I want to start by thanking all of you who have taken the time to contact me to express your appreciation of my efforts to better communicate with citizens through this blog. It means a lot to me.
I realize that some of you may not always agree with every decision I make, but I have committed to keeping each and every one of you informed about why I voted a certain way, or why I supported a particular initiative. I do work for you after all.
I was sent to town hall to do a job – not to be everyone’s best friend. Heck, that’s government’s biggest problem today. The more government tries to be everything to everyone, the more it becomes nothing to no one and we can’t afford it any longer. But I digress.
Anyways, thanks again – Now on with my week in review.
The Town of Cary’s Sign Ordinance Review Task Force met again on Tuesday evening. Discussion items included potential changes regarding ground signs, monument signs, and directory signage, as well as allowable colors. While at times it seems we are going around in circles, I do believe we are making progress towards Cary becoming a little more business friendly while continuing to protect the visual landscape of our town. One of the challenges we face is Cary’s strict buffer and streetscape ordinances – which no one wants to tamper with. But requiring so much screening of development makes it very difficult for potential customers to see what businesses are in a particular development – often resulting in businesses going out of business due to lack of exposure. One example is Waverly Place (yes I realize Waverly also has topography issues). Unless you regularly patronize a particular business inside Waverly, you have no idea what other businesses are in there.
Cary’s Planning and Development Committee met this past Thursday. We had three consent agenda items and only one discussion item on our agenda. There just isn’t any development occurring in town right now to speak of. While it makes for a rather quick meeting, it doesn’t make for a sound financial situation. Just as business needs to grow to remain financially healthy, so does the town – or any municipality for that matter. A growth rate of around 3-4% provides new revenues to the town to fund new capital projects while at the same time allowing infrastructure to keep pace with development.
Our one discussion item was the re-adoption of Cary’s existing resolution of consideration of annexation. Cary has a comprehensive annexation program and state law requires it be readopted every two years. This program identifies land or properties that may be considered for future annexation. Re-adopting this resolution does not mean that Cary intends to annex these properties any time in the near future, but it does make it a lot easier for Cary to annex when and if the council decides to do so.
I oppose involuntary annexation and believe that affected property owners deserve a voice and a vote in the process. Given the ongoing debate in the General Assembly I also believe that Cary should wait and see what changes the state implements before moving forward with any annexation plans. The committee recommended sending this item to our next council meeting for discussion as we were divided on whether or not to approve it, and because this is a political issue that deserves council discussion. I intend to vote against this resolution.
Friday morning was a lot of fun. I spoke to 5th graders at Davis Drive Elementary School regarding the importance of reading. I spoke both from my experiences as a business owner and as a member of the council. The students were a lot of fun and asked a number of great questions.
Afterwards I attended a follow up meeting with town staff and Councilwoman Julie Robison regarding an issue we have been working on in the Silverton Community. Staff will be following up with us in the near future with potential options.
On Saturday I had the honor and privilege of representing the Mayor and Council at the 12th annual African American Celebration held at the Herb Young Community Center. I spoke to those in attendance about the importance of diversity, encouraging youths to become involved in their community, and that while we have made great progress towards eradicating racism in America; we still have a lot of work to do. I also presented a proclamation recognizing February and National African American History Month.
Well those are the past week’s highlights – as always, thanks for reading!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Week in Review 2/6/10 - 2/13/10
On Tuesday council held a worksession to hear from a number of presenters regarding the proposed high speed rail, light rail, and regional rail projects. Speakers included Mr. Pat Simmons from NCDOT Rail, Mr. David King from TTA, Mr. Joe Durham and Mr. Tim Maloney from Wake County, and Mr. Ed Johnson from CAMPO. All presenters spoke to the current status and long term goals for these projects.
Council requested this worksession since Cary had received little to no information regarding these initiatives – and given these projects will directly impact Cary, we want to know what is going on – and who is planning what for our town. Sounds fair enough right?
What we learned is simply unbelievable. While the light rail and regional rail projects have merit, and we should be planning for these initiatives now so that in 20-30 years when they really would be an asset to our region we are prepared, the high speed rail project is absolutely absurd.
$5 Billion Boondoggle. The high speed rail project will cost taxpayers $5+ billion. So what do you get for $5 Billion? You’ll get to Charlotte 30 minutes faster than Amtrak currently does. That’s worth $5 billion right? Now I’m not sure what data NCDOT Rail is looking at, but the folks trying to get to Charlotte or Richmond aren’t the ones clogging up our roadways. It’s the folks who are trying to get to work and back each day.
What is terrifying is that NCDOT Rail’s goals are to ELIMINATE every at-grade crossing from Raleigh to Charlotte, and Raleigh to Richmond. Yet they will most likely not be the one’s paying to construct above or below grade crossings. Guess who will have to pay to grade separate should we desire to keep crossings open in Cary? Cary citizens, that’s who. NCDOT Rail has already submitted their recommendations regarding the route from Richmond to Raleigh. Care to guess how many crossings they recommend being closed? 156. That’s 156 roads that will now most likely dead end where they meet a RR crossing.
