Town of Cary

The applicant is requesting Council approve a Mixed Use Sketch Plan to allow up to 325 multi-family residential units and 23,240 square feet of office uses on approximately 20.22 acres located on the northwestern corner of North Harrison Avenue and Grande Heights Drive.

The purpose of a Mixed Use Overlay District is to enable the development of lands in areas designated as mixed use centers on the Land Use Plan Map in accordance with the guidance of Comprehensive Plan and individual mixed use sketch plans. It is intended to promote higher-density, mixed-use developments of varying sizes, as an alternative to lower-density separate-use suburban sprawl-type development.

Mixed use sketch plans are conceptual documents that address the general density, mix of uses, and development patterns within a mixed use center. They are less detailed than the site plans required for full site plan review. The intent is to provide sufficient information to determine consistency with the Comprehensive Plan and the Town’s Design Guidelines. Specific development issues must be addressed for compliance with existing requirements specified in the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) when the site plan is submitted. All such requirements can be found at http:vic.townofcary.org.

*Meeting Schedules are subject to change pending the results of the plan review process with the Town’s Development Review Committee.

** Cases with a valid protest petition, or if not recommended by the Planning and Zoning Board unanimously for approval, will be presented at the second Council Meeting.

A. Land Use Plan: Although the designation for this parcel on the Land Use Plan is Office/Institutional (OI), the subject parcel is also located within the larger Northwoods Mixed-Use Community Activity Center (CAC), which calls for a pedestrian-supportive mix of commercial, office, and high- and medium-density housing within the overall activity center. Therefore, no Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) is required. The Land Use Plan recommends that there be a reasonable balance between commercial/retail and office/institutional uses within an activity center, and that there be at least one housing unit for every 1,000 sq. ft. of nonresidential floor area.

At present, the amount of development already built or approved within this activity center is as follows:

*Ratio of Residential to Non-Residential that is currently built and operational.

** Ratio of Residential to existing and approved and/or in-construction Non-Residential.

*** Ratio of the existing and proposed residential to existing and approved and/or in-construction Non-Residential.

As depicted in the tables above, the total amount of nonresidential floor space within this activity center is similar to Land Use Plan guidelines, and the number of residential units is at least one unit per 1,000 square-feet of non-residential floor area.

The Growth Management Plan includes the following Guiding Principles which are relevant to this case:

Staff Analysis: The subject parcels are located within an area that is served by Town utilities.

Staff Analysis: The subject parcels are located within an area identified as a Mixed-Use Community Activity Center, which is a preferred growth area for the requested type of development.

Transit Requirements: As this development is along the Town’s C-Tran North-South Route, a concrete pad (four inches deep) measuring eight feet by eighteen feet is required connected to the sidewalk near the traffic signal on Harrison. In addition, a bus stop shelter five feet wide by twelve feet long is required that meets the Town’s specifications in terms of color and style. Solar lighting is also required in the shelter. The Town does not allow for advertising on the bus stop shelters.

Traffic Analysis: A draft traffic study (07-TAR-259) has been completed by HNTB. The following are preliminary recommendations from the study for this development:

· Redesign of the existing traffic signal at the proposed site driveway connection with N. Harrison Avenue at the existing Harrison Pointe Drive intersection.

· Reoptimization of signal timing parameters along the N. Harrison Avenue corridor.

· At the site driveway on N. Harrison, an exclusive left-turn lane and a shared through/right-turn lane with at least 100 feet of vehicular storage in each lane at the driveway throat at this approach. A two-lane entrance into the site is not necessary from a traffic operations perspective.

· At the site driveway connection with Sudbury Drive, single lane entry and exit lanes will be adequate with at least 100 feel of vehicular storage at the driveway throat.

These recommendations are based on staff comments from draft study and the TOC reserves the right to adjust these recommendations with additional review.

D. Parks & Greenways: Greenways Map
According to the approved Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Facilities Master Plan there are no issues related to this site. According to the Open Space and Historical Resources Plan (OSHRP) there are no issues related to this site.

E. Environmental: According to the Town of Cary GIS maps, there is a 100’ stream buffer located on the eastern portion of the lot. The project will be required to comply with all buffer requirements of the Land Development Ordinance during the site plan approval process.

F. Buffers: According to Chapter 7 (LDO), the applicant will be required to provide a 20’ Type “B” Buffer along the northern boundary of the lot adjacent to the adjoining multi-family dwelling unit use.

