TOWN CENTER AREA PLAN CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MINUTES
Wednesday, May 26, 1999
Page Walker Arts & History Center
7:00-9:15 p.m.

Citizen Advisory Committee: Jim Adcock, Ralph Ashworth, J.T. Beal, Verga Brooks, Regina McLaurin, Robert Sherman, Jefferson Sugg, Cheryl Whitley, Ed Yerha

Staff and Others: Gina Bobber, Lyman Collins, Tom Ellis, Ken Guttman, Doug McRainey, Jim Parajon, Scott Ramage, Tracy Roberts

Mr. Ramage opened the meeting with several announcements. The maps that were distributed in the CAC member's binders at the first meeting had the wrong scale on them. Instead of 250' per inch the scale should read 850'. An additional meeting of the CAC will be held in late August or early September.

Staff opened the floor for a discussion with the CAC to decide if the group should take a walking tour of the downtown area specifically. The CAC decided that a walking tour was not necessary.

Mr. Ellis, Town Engineer, presented information on the water and sewer conditions for the Town Center Study area. Currently the engineering division is beginning to work on a water model master plan for the entire town to determine areas for upgrading and need for new water lines. The Town is not sure at this time whether or not the old water lines through downtown will be replaced. Public Works will determine that need and the Water Model Study will also assist in determining this.

Mr. Ellis stated that the Town Center is serviced with 8" and 12" sewer interceptors. This summer the Town will begin a Sewer Collection System Study to determine the capacity and replacement needs town-wide. The last study that was completed was in 1992 which revealed that the Town system was at 1/2 capacity.

Mr. McRainey, Town Parks Planner, stated that on the Town Center Study Area Tour that the CAC passed by all three Town parks in the study area. Lexie Lane Park consists of 5.6 areas and was developed in 1978. It is classified as a mini-park. The Town currently does not plan on building any additional mini-parks. However, as the Town Center Area Plan is developed, there is a possibility that additional mini-parks may be constructed in the downtown area since the availability of land is limited.

Heater Park is 1.5 acres and Urban park, built in 1972 contains 1.66 acres.

Potential resources available for additional park land include utilizing school property and the community center. The Town owns land in the eastern section of the study area which will be used as a greenway.

Considerations for additional park land include bikeways along Academy, Harrison, and Chatham with either wide outside lanes or a striped designated lane; rails-with-trails by placing a trail in the rail right-of-way from the Raleigh/Cary boundaries to RTP.

The Parks, Greenways, and Bikeways Master Plan does not call for new parks in the Town Center study area, but considerations can be given to reusing parks by redesigning them and by considering different types of parks- passive parks, urban parks, plazas, and bandstands.

If higher density residential uses is recommended in the plan, we will need to think about the impact that this will have on the current park structure and the possible need for additional facilities.

Mr. Lyman Collins, Town Cultural Resources Supervisor, discussed issues relating to Cultural Resources in the Town Center. He started by stating that the Town Center is where Cary started. The Page-Walker Hotel said it all- by being built in the Second Empire style said that Cary was a city with high aspirations.

The downtown area currently is a corridor of cultural facilities beginning at the Town Hall Campus with the Community Center used for public meetings and the Page-Walker used for art shows and outdoor concerts. The library is in need for expanded facilities, however, no expansion is currently planned. It is anticipated that the library will not be removed from its current location, rather additional branches will be constructed in Cary to serve their expanding service area.

The Town currently has published a "Walking Tour and Architectural Guide to Downtown Cary" which will be updated next year. The update will include information on the "Public Art Trail" which includes the bust of Page and Join the Parade on Town Hall Campus, the new sculpture to be placed at the Chamber, the Railroad Man at the depot, Newspaper Carrier at Academy and Chatham, and the various children in Ashworth Village.

Currently downtown Cary is the center for festivals including Spring Daze, Lazy Daza, and the Farmer's Market.

The Town is currently talking with Wake County about the future of Cary Elementary which is the site of the first public high school in North Carolina. The current building was constructed in 1938 and was the third building on the site. The Town is interested in acquiring this building to utilize it as a Cultural Arts Facility. It is anticipated that his will occur within 18 months and would provide the cap to the Cultural Corridor of downtown Cary.

The Town is currently beginning to work on a Public Art Master Plan and may work on creating a historic district for the downtown.

Mr. Parajon, Town Principal Planner-Development Review, discussed Transportation Considerations for the Town Center.

Mr. Parajon stated that the Town is currently working on the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan which will cover a variety of topics including roadways, pedestrian and bicycle routes, and transit options.

Specifically to the Town Center Area Plan, a study will be conducted to inventory the current transportation system including major transportation corridors (Harrison Avenue, Academy Street, Walnut Street, Kildaire Farm Road, Chatham Street, and Chapel Hill Road) leading into/out of downtown, as well as the constraints of narrow intersections, the efficiency of intersections working together and the effects of the rail crossings. A traffic model will be used to look at current and future land uses to assist in determining how much more the infrastructure can support.

Parking will also be studied to ensure that an adequate supply is provided and the need for any decked structures.

~ Break ~

Mr. Ramage presented the purpose of having the Vision and Guiding Principles and explained that the draft Vision and Guiding Principles (attached) were developed based upon the citizen comments received at the December Community Open House and by the Likes/Dislikes focus session with the CAC at the previous meeting.

Ms. Bobber then conducted an exchange of thoughts between staff members and the Citizens Advisory Committee on the Vision Statement and Guiding Principles.

In discussion on the Vision Statement, the CAC was in agreement that the statement matches their thoughts on what the Town Center can be and sets the ideal picture to try to attain. The CAC stated that the plan needs to ensure that through implementation of the plan that it achieve a sense of community and that people must feel secure or they will not want to visit the Town Center. They further stated that people need to be educated that Cary has a downtown and that it is the place to be and that it needs to be developed so that all Cary residents will want to go there and that it is convenient to get there.

The CAC then discussed the Guiding Principles for Facilities and Services. They stated that as a part of this study that a plan needs to be put in place to address the old water and sewer facilities and to consider having all utilities placed underground even along the small neighborhood streets.

The CAC then discussed the Guiding Principles for Character and Design. The main concern addressed was that there needs to be a consistent theme along the major corridors, especially Chatham Street. Discussions were also held on wayfinding to direct people to downtown and to add more cultural facilities and events to make people come to the Town center.

The committee agreed to stop the meeting at 9:00 and would send in to staff their comments on the Guiding Principles so that staff could compile their thoughts and return them to the CAC members prior to the next meeting.

Mr. Ramage adjourned the meeting.