Mr. Simmons stated their goals are to move people and public safety. Now I can understand their concerns regarding public safety, but how in the heck does this project “move people” when they have shut down every at-grade crossing? How will you be able to drive through Cary – or any other municipality for that matter – when NCDOT Rail has essentially eliminated your ability to cross over RR tracks?
This dark cloud might have a silver lining however. The feds have currently allocated NCDOT Rail $545 Million – they still require another $4.5 Billion to complete the project. Given the current makeup in Washington and their lust to spend, spend, spend they might have a shot at getting it. However, after this fall’s elections I am not so sure that will be the case. For all our sake let’s hope not. In the meantime you can be assured that we will do everything in our power to represent Cary’s interests.
Wednesday morning I attended the North Carolina Community Foundation Breakfast at the Mathews House in Downtown Cary. The guest speaker was James W. Narron, Chairman of the Board of the North Carolina Community Foundation. He gave a great speech on how to better encourage folks to become more involved in their community by giving back through charitable contributions.
Our council meeting was Thursday evening. Notable topics included a potential partnership between SAS and the town regarding the Veteran’s Freedom Park, a comprehensive transportation plan amendment, and our federal legislative agenda.
Council directed staff to work with SAS and prepare a report to come back to council for discussion regarding SAS’s offer to donate the Veteran’s Freedom Park property to the town and their desire to construct a monument in the park honoring our veterans. While the specifics of what may be required of the town aren’t available yet, for us not to consider such a partnership would be criminal. I’ll report more on this item once I know more.
I pulled our federal legislative agenda off our consent agenda for discussion to propose the addition of a request to seek federal assistance regarding stormwater/flood damage protection. Stormwater and flooding problems are a big concern for a number of Cary citizens and I believe any assistance we can obtain from Washington to help assist us in this regard might better help us provide some relief to folks in town. Council unanimously approved my request.
On Friday I attended a meeting with Councilwoman Julie Robison and representatives of Silverton to discuss a signage issue they have been trying to work through with our staff. We will follow up with our town’s Planning Director to discuss further.
Well that’s this past week’s highlights. As always, thanks for reading!
Council requested this worksession since Cary had received little to no information regarding these initiatives – and given these projects will directly impact Cary, we want to know what is going on – and who is planning what for our town. Sounds fair enough right?
What we learned is simply unbelievable. While the light rail and regional rail projects have merit, and we should be planning for these initiatives now so that in 20-30 years when they really would be an asset to our region we are prepared, the high speed rail project is absolutely absurd.
$5 Billion Boondoggle. The high speed rail project will cost taxpayers $5+ billion. So what do you get for $5 Billion? You’ll get to Charlotte 30 minutes faster than Amtrak currently does. That’s worth $5 billion right? Now I’m not sure what data NCDOT Rail is looking at, but the folks trying to get to Charlotte or Richmond aren’t the ones clogging up our roadways. It’s the folks who are trying to get to work and back each day.
What is terrifying is that NCDOT Rail’s goals are to ELIMINATE every at-grade crossing from Raleigh to Charlotte, and Raleigh to Richmond. Yet they will most likely not be the one’s paying to construct above or below grade crossings. Guess who will have to pay to grade separate should we desire to keep crossings open in Cary? Cary citizens, that’s who. NCDOT Rail has already submitted their recommendations regarding the route from Richmond to Raleigh. Care to guess how many crossings they recommend being closed? 156. That’s 156 roads that will now most likely dead end where they meet a RR crossing.
Mr. Simmons stated their goals are to move people and public safety. Now I can understand their concerns regarding public safety, but how in the heck does this project “move people” when they have shut down every at-grade crossing? How will you be able to drive through Cary – or any other municipality for that matter – when NCDOT Rail has essentially eliminated your ability to cross over RR tracks?
This dark cloud might have a silver lining however. The feds have currently allocated NCDOT Rail $545 Million – they still require another $4.5 Billion to complete the project. Given the current makeup in Washington and their lust to spend, spend, spend they might have a shot at getting it. However, after this fall’s elections I am not so sure that will be the case. For all our sake let’s hope not. In the meantime you can be assured that we will do everything in our power to represent Cary’s interests.
Wednesday morning I attended the North Carolina Community Foundation Breakfast at the Mathews House in Downtown Cary. The guest speaker was James W. Narron, Chairman of the Board of the North Carolina Community Foundation. He gave a great speech on how to better encourage folks to become more involved in their community by giving back through charitable contributions.
Our council meeting was Thursday evening. Notable topics included a potential partnership between SAS and the town regarding the Veteran’s Freedom Park, a comprehensive transportation plan amendment, and our federal legislative agenda.
Council directed staff to work with SAS and prepare a report to come back to council for discussion regarding SAS’s offer to donate the Veteran’s Freedom Park property to the town and their desire to construct a monument in the park honoring our veterans. While the specifics of what may be required of the town aren’t available yet, for us not to consider such a partnership would be criminal. I’ll report more on this item once I know more.