G. Streetscape: According to Chapter 7 (LDO), the applicant will be required to provide a 50’ Type “C” buffer along N. Harrison Avenue, a 15’ Type “C” buffer along Grande Heights Drive, and a 30’ Type “C” buffer along Sudbury Drive.

The proposed project is in the rezoning stage and therefore preliminary engineering of the site has not been provided to staff for review. Prior to site plan or subdivision plan approval, the application will be required to demonstrate consistency with the Land Development Ordinance with respect to specific development requirements, such as access, stormwater management, road improvements, utility line placement, road connectivity and landscape plantings.

Town Council Criteria for Consideration in Reviewing Mixed Use Sketch Plans:

Proposed mixed use sketch plans shall be reviewed for compliance with the following approval criteria where deemed appropriate (i.e. it may not be practical for some existing or partially-built mixed use district to achieve certain design standards).

Section 4.4.2 (J) of the Land Development Ordinance sets forth the following criteria that Council should consider in reviewing mixed use sketch plans.

(1) The mixed use sketch plan has been prepared consistent with the requirements of this Section and the Land Use Plan;

(2) The mixed use sketch plans includes an appropriate mix of land uses for the overall activity center, including residential, commercial, office, and institutional uses;

(3) The mixed use sketch plans will meet or exceed Town design guidelines and other established Town standards;

(5) The mixed use sketch plans includes some formal outdoor space for public use, such as a park, village green, or plaza; larger mixed use centers should include more such space than smaller centers; and

(6) The mixed use sketch plans demonstrates that there has been participation by residents, property owners in the surrounding neighborhoods and the Town so that the proposed development responds specially to the unique conditions of the area.

The school information is being provided for your review; however, the Wake County
Board of Education controls capital projects for school capacities.

School Information
Assigned Schools	20^th Day Enrollment*	Permanent Seat Capacity	Average Percent Occupied	Projected Range of Additional Students**
Reedy Creek Elementary	576	816	71%	7-113
West Cary Middle	1,119	1,014	110%	0-73
Panther Creek High School (Grades 9-11)	893	1,663	54%	0-60***
Cary High School	2,095	2,458	85%	0-60***
Total Projected range of additional students				7-246

* Current Enrollment and Building Capacity is based on the 20^th day of the school year for 2005-2006 as supplied by the Wake County Public School System. School assignment will be determined at the time of development.

** The Projected Number of Additional Students is only a rough approximation. The actual number of students will vary depending on several variables, such as dwelling unit type, number of bedrooms, dwelling size, and other factors. For example a site with 134 two-bedroom units could yield 27 additional students, while 134 three bedroom units could yield 100 students. The basis for making this calculation is based on multipliers provide from Wake County Schools Office of Student Assignment. At Rezoning, student yield can not be accurately determined due to unknown variables.

*** Wake County does not provide multipliers for individual grades. The projected range for additional high school students is for both Panther Creek and Cary High Schools.

The following statements are provided by the applicant in response to the criteria established in the application and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Town of Cary. Any statements as to the type, quality or physical features are at the direction of the applicant and may be formulated into a condition):

How is the proposed request reasonable? In explaining how it is reasonable, please address the following, if applicable:

2. How is the request compatible with the comprehensive plan (i.e. Land Use, Transportation, Open Space and Historic Resources)?

The property is located within a Community Activity Center. Section 6.2 of the Land Use Plan provides that high-density housing is appropriate for such activity centers. Moreover, this section of the land use plan goes on to state that such high-density housing should be conveniently located near the center’s shopping and employment. The subject parcel is across the street from Harrison Pointe Shopping center, a large neighborhood shopping center anchored by Harris Teeter. Moreover, Grande Heights Drive, which serves as the subject property’s southern boundary, provides primary access to the shopping center. In addition, there are fast food uses across Grande Heights Drive from the subject property. Accordingly, this request is consistent with the Land Use Plan’s stated object of providing high density residential development in close proximity to shopping.

