Staff Remarks:

Based on Town of Cary MapInfo:

Water service is connected to the property.

Sanitary sewer service is connected to the property.

A building of 8,200 sq.ft. or 0.45 acres in PEC zoning will not generate 100 trips during the peak hour or 1000 trips per day. Therefore, no traffic impact study required.

N. Dixon Avenue
Downtown Residential (DR)

Prior to the adoption of the Town Center Area Plan August 9^th, 2001, the Land Use Plan showed the future land use as Medium Density Residential (3 to 8 units per acre).

LAND USE PLAN AMENDMENT ANALYSIS

• The property is located in the TCAP which identifies the block containing the property as High Intensity Mixed Use (HMXD), encouraging commercial, office, institutional and residential uses at a higher density. Uses can be mixed generally with an emphasis on mixing vertically within a building where feasible.

• The objective of mixing is to add commercial uses that give vibrancy to the downtown to create a shopping and entertainment destination for the town as well as serve local needs.

• Uses which require large amounts of first floor storage space (such as big box retailers and warehouse stores) are discouraged and should be located outside of the HMXD area. (See pages 2-1, 2-2).

Future Adjacent Uses:

• The land on the south side of the railroad tracks is identified for mixed uses at a less intense density.
• The land opposite the street to the west is identified for mixed density residential uses from duplexes to apartments not less than 15 units per acre.

• The block to the north allows the redevelopment of this land for residential uses from medium density up to and including high-density mid-rise products. (The higher densities, which include multi-family condo/apartments 18/50 units per acre, are permissible if 2.5 contiguous acres are assembled. In the interests of amenity and in order to protect the character and appearance of the downtown, mid-rise buildings in this location will normally not exceed 4 or 5 stories.)

• Buildings should generally be at least 2 stories, front the street and be brought up close to the street.
• To make HMXD areas feasible areas should be served by parking structures. Any surface parking should be located behind buildings.

Analysis:

• Notwithstanding the future land uses encouraged by the TCAP, the existing character of the area north of the CSX railroad is predominantly residential. Excepting the applicant’s current premises, the property is adjoined by residential uses.

• The long-range plan objectives are to provide a pedestrian friendly, mixed-use environment with opportunities to live work and recreate in the town center. Development in this location should therefore support, promote and provide retail, entertainment, work, commercial and living opportunities where there is good access to alternative transport opportunities. It should be compatible with residential uses.

• The proposal as submitted is for a straight warehousing use, no mixing is proposed and there is no commercial, retail or residential uses on different levels.

• The character, appearance and operation of a warehousing and distribution use are not considered compatible with residential uses.

• It is considered that the consolidation of this isolated warehouse and distribution use would lead to the perpetuation of a non-conforming use contrary the plan objectives.

Warehouse use is allowable under the office and industrial land use designation of the plan. Three existing large areas of office and industrial uses, including current vacant land are located on the south side of Chapel Hill Road, between Field Street and SE Maynard, at the eastern end of E. Johnson and on the north side of E. Chatham Street, between E. Durham Road and Reedy Creek Road.

The property does not have any areas designated within the Open Space plan for future open space consideration.