I pulled our federal legislative agenda off our consent agenda for discussion to propose the addition of a request to seek federal assistance regarding stormwater/flood damage protection. Stormwater and flooding problems are a big concern for a number of Cary citizens and I believe any assistance we can obtain from Washington to help assist us in this regard might better help us provide some relief to folks in town. Council unanimously approved my request.
On Friday I attended a meeting with Councilwoman Julie Robison and representatives of Silverton to discuss a signage issue they have been trying to work through with our staff. We will follow up with our town’s Planning Director to discuss further.
Well that’s this past week’s highlights. As always, thanks for reading!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Week in Review 1/25/10 - 1/30/10
I hope everyone had a great time playing in the snow and stayed warm and safe! The kids had a blast and we now have a miniature snow family in our freezer. ;-)
I attended Cary’s Planning and Zoning Board meeting on Monday evening so I could hear the board’s thoughts on two items of interest. The first was a public hearing on the proposed Silverton/Singh development at the corner of Cary Parkway and Evans Road. Much progress had been made in regards to satisfying neighborhood concerns, but unfortunately one in particular we recently learned is in conflict with our town’s Land Development Ordinance; specifically the proposed turning restrictions out of the development onto Winfair Drive. This is very disappointing to me as I believed this concession went a long ways towards reducing the amount of traffic on Winfair. The elimination of the proposed turning restrictions also further impacts a property owner at the corner of Winfair and Cary Parkway. The applicant requested this item be tabled so they could have more time to try and address these concerns.
The second item of discussion was proposed amendments to our LDO regarding signage. After a healthy debate the board recommended that the majority of the proposed amendments be addressed by the Sign Ordinance Review Task Force which is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of our ordinance. The board did however recommend for approval to increase the number of open houses a homeowner could advertise with signage from two to five. Currently Cary only allows homeowners the ability to advertise 2 open houses with signage. Yet given the current economic climate many homeowners are having a difficult time selling their homes and may need to host 3, 4, 5 or more open houses. The proposed amendment was recommended to have a two year sunset clause (will revert back to the current ordinance in two years) in the hopes that the economy will improve by then. Given how well the feds have done thus far however, I wouldn’t hold your breath.
Tuesday evening council held a worksession to discuss Cary’s Public Art Master Plan and hear from the town’s consultant and staff. Needless to say I was not surprised to hear that they were further recommending ways in which to implement public art into town constructed facilities. What was shocking however was that they were also recommending we create an ordinance or policy that requires a certain percentage of the cost construction be allocated to public art – 1% was their recommendation. What this means to Cary taxpayers is that if Cary were to build a $10 million community center for example, $100,000 must be allocated to public art. Sound familiar? What about made me fall out of my chair was that they stated this would NOT increase the cost of construction…seriously! When I asked how that was possible the consultant stated we could reduce construction costs by using cheaper doorknobs. I am not kidding! While council did agree to perform a comprehensive review of the town’s Public Art Master Plan – as it has been ten years since the plan was created and it’s probably time to review it – I will NOT support any plan that requires a percentage of construction be spent on public art. And honestly I don’t believe our current plan is broken so I’m not sure why we’re trying to fix it.
On Wednesday morning I attended the Cary Chamber of Commerce’s Eye Opener Breakfast to hear Mayor Weinbrecht’s State of the Town Address. Mayor Weinbrecht did a great job with his speech and it was wonderful to see so many friends and business colleagues.
On Thursday afternoon I had the honor and privilege of attending the Lady Daze Grant Awards presentation at the Page Walker Hotel. Monies generated from Cary’s annual Lazy Daze festival are given back to the community in the form of grants to local non-profits. $31,000 was presented to 28 area non-profit organizations.
Afterwards I high-tailed it to council chambers for our council meeting. Notable topics included LDO Amendments pertaining to adult businesses and home day cares, and a rezoning of the Russell Hills neighborhood in downtown. While I believe most everyone would agree we would rather not have any adult businesses in town, the reality is we cannot legally prohibit them from locating “somewhere” in town. The proposed ordinance amendment would require they not be sited within 1000 feet of a school, not be sited within 2000 feet of another adult business, and be allowed in the office, research, and development district in the airport overlay. Council directed staff to pursue making adult business a special use in the airport overlay and bring back information to council at our next meeting. Since our meeting I have heard from a citizen asking why 1000 feet from a school, yet 2000 feet from another adult business? – shouldn’t it be the other way around or 2000 feet for both? I can’t argue with that logic and I have asked our legal department to address.
In regards to home daycare uses I believe the ordinance amendment passed is a good compromise that protects both the rights of home day care operators and residents of residential neighborhoods. The amendment also only pertains to new home day cares – existing day cares would be grandfathered in.
On Friday I had the pleasure of speaking to 5th graders at Weatherstone Elementary about government, and my role as a member of the council. This was a lot of fun. Kids are so honest and have no idea what political correctness is. ;-) Some of the more interesting questions I was asked were, “What is the difference between a Republican and a Democrat?” “Have I ever met President Obama?”, and “Why doesn’t Cary have its own school system?”