Further, Section 6.5.2 of the Land Use Plan notes that high density residential development within a Community Activity Center should be between 12-25 dwelling units per acre. The proposed rezoning, which limits residential density to +/- 18 dwelling units per acre, satisfies this stated criteria of the Land Use Plan. Section 6.5.2 also states that high density residential development should be located within 1/8^th of a mile of the nonresidential core of the community activity center. Given that the subject property is adjacent to Harrison Pointe Shopping Center, which is the nonresidential core of this Community Activity Center, this locational criteria is achieved with the proposed amendment to the Northwoods PDD. This Section of the Land Use Plan further indicates that there should be a transition between the nonresidential core of an activity center and the lower density residential densities at the edges of the center. This proposed PDD amendment satisfies this criteria by providing for a higher density residential use between the high intensity Harrison Pointe Shopping Center and the lower density residential uses to the west of the property.

3. What are the benefits and detriments to the owner, neighbors and the community?
The higher density residential development provided by this PDD Amendment provides for a beneficial transition between the high intensity nonresidential uses at Harrison Pointe and the lower density residential uses to the west of the subject property. Such a transition is beneficial to the neighbors and the community. The pedestrian connection between Sudbury Drive and N. Harrison Avenue will provide a benefit to the neighbors to the west of the property by providing for more convenient access from such properties to the signalized crosswalk at N. Harrison Avenue, thus serving as a valuable pedestrian access to the Harrison Pointe Shopping Center.

4. How are all the allowable uses with the proposed rezoning compatible with, or how do they relate to, the uses currently present on adjacent tracts?
As mentioned previously, the proposed PDD Amendment is compatible with the uses on the adjacent tracts because it provides an appropriate transitional use between the higher intensity uses at Harrison Pointe and the lower intensity residential uses to the west of the property. In addition, the higher density residential development sought by this rezoning complements the existing retail and shopping uses to the south of the property. Finally, the proposed high density residential use is compatible with the existing apartments to the north of the property.

5. What reductions/amendments and/or modifications to the development standards of the LDO are being requested and how are they justified? (PDD, new or amended) Applicants must list these items and/or clearly highlight them within the Planned Development document.
The proposed residential density of 350 units is greater than otherwise permitted by the LDO. However, such density is appropriate given the property’s proximity to the core of the Community Activity Center within which it is located. In addition, the increased density sought by this amendment is justified in that it provides a beneficial transition from the Harrison Pointe Shopping Center to the residential areas to the west of the property.

On-Line Public Feedback

In keeping with Town Council policy regarding citizen involvement in the planning & development process, we have created a new opportunity for interested citizens to provide comments on this case. In addition to speaking at community meetings and public hearings, you can also use the associated "Public Comment" page to share your opinions and concerns. Your feedback will be made available to other residents, the Town Council, the Planning & Zoning Board, and the applicant as this item is evaluated and considered over the next few months.

While this capability is still in the "test stage," we hope you find this new feature useful!

Applicant	Withers & Ravenel
Agent	Andy Sentgeorge 111 MacKenan Drive Cary, NC 27511 Phone: (919) 469-3340 Email: asentgeorge@withersravenel.com
Acreage	20.22 +/-
General Location Vicinity Map	Northwest of the intersection of N. Harrison Avenue and Grande Heights Drive
Hearings / Meetings	*Public Hearing* August 23, 2007	*Planning & Zoning* November 19, 2007*	*Town Council* December 13, 2007**
Land Use Designation Land Use Map	OFC/INS – Office & Institutional, within a Community Mixed-Use Center
Town Limits	The project is within the Town’s corporate limits
Valid Protest	to be determined at the time of public hearing
P&Z Recommendation	to be provided after P&Z meeting
Existing Use Zoning Map	Vacant
Proposed Use Site Plan	300-325 multi-family dwelling units, and 23,240 square feet of office
Case Manager	Greg Barnes, Planner II Phone: (919) 469-4067 Email: greg.barnes@townofcary.org Mailing Address: P.O. Box 8005, Cary, NC 27512

PARCEL & OWNER INFORMATION
Property Owner(s)	County Parcel Number(s) (10 digit)	Real Estate ID(s)	Area Acres
George H. Jordan, III P.O. Box 4422 Cary, NC 27519-4422	0764480856	0037855	20.22
Total Acres:			20.22±

Use	Approved	Proposed	Total
Retail/Commercial (Sq. Ft.)	340,996	0	340,996 (55%)
Office/Institutional (Sq. Ft.)	258,309	23,240	281,549 (45%)
Total Nonresidential	599,305	23,240	622,545 (100%)
Residential (Units)	1,193	325 maximum	1,518
Residential/Non-Residential Ratio	1.99 (du/ksf)		2.44 (du/ksf)