The Town of Cary Land Use Plan

9.0 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE ACTION

This Land Use Plan provides a clear vision for Cary’s future growth and development. It describes where various types of future land uses and development should be located, and provides clear guidance as to the form, characteristics, and appearance that are desired for future development. However, the vision embodied by this Plan is but the first step in making that vision a reality. This chapter lists specific steps recommended to be taken following adoption of this Plan in order to ensure its implementation. These recommendations were developed jointly with the Citizens’ Advisory Committee. The actions that are recommended will take effort and commitment on the part of Town staff and its leaders.

Of primary concern to the Advisory Committee, beyond this categorized list, is a commitment by the Town to dedicate resources for annual review of this Land Use Plan. This will enable the Planning staff to track progress of implementation, while taking the pulse of the community to determine whether the goals are still appropriate and if additional goals should be added. Due to the number of studies and new plan developments proposed, the committee also recommends that, if necessary, the Town should hire outside consultants to accomplish some of these implementation objectives.

The recommended actions obviously cannot be addressed all at once, in the immediate future. Therefore, the Citizens’ Advisory Committee has grouped the recommendations into two categories. The first are those that are essential for the Plan’s initial implementation. The second category is a list of recommended actions that are essential for a complete, comprehensive implementation of the Plan. The recommendations are not given in order of priority.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ESSENTIAL FOR PLAN’S INITIAL

IMPLEMENTATION

A. Thoroughfare Plan Conformance

1. Revise/enhance Cary’s engineering standards to address roadways, sidewalks, bikeways, and roadway and median landscaping in support of the Growth Plan.
   
2. Revise Cary’s Master Thoroughfare Plan to support the Land Use Plan. Reflect the Growth Plan’s new thoroughfares on the Master Thoroughfare Plan.
   
3. Develop a Secondary Roads Master Plan, to supplement the Thoroughfare Plan. Plan proactively for a highly connected, through secondary road network.
   
4. Develop a long-range, town-wide strategic transit plan.

B. Ordinances and Guidelines

1. Produce a development design guidelines manual to implement Land Use Plan concepts.
   
2. Revise the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) as necessary to implement the Growth Plan, including revisions to zoning, development, and growth management ordinances.
   
3. Develop incentives to encourage development in conformance with the Land Use Plan.

C. Procedural Changes

1. Increase cooperation and coordination between Planning and Zoning, Engineering, Parks & Recreation, Public Works & Utilities, and other Town staff. Master long range planning for Cary’s diverse infrastructure and public facilities should be coordinated among these groups.
   
2. Revise internal review policies and procedures for rezoning, annexation, subdivision, and site plan review to support the Land Use Plan.

D. Other Items

1. Work with Apex, Morrisville, Chatham County, and Research Triangle Park to achieve a regional greenway and trail system.
   
2. Work with all adjoining municipalities, plus Wake and Chatham Counties, to coordinate master planning in Cary’s border areas.
   
3. Work with Wake County to have the County officially revise our joint Perimunicipal Planning Area (PPA) land use plans to reflect Cary’s new Land Use Plan.
   
4. Request that the Raleigh Plan be modified at US 1/64 and I-440 to limit their activity center development at that location to non-commercial uses.
   
5. Work with Apex to plan joint parks, greenways, and public works facilities in the border areas.
   
6. Negotiate a precise planning boundary with Apex, in the Chatham County area.
   
7. Work with the Wake County School System to jointly develop school facility plans, and to address school crowding and facility issues.
   

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ESSENTIAL FOR COMPREHENSIVE

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN

A. Revision and Development of Supplemental Plans

1. Work with the Town’s Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Resources Department to revise Cary’s Parks and Greenways Plans and policies to support the Land Use Plan.
   
2. Develop a town-wide pedestrian and bicycle pathway plan.
   
3. Develop Special Area Plans for the following areas:
   

• downtown Cary

• the future Regional Activity Center at NC 55 and the OuterWake Expressway

• the Crossroads Plaza area

• older areas with redevelopment potential
  

1. Develop Gateway Corridor Studies for the following corridors:
   
   --Walnut Street, from Maynard Rd. to Crossroads Plaza or Tryon Road.
   
   --NC 54, along its northwest approach into Cary, including along the rail line, from Morrisville into downtown Cary.
   
   --West Chatham Street and Old Apex Road, for the approach into Cary from the southeast, into downtown Cary, and thence along East Chatham to Raleigh.
   
   --North Harrison Avenue.
   
   --NC 55, from High House Road north to the proposed Outer Wake Expressway interchange.
   
2. Complete the development of a true Comprehensive Plan for Cary, one element of which is this Growth Management Plan. Comprehensive Plan elements to be completed include: parks and recreation, transportation, public services, natural and historic resources, economic development, and housing.

B. Studies and Models

1. Prepare a watershed protection and land use study for the Jordan Lake water supply watershed.
   
2. Prepare a study of the housing needs and demands for Cary’s citizenry and economy, including an analysis of housing supply issues and problems, and policy recommendations.
   
3. Develop, improve, and use models and techniques to evaluate the transportation, fiscal, public services, economic, and environmental impacts of development.

C. Other

1. Promote the expansion of Cary’s Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) and Perimunicipal Planning Area (PPA) as necessary to help implement the Land Use Plan.
   
2. Investigate and pursue state legislative actions to enable Cary to limit the amount of clear-cutting on properties.
   
3. Work to locate a new cemetery in Cary at an appropriate site.
   
4. Endorse the eastern extension of Cary Parkway from N. Harrison Avenue to Trinity Road, to link with Raleigh’s activity areas and provide additional connectivity with Raleigh.