That's the highlights from this week - as always, thanks for reading!
I attended Cary’s Planning and Zoning Board meeting on Monday evening so I could hear the board’s thoughts on two items of interest. The first was a public hearing on the proposed Silverton/Singh development at the corner of Cary Parkway and Evans Road. Much progress had been made in regards to satisfying neighborhood concerns, but unfortunately one in particular we recently learned is in conflict with our town’s Land Development Ordinance; specifically the proposed turning restrictions out of the development onto Winfair Drive. This is very disappointing to me as I believed this concession went a long ways towards reducing the amount of traffic on Winfair. The elimination of the proposed turning restrictions also further impacts a property owner at the corner of Winfair and Cary Parkway. The applicant requested this item be tabled so they could have more time to try and address these concerns.
The second item of discussion was proposed amendments to our LDO regarding signage. After a healthy debate the board recommended that the majority of the proposed amendments be addressed by the Sign Ordinance Review Task Force which is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of our ordinance. The board did however recommend for approval to increase the number of open houses a homeowner could advertise with signage from two to five. Currently Cary only allows homeowners the ability to advertise 2 open houses with signage. Yet given the current economic climate many homeowners are having a difficult time selling their homes and may need to host 3, 4, 5 or more open houses. The proposed amendment was recommended to have a two year sunset clause (will revert back to the current ordinance in two years) in the hopes that the economy will improve by then. Given how well the feds have done thus far however, I wouldn’t hold your breath.
Tuesday evening council held a worksession to discuss Cary’s Public Art Master Plan and hear from the town’s consultant and staff. Needless to say I was not surprised to hear that they were further recommending ways in which to implement public art into town constructed facilities. What was shocking however was that they were also recommending we create an ordinance or policy that requires a certain percentage of the cost construction be allocated to public art – 1% was their recommendation. What this means to Cary taxpayers is that if Cary were to build a $10 million community center for example, $100,000 must be allocated to public art. Sound familiar? What about made me fall out of my chair was that they stated this would NOT increase the cost of construction…seriously! When I asked how that was possible the consultant stated we could reduce construction costs by using cheaper doorknobs. I am not kidding! While council did agree to perform a comprehensive review of the town’s Public Art Master Plan – as it has been ten years since the plan was created and it’s probably time to review it – I will NOT support any plan that requires a percentage of construction be spent on public art. And honestly I don’t believe our current plan is broken so I’m not sure why we’re trying to fix it.
On Wednesday morning I attended the Cary Chamber of Commerce’s Eye Opener Breakfast to hear Mayor Weinbrecht’s State of the Town Address. Mayor Weinbrecht did a great job with his speech and it was wonderful to see so many friends and business colleagues.
On Thursday afternoon I had the honor and privilege of attending the Lady Daze Grant Awards presentation at the Page Walker Hotel. Monies generated from Cary’s annual Lazy Daze festival are given back to the community in the form of grants to local non-profits. $31,000 was presented to 28 area non-profit organizations.
Afterwards I high-tailed it to council chambers for our council meeting. Notable topics included LDO Amendments pertaining to adult businesses and home day cares, and a rezoning of the Russell Hills neighborhood in downtown. While I believe most everyone would agree we would rather not have any adult businesses in town, the reality is we cannot legally prohibit them from locating “somewhere” in town. The proposed ordinance amendment would require they not be sited within 1000 feet of a school, not be sited within 2000 feet of another adult business, and be allowed in the office, research, and development district in the airport overlay. Council directed staff to pursue making adult business a special use in the airport overlay and bring back information to council at our next meeting. Since our meeting I have heard from a citizen asking why 1000 feet from a school, yet 2000 feet from another adult business? – shouldn’t it be the other way around or 2000 feet for both? I can’t argue with that logic and I have asked our legal department to address.
In regards to home daycare uses I believe the ordinance amendment passed is a good compromise that protects both the rights of home day care operators and residents of residential neighborhoods. The amendment also only pertains to new home day cares – existing day cares would be grandfathered in.
On Friday I had the pleasure of speaking to 5th graders at Weatherstone Elementary about government, and my role as a member of the council. This was a lot of fun. Kids are so honest and have no idea what political correctness is. ;-) Some of the more interesting questions I was asked were, “What is the difference between a Republican and a Democrat?” “Have I ever met President Obama?”, and “Why doesn’t Cary have its own school system?”
That's the highlights from this week - as always, thanks for reading!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
4th Annual George Almond Officer of the Year Banquet
Dear Friends of Law Enforcement:
On behalf of the Cary Chapter of the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the fourth annual “George Almond” Officer of the Year awards banquet.
The North Carolina Police Benevolent Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving officers working for North Carolina public law enforcement entities. We support personnel by advocating changes to improve the quality of work life for our members along with addressing issues through political action. The Cary Chapter was formed in the fall of 2005 and has been very active in working for our membership and also in the Cary community.
