. The Town has had a regular program of acquiring land for parks and recreation purposes, and constructing facilities. The Town has also enacted regulations and requirements resulting in developer participation in the provision of land and facilities to serve the recreation needs of the new residential growth accompanying new development.The Town’s effort’s to achieve an acceptable Level of Service (LOS) for its parks and recreation needs has been based on a combination of Town-financed initiatives and developer participation.

The Town currently has provisions in Chapter 8 of its Land Development Ordinance that require dedication of land for recreational purposes, as land is being subdivided for single-family home development. The current requirement is that 1/35 of an acre be set aside for each dwelling unit planned or proposed in a subdivision plan or development. Multi-family development that is not intended to be subdivided and sold as individual condominium units is currently exempted from the requirement.

Contact

Doug McRainey, Director
Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources
316 N. Academy Street
Cary, NC 27513
(919) 469-4066
(919) 469-4344 (fax)
doug.mcrainey@townofcary.org