Site Design Focus Group
Purpose
The Site Design Focus Group will play a key role in the Site Design Standards project, an initiative that includes updating the existing seven design principles found in the town-wide Design Guidelines Manual into an easy to read reference document. There will be special attention paid to building placement, site layout, and circulation design.
Background
The Town of
1. Create human scale
2. Create a sense of place
3. Connect uses
4. Provide transitions
5. Reduce parking impacts
6. Plan for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users
7. Provide for open space
The purpose of the Site Design Standards project is to improve the application of the seven design principles through clearly defining usable standards, increasing consistency of staff and developer/applicant interpretations, and facilitating creation of desired results in site planning. A major focus of this project is to develop specific and measurable, yet flexible, criteria and standards related to optimal site layout and thoughtful building placement, especially within the Town's mixed-use centers and other large development projects.
Key Goals
1. Explaining the Town's seven design principles with the clarity and measurability found in the Town's Architectural Design Guidelines
2. Producing high quality sustainable developments,
3. Establishing standards that invite flexibility, and
4. Streamlining the plan approval process by applying clear standards that yield predictable outcomes.
The Town of Cary is well-known for its high standards for urban design and project quality. Over the years, Cary has codified a wide range of site design standards into its Land Development Ordinance (LDO), and has established other design standards through its Community Appearance Manual and Design Guidelines Manual. This project will create specific site design standards for mixed use centers and other commercial centers. These standards should consistently yield vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, well-designed places.