The Cary Chapter board, in its first year, chose to sponsor an Officer of the Year Award in honor of retired Detective George Almond. Almond, a PBA member, was shot in the line of duty in October 2001. Almond survived the shooting and returned to duty as a Detective in juvenile investigations before retiring in August 2004. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in the areas of leadership, community service, mentoring, excellence in performance, and valor. Five finalists will be selected from a group of nominees for this year’s award. One of these individuals will be selected as the Officer of the Year for 2009. The award will be presented by Almond at the Embassy Suites in Cary on February 27, 2010. The doors to the event will open at 5:30 p.m.
We, as a chapter, would welcome your attendance at this event. Tickets are $50 per individual. We are also raising funds for the event to help defray some of the expenses. All contributors will be recognized at the ceremony in a special section of our program literature. Contributors who choose to be a Host ($250) or Sponsor ($500) will be formally recognized during the ceremony and through placards that will be placed on the dining tables. The deadline for receiving these funds is February 1, 2010. Checks should be made payable to the NCPBA. Cary Officer of the Year Banquet should be written on the memo line. Checks can be mailed to Holly Doychak – Southern States PBA, 2155 Highway 42 South, McDonough, GA 30252.
As part of our event the Police Benevolent Foundation has created as successful partnership with Cary Crime Stoppers to raise funds at the event through a live auction. The Police Benevolent Foundation is a charitable arm of the PBA which provides aid to the families of our fallen members, scholarships to well deserving youth and funding for law enforcement officers in times of natural and man-made disasters. Cary Crime Stoppers is a volunteer organization comprising local citizens dedicated to the reduction and quick resolution of crime. The Cary Crime Stoppers organization gathers funds to reward individuals who provide information anonymously to the Cary Police Department so that crimes can be solved.
For more information please contact:
Randy Byrd- Cary Chapter President
North Carolina Police Benevolent Association
1-800-233-3506 ext. 311
rbyrd@sspba.org
*contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes
On behalf of the Cary Chapter of the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the fourth annual “George Almond” Officer of the Year awards banquet.
The North Carolina Police Benevolent Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving officers working for North Carolina public law enforcement entities. We support personnel by advocating changes to improve the quality of work life for our members along with addressing issues through political action. The Cary Chapter was formed in the fall of 2005 and has been very active in working for our membership and also in the Cary community.
The Cary Chapter board, in its first year, chose to sponsor an Officer of the Year Award in honor of retired Detective George Almond. Almond, a PBA member, was shot in the line of duty in October 2001. Almond survived the shooting and returned to duty as a Detective in juvenile investigations before retiring in August 2004. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in the areas of leadership, community service, mentoring, excellence in performance, and valor. Five finalists will be selected from a group of nominees for this year’s award. One of these individuals will be selected as the Officer of the Year for 2009. The award will be presented by Almond at the Embassy Suites in Cary on February 27, 2010. The doors to the event will open at 5:30 p.m.
We, as a chapter, would welcome your attendance at this event. Tickets are $50 per individual. We are also raising funds for the event to help defray some of the expenses. All contributors will be recognized at the ceremony in a special section of our program literature. Contributors who choose to be a Host ($250) or Sponsor ($500) will be formally recognized during the ceremony and through placards that will be placed on the dining tables. The deadline for receiving these funds is February 1, 2010. Checks should be made payable to the NCPBA. Cary Officer of the Year Banquet should be written on the memo line. Checks can be mailed to Holly Doychak – Southern States PBA, 2155 Highway 42 South, McDonough, GA 30252.
As part of our event the Police Benevolent Foundation has created as successful partnership with Cary Crime Stoppers to raise funds at the event through a live auction. The Police Benevolent Foundation is a charitable arm of the PBA which provides aid to the families of our fallen members, scholarships to well deserving youth and funding for law enforcement officers in times of natural and man-made disasters. Cary Crime Stoppers is a volunteer organization comprising local citizens dedicated to the reduction and quick resolution of crime. The Cary Crime Stoppers organization gathers funds to reward individuals who provide information anonymously to the Cary Police Department so that crimes can be solved.
For more information please contact:
Randy Byrd- Cary Chapter President
North Carolina Police Benevolent Association
1-800-233-3506 ext. 311
rbyrd@sspba.org
*contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes
Monday, January 25, 2010
Week in Review 1/18/10 - 1/23/10
The highlights of this week included the groundbreaking of the Cary Community Arts Center, a Planning and Development Committee meeting, Cary’s Sign Ordinance Review Task Force meeting and a few meetings with citizens.
Cary’s Sign Ordinance Review Task Force met on Wednesday evening. The goal of this task force is to see if there are ways in which Cary can be more flexible in allowing businesses to advertise while continuing to protect the visual landscape and character in Cary.
Councilwoman Gale Adcock joined the task force this week replacing Councilman Portman who had to resign due to scheduling conflicts. Welcome aboard, Gale! This was the task force’s second meeting and discussion topics included principle ground signs and shopping center signs. We reviewed Cary’s current ordinance and that of a number of different communities and discussed what changes – if any – we might be amenable to. The consensus of the group was to continue to require materials found in the associated development (brick, stone, etc..) but to also see how we might be a little more flexible regarding materials used to construct the sign itself to allow for more creativity, as well as different fonts, sizes, and logos. There was also an interesting discussion regarding signs and their readability on roads with different speed limits; should we allow larger signage on highways with higher speed limits to increase readability? I look forward to seeing what staff brings back to the group after our input.
