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The
Land Use Plan element that governs this part of
Cary
is the Northwest
Area Plan, adopted by Council in September 2002.
The Northwest Area Plan designates the northern half of the
subject tract as “Medium to High Density Residential” (i.e., 3-8
or 8+ dwellings/acre), and the southern half as “Medium Density
Residential” (3-8 dwellings/acre).
(See Map
1, NW
Area Plan.)
The
rezoning proposal specifies a gross density of 1.8 dwellings per
acre, single family only. Thus,
this rezoning would require an amendment to the Northwest Area Plan
to change the parcel’s land use designation to “Low Density
Residential” (1-3 dwellings per acre, single family detached).
Staff
Analysis
Staff
does not support the rezoning proposal and its Land Use Plan
amendment to convert the entire Weycroft tract to low density
residential uses. It is
felt that the
rezoning proposal compromises the vision, spirit, and intent of the
Northwest Area Plan, in the following ways:
1.
The
proposal compromises the NW Plan’s strategic arrangement of
residential densities. The
NW Area Plan concentrates future moderate and higher intensity uses
in strategic locations close to Research Triangle Park (RTP), and/or
within the six mixed-use activity centers that are distributed at
strategic locations. Moving
westward towards
Jordan
Lake
or southward towards Green Level,
residential densities gradually transition to medium density, and
then low density, and then very-low density. (See Map
1, NW Area Plan.) This
land use pattern will help reduce regional traffic congestion
by placing more population near the shortest and most direct commute
routes to RTP.
The subject
rezoning would place low density residential in one of the Plan’s
most strategic locations for medium and high-density residential.
The subject area is located within a mile of the future
interchange of I-540 at NC-55. The
site is also served by a future Transit Loop and a direct greenway
direct connection to RTP, as discussed below.
2.
The
proposal does not support or capitalize on the adjacent Transit
Loop
.
The
NW Area Plan reserves additional right-of-way along Green Level to
Durham Road
, as well as
along four other thoroughfares, to form a future Transit Loop system
linking NW Cary and RTP. (The
Transit Loop is highlighted in yellow on Map
3 of the NW Area Plan, and is discussed in Chapter
3, Section 3.3, of the NW Plan.)
In general, moderate and higher densities are encouraged and
needed along the Transit Loop, and not low density residential as
proposed by the rezoning.
3.
The
proposal does not maximize the utility or potential of the greenway
and multiuse path system.
The subject rezoning lies adjacent to two future greenways
(one along Nancy Branch) and one off-road multiuse path (along Green
Level to Durham Road), all three of which provide direct linkages to
Research Triangle Park and Carpenter.
A low density residential use at this site would fail to
capitalize on this formidable opportunity to provide multiple
alternate modes of travel and commuting (to RTP, esp.) to a wider
population. (See Map
2, NW Area Plan.)
4.
The
proposal is inconsistent with the
Community
Activity
Center
.
The northern half of Weycroft lies within a Community
Activity Center (CAC) focused around Amberly’s
Village
Center
.
(See Section
2.4, Chapter 4, of the NW Area Plan.)
An activity center is intended to contain an intense mix of
uses, including retail, office, and medium- and higher-density
housing. Low density
residential uses – such as that proposed in the rezoning request
– are not envisioned within activity centers, and are not allowed
within a Community Activity Center Overlay District.
Accordingly, the land use recommendations in the NW Area Plan
for the subject site reflect the Town’s long-standing policy of
providing medium-to-high density residential uses in and around
activity centers, in order to place population within walking
distance of shopping, amenities, and future transit services.
5.
The proposal
does not provide appropriate density transitions.
One of the guiding principles of the Comprehensive Plan is
the provision of gradual transitions between residential densities.
The area immediately north of Weycroft is high density
residential in the NW Area Plan.
Immediately northwest of Weycroft is the
Village
Center
of Amberly, with an intense mix of shopping, office, and high
density residential. The
land immediately west of Weycroft is zoned for high density
residential at up 20 dwellings/acre (adjacent to the northern half
of Weycroft) and 16 dwellings/acre (adjacent to the southern half).
A gradual density transition will not be achieved by placing
low density residential at 1.8 dwellings per acre immediately
adjacent to these very intense adjacent uses.
6.
The
proposal will spawn future land-use conflicts.
Introducing the proposed low density residential uses amidst
areas already zoned and planned for high density residential will
pose difficulties for both future Weycroft residents and owners of
the adjacent high density parcels.
The latter owners – and Town Council – can expect to
encounter protests from future Weycroft residents when the adjacent
land owners request at some later date to develop their properties
as high density, even though they already have such zoning.
7.
The
proposal runs counter to the governing policy framework for the
Northwest and Southwest Area Plans.
The
Northwest Area Plan was created to work in conjunction with the
Southwest Area Plan, to jointly encourage higher density development
in the northwest portion of
Cary
– near and adjacent to RTP – and to encourage lower density
development in southwest
Cary
.
There
are several additional considerations:
8.
Compliance
with the Comprehensive Plan can be achieved while still enabling
some or all of Weycroft to develop as single family detached
housing.
The NW Plan recommends medium to high density housing.
Medium density housing (3-8 homes/acre) can accommodate
single family detached or attached, patio homes, townhomes, or any
mix thereof. The density
goal applies to the overall site, and is considered an average gross
density. Thus, the site
could include sections of low density single family “nested”
among sections of medium- or higher-density housing products, in
order to achieve an overall average of medium density.
Under such an approach, compatible medium- and/or
higher-density housing products should be used as a transition to
the north and west of the site.
9.
There
is adequate land supply elsewhere for low density housing.
The Northwest and Southwest Area Plans include hundreds of
acres elsewhere for future low density residential.
In addition, a number of PDD’s have been approved with
large and dominant amounts of low density zoning, including Cameron
Pond PDD, Stonewater PDD, Forest Oaks PDD, Stonebridge PDD, and
Amberly PDD. Additional
low-density applications are currently in the pre-application
stages.
Design
considerations
If
the stream buffer width is to be reduced to 100-120 feet, it is
recommended that a street be installed between the buffer and its
associated greenway, and the residential lots.
This will permit the open space to function as planned, as an
amenity for all of the residents of the area, rather than an
extension of the rear yards of the residences that might back up to
it. The lots that border
the street would then have the open space and greenway as an
amenity. Since a site
plan for the Amberly development to the west has not been submitted
for this area, that road could extend into Amberly to offer further
access to the greenway and open space from the west.
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