FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                            August 22, 2007

NC’S TECHNOLOGY TOWN CREATES VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT COMMENTARIES

Cary citizens can now go online to comment on proposed development activities

CARY, NC – With as many as 94 percent of its citizens having access to the Internet, the Town of Cary has added online structured comment to the ways its citizens can get involved in guiding how development occurs in their community.  In addition to speaking at public hearings and beginning with two high-interest projects that are before the Town Council this week, citizens can now go to the Town’s Web site, review information about the proposed project, and log their support or concern for different aspects of the proposal via a new software program.  They can also share their ideas on how the project might be improved, and they can see what their neighbors are saying about the same project. 

Cary is the first local government in the Triangle to offer this further level of public input that enables citizens to share their suggestions and concerns 24/7 from the convenience of their computer as a project goes through what is typically months of review. The Town will be offering the online comment opportunity on a wide variety of projects that are subject to public hearings including rezonings, comprehensive plan amendments and mixed-use sketch plans.  The incorporation of this extra level of citizen involvement was requested by the Cary Town Council at a previous planning retreat.

“In Cary , we want to hear from our citizens, and we want to make it as easy and convenient as possible for them to share their thoughts with us,” said Town of Cary Planning Director Jeff Ulma .  “This new tool has the power to create a one-stop shop for everyone involved in a proposed plan to come together as a community to discuss a proposal.”

At appropriate points in the development process, Town staff will collect the online comments and present them to the Town Council and the Planning & Zoning Board as a case is considered.  Of course, the commentary will be online and available anytime anyone wants to review it.

Ulma noted that the Town’s use of the online commentary is just in its infancy and will grow and improve with time and experience.

“Until now, this software has really been used for large scale planning projects, and we’re breaking new ground here in Cary by also using it on small, local development applications.  It’s very exciting,” Ulma added.

Cary ’s new initiative is powered by IBM’s Neighborhood America, whose other clients include ABC, CBS, the Department of Defense and the National Park Service.  For a cost of $25,000 for one year of service, the Planning Department will be able to manage comments on up to 25 projects at once.

To see how the first online commentaries are working in Cary , visit the Brier Ridge or Harrison Avenue proposed project Web sections at www.townofcary.org.

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