On Thursday I met with a citizen to discuss the proposed zoning changes to the Russell Hills community and her desire to see us protect the character of the existing community while still allowing for reinvestment and redevelopment.
Afterwards was our Planning and Development Committee meeting. We had two consent agenda items and one discussion item. The item for discussion was consideration of acceptance of a design concept for integrated art enhancements for Cary’s C-Tran bus shelters. Approving the concept is one thing – paying for it is another. While I support the proposed artwork, I do not support funding it until Cary’s financial situation improves. I also would like to see Cary pursue sponsorship opportunities with the private sector to help cover these costs.
Saturday was a great day for Cary as we broke ground on the new Cary Community Arts Center in downtown. 147 years after it began, old Cary Elementary School is embarking on a new adventure in education, once again poised to play a critical role in the next chapter of Cary!
Preserving our heritage and our history is of utmost importance to me and the council. Old Cary Elementary School is one of Cary’s most precious historic resources, and is in dire need of repairs. Of all our town’s capital projects, this particular project – in my opinion – is our most important. I cannot in good conscience support new capital projects in Cary while Cary Elementary further deteriorates. The longer we wait to make these improvements, the more expensive this project becomes, and by moving forward now we are able to get it done for nearly $4 million LESS than anticipated. This project will be funded with cash on hand, and will not add to the town’s debt level or tax burden of our citizens.
I cannot thank the hundreds of volunteers and our town staff enough for all their efforts to make this project a reality. I believe Councilman Jack Smith said it best, “Finally!” Yes, Jack, Finally!
You can read more about it and see photos here.
I also attended two political functions this week - the Wake County Republican Party’s Executive Committee meeting and the Wake County Young Republican Club’s meeting. Remind me next time to avoid Hillsborough Street until they finish construction – what a mess! ;-)
That’s about it for this week. As always, thanks for reading!
Cary’s Sign Ordinance Review Task Force met on Wednesday evening. The goal of this task force is to see if there are ways in which Cary can be more flexible in allowing businesses to advertise while continuing to protect the visual landscape and character in Cary.
Councilwoman Gale Adcock joined the task force this week replacing Councilman Portman who had to resign due to scheduling conflicts. Welcome aboard, Gale! This was the task force’s second meeting and discussion topics included principle ground signs and shopping center signs. We reviewed Cary’s current ordinance and that of a number of different communities and discussed what changes – if any – we might be amenable to. The consensus of the group was to continue to require materials found in the associated development (brick, stone, etc..) but to also see how we might be a little more flexible regarding materials used to construct the sign itself to allow for more creativity, as well as different fonts, sizes, and logos. There was also an interesting discussion regarding signs and their readability on roads with different speed limits; should we allow larger signage on highways with higher speed limits to increase readability? I look forward to seeing what staff brings back to the group after our input.
On Thursday I met with a citizen to discuss the proposed zoning changes to the Russell Hills community and her desire to see us protect the character of the existing community while still allowing for reinvestment and redevelopment.
Afterwards was our Planning and Development Committee meeting. We had two consent agenda items and one discussion item. The item for discussion was consideration of acceptance of a design concept for integrated art enhancements for Cary’s C-Tran bus shelters. Approving the concept is one thing – paying for it is another. While I support the proposed artwork, I do not support funding it until Cary’s financial situation improves. I also would like to see Cary pursue sponsorship opportunities with the private sector to help cover these costs.
Saturday was a great day for Cary as we broke ground on the new Cary Community Arts Center in downtown. 147 years after it began, old Cary Elementary School is embarking on a new adventure in education, once again poised to play a critical role in the next chapter of Cary!
Preserving our heritage and our history is of utmost importance to me and the council. Old Cary Elementary School is one of Cary’s most precious historic resources, and is in dire need of repairs. Of all our town’s capital projects, this particular project – in my opinion – is our most important. I cannot in good conscience support new capital projects in Cary while Cary Elementary further deteriorates. The longer we wait to make these improvements, the more expensive this project becomes, and by moving forward now we are able to get it done for nearly $4 million LESS than anticipated. This project will be funded with cash on hand, and will not add to the town’s debt level or tax burden of our citizens.
I cannot thank the hundreds of volunteers and our town staff enough for all their efforts to make this project a reality. I believe Councilman Jack Smith said it best, “Finally!” Yes, Jack, Finally!
You can read more about it and see photos here.
I also attended two political functions this week - the Wake County Republican Party’s Executive Committee meeting and the Wake County Young Republican Club’s meeting. Remind me next time to avoid Hillsborough Street until they finish construction – what a mess! ;-)
That’s about it for this week. As always, thanks for reading!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Let's Help Cary Crash the Superbowl!
Let's help James and all the folks at 5 Point Productions in Cary crash the Superbowl!
