Overview

SAS Institute has offered to donate a 120-foot spire to be constructed on the National Veterans Freedom Park (NVFP) located at the northwest corner of Harrison and Cary Parkway.

 Background

Several years ago, SAS Institute deeded 11 acres of property located at the northwest corner of Harrison and Cary Parkway to the NVFP Foundation. The intent of this land transfer was to provide an impetus for the Foundation to raise funds and to ensure the area would remain open space. Once funds were raised and the structures built, it was the Foundation’s hope to transfer the eleven acres to the Town of Cary to create a park.

To achieve this goal, SAS Institute has proposed that in return for the Town of Cary accepting and agreeing to designate the eleven acres as a Town of Cary park, SAS Institute would provide funding for the design and construction of a monument within the park. On February 11, 2010, the Cary Town Council directed staff to investigate the requirements and costs associated with this proposal.

Project Details

SAS is proposing to construct a 120-foot monument in the shape of a spire. The monument will be constructed of white granite that will be quarried from Bethel, Vermont, famous for its granite. The granite will then be cut and finished in Mt. Airy, North Carolina.

SAS has agreed to cover the cost of design and construction of the monument, however, the company has requested that any development costs above and beyond those associated with the construction of the monument be covered by the Town of Cary. (i.e., road improvements, sidewalks, utility line extensions, landscaping, etc.) 

Upon completion of construction, both the spire and 11-acre park site will be donated to the Town. The property is currently owned by the NVFP Foundation.

Public Involvement

Several public meetings will be held as part of the process to complete the site plan. There was a public meeting to discuss the National Veterans Freedom Park project on December 15, 2010 - 6:15 p.m. at Town Hall, Conference Room #10035 (This meeting was held as part of the Public Art Advisory Board meeting).

Because the spire is considered public art, the project will be reviewed by the Public Art Advisory Board.  Included in this review will be details of the monument’s plaza elements, lighting concepts and maintenance requirements for the spire.

The next steps in the process include the following:

·         If Council agrees in principle on the transfer of the monument and park site to the Town, SAS will proceed to submit a site plan to the Town.

·         Based on the Town’s review of that site plan, staff will return to Council with a detailed list of development issues and costs.

·         Staff will begin negotiations with SAS and the NVFP Foundation on a formal agreement that will be submitted to Council for review.

·         SAS intends on beginning construction of the monument by the spring of 2011.

Budget

Currently there is no capital funding approved for the National Veterans Freedom Park.
 

Links

Proposed Spire
Site Plan
                                                                                    

Contact

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