Out of over 4500 entries, BOTH of 5 Point Production's videos made the top six finalists. They are the only finalists from North Carolina and the east coast.
But they need your help to win.
Please visit http://www.doritoscontest.com/ to see both videos. WARNING - According to the Video General, 5 Point videos might cause uncontrollable laughter.
Once you are done wiping the Dr. Pepper off of your monitor, please vote for your favorite video! It's that simple. Please forward this link to your friends and family and encourage them to vote as well.
Good Luck 5 Point Productions - North Carolina is rooting for you!
Out of over 4500 entries, BOTH of 5 Point Production's videos made the top six finalists. They are the only finalists from North Carolina and the east coast.
But they need your help to win.
Please visit http://www.doritoscontest.com/ to see both videos. WARNING - According to the Video General, 5 Point videos might cause uncontrollable laughter.
Once you are done wiping the Dr. Pepper off of your monitor, please vote for your favorite video! It's that simple. Please forward this link to your friends and family and encourage them to vote as well.
Good Luck 5 Point Productions - North Carolina is rooting for you!
Retreat Take 2
The fine folks over at CaryCitizen.com did a much better job at reporting on our council retreat than I could ever hope to, so I thought I'd share the links to their online articles. Heck, they even have pictures! :-)
Day 1
Day 2
Day 2 part 2
Day 1
Day 2
Day 2 part 2
Monday, January 18, 2010
Week In Review 1/11/10 - 1/16/10
This week mainly consisted of a few meetings with local residents and elected officials, a council meeting and our retreat.
I met with WCPSS School Board member Debra Goldman on Tuesday to discuss relocating a bus stop at Evans and Evans Estates Roads to better protect children from the existing high speed traffic on Evans and future construction traffic associated with an approved subdivision. We also discussed her service on the school board thus far and her thoughts about how things are progressing along.
Council’s last meeting was on December 10th last year. It’s been over a month since we last met and not one development related item on our agenda for discussion. We continue to feel the effects of the struggling economy. While no development might be good news to some folks in Cary, the reality is that if this trend continues for much longer Cary will have a very difficult time maintaining the high levels of service that our citizens expect. A healthy growth rate of around 3-4% provides new revenues (tax base) to the town that funds new infrastructure projects, amenities, and services. Hopefully this trend won’t continue for much longer.
After a month of debate both on a local and national level I am pleased to report that the council voted 6-1 to approve my request to call the town’s tree lighting ceremony Cary’s Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, and to call our Community Tree Cary’s Community Christmas Tree. I have already blogged on this topic HERE so I won’t recap it again.
Council also unanimously voted to deny the proposed single quadrant intersection design proposal for the Cary Parkway and High House intersection, and we directed town staff to further solicit citizen input and look for other alternative designs and options. A number of folks have expressed concerns that existing traffic at this intersection are not that bad, and were confused as to why we were looking to redesign the intersection. For the most part they are correct. However, once the approved Davis and High House projects and the Park West project in Morrisville are completed, and as our community continues to grow, the level of service at this intersection will continue to deteriorate. This is unacceptable to council and we are trying to plan ahead and ensure that adequate infrastructure is in place before growth occurs.
I have attended six council retreats over the years – three as a member of council, and three as an observer. It may sound cliché but this year’s retreat was hands down the best I have ever attended. I think this was due largely in part to less presentation and more discussion among council and staff.
Day one consisted of a comprehensive review of the town and its departments (where are we now) and a visioning exercise (what do we envision Cary looking like in 2030?) Council discussed a wide range of topics including stormwater quantity and quality, growth, densities, public safety, environmental protection, parks and recreation and cultural arts, and technology.
Day two focused on Cary’s downtown. Yes I know we’ve talked about downtown at nearly every retreat Cary has had, but this time it was different. Given the current economic climate and our lack of confidence that we will rebound anytime in the near future we reevaluated current plans and focused on how we can better work with the county to site a regional library downtown, and how we may better incent the private sector to implement our vision for us.
Council agreed that the new library would best fit in the future downtown park, and we agreed to locate the future performing arts center near town hall to both help incent redevelopment on the north side of downtown, and to take advantage of existing structured parking.
Council also discussed the future high speed rail and light rail plans and how that will impact our downtown. We will be working very closely with all stakeholders involved to ensure that these rail initiatives –should they become reality – do not negatively impact our vision for downtown.
That's about it for this week, as always, thanks for reading!
I met with WCPSS School Board member Debra Goldman on Tuesday to discuss relocating a bus stop at Evans and Evans Estates Roads to better protect children from the existing high speed traffic on Evans and future construction traffic associated with an approved subdivision. We also discussed her service on the school board thus far and her thoughts about how things are progressing along.
Council’s last meeting was on December 10th last year. It’s been over a month since we last met and not one development related item on our agenda for discussion. We continue to feel the effects of the struggling economy. While no development might be good news to some folks in Cary, the reality is that if this trend continues for much longer Cary will have a very difficult time maintaining the high levels of service that our citizens expect. A healthy growth rate of around 3-4% provides new revenues (tax base) to the town that funds new infrastructure projects, amenities, and services. Hopefully this trend won’t continue for much longer.
After a month of debate both on a local and national level I am pleased to report that the council voted 6-1 to approve my request to call the town’s tree lighting ceremony Cary’s Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, and to call our Community Tree Cary’s Community Christmas Tree. I have already blogged on this topic HERE so I won’t recap it again.
Council also unanimously voted to deny the proposed single quadrant intersection design proposal for the Cary Parkway and High House intersection, and we directed town staff to further solicit citizen input and look for other alternative designs and options. A number of folks have expressed concerns that existing traffic at this intersection are not that bad, and were confused as to why we were looking to redesign the intersection. For the most part they are correct. However, once the approved Davis and High House projects and the Park West project in Morrisville are completed, and as our community continues to grow, the level of service at this intersection will continue to deteriorate. This is unacceptable to council and we are trying to plan ahead and ensure that adequate infrastructure is in place before growth occurs.
I have attended six council retreats over the years – three as a member of council, and three as an observer. It may sound cliché but this year’s retreat was hands down the best I have ever attended. I think this was due largely in part to less presentation and more discussion among council and staff.
Day one consisted of a comprehensive review of the town and its departments (where are we now) and a visioning exercise (what do we envision Cary looking like in 2030?) Council discussed a wide range of topics including stormwater quantity and quality, growth, densities, public safety, environmental protection, parks and recreation and cultural arts, and technology.
Day two focused on Cary’s downtown. Yes I know we’ve talked about downtown at nearly every retreat Cary has had, but this time it was different. Given the current economic climate and our lack of confidence that we will rebound anytime in the near future we reevaluated current plans and focused on how we can better work with the county to site a regional library downtown, and how we may better incent the private sector to implement our vision for us.
Council agreed that the new library would best fit in the future downtown park, and we agreed to locate the future performing arts center near town hall to both help incent redevelopment on the north side of downtown, and to take advantage of existing structured parking.
Council also discussed the future high speed rail and light rail plans and how that will impact our downtown. We will be working very closely with all stakeholders involved to ensure that these rail initiatives –should they become reality – do not negatively impact our vision for downtown.
That's about it for this week, as always, thanks for reading!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Cary's Newest Cop
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 11, 2010
Latest addition comes as K9 Axle retires after seven years of service to local communities
CARY, NC – On the heels of its first K9 retirement, the Town of Cary Police Department is proud to introduce its newest K9 officer, Enzo. Purchased from the Czech Republic, Enzo is a solid black, 17-month-old German Shepherd. He and his new partner, K9 Handler and Cary Police Officer Seth Everett, are enrolled in a three-month K9 training program in Chapel Hill that started January 4, 2010. Enzo replaces Axle, a German Shepherd that serviced both Carrboro and Cary during his seven years as a K9 Officer. His replacement allows the community to continue to benefit from around the clock K9 coverage.
“We are so grateful for the assistance Axle has provided our police department and the local communities over the years, and we really look forward to introducing Enzo into the same role,” said Major Tony Godwin, Operations Bureau Commander of the Cary Police Department. “Our K9 program is an invaluable resource to our police force as we strive to keep Cary a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
The Town of Cary paid $6,500 for Enzo and will pay an additional $2,000 for training. Funding to acquire and maintain Enzo is made possible by numerous community partners. The Police Department’s Citizens Assisting Police (CAP) Team donated $1,000 toward the purchase of the dog. Both Mayfair Animal Hospital and Veterinary Specialty Hospital have committed to donating veterinary services free of charge to all dogs in the Cary K9 Program. Dog food maker Iams Corp. will continue to provide food free of charge. Remaining costs not covered by these community partners are covered with Town funds.
The addition of Enzo comes as the Cary Police Department celebrates its first retirement of a K9 officer, Axle. In his seven years of service to local communities, including two years with the Cary Police Department, Axle helped locate missing persons, tracked suspects that tried to elude officers and found concealed drugs and money. During his career, Axle met over 3,000 children and their parents during special community events. Axle’s last day with the Cary Police Department was December 29, 2009.
In addition to Enzo, the Town of Cary Police Department will be recruiting a third dog in March 2010 to join the K9 Program. This dog and its K9 handler will be in training by the end of March and on patrol serving the citizens of Cary by June 2010. In just the last two years, the Town of Cary K9 Program has been used to investigate or solve over 600 cases.
Created in 2005, Cary’s K9 program is designed to enhance the high level of service provided by the Town’s nationally accredited police department. Cary is consistently ranked as the safest large city in North Carolina, the safest large community in the Southeast, and the fifth safest of its size in America. Cary’s first K9 team, Master Officer Jeremy Burgin and a German shepherd named Max, completed a rigorous 14-week training program together in June 2005. Max finished as the Top Dog in obedience and apprehension work. The team hit the streets together in 2005, and continues to serve the citizens of Cary today.
To learn more about the Town of Cary’s K9 Program, visit the Police Department Web page at www.townofcary.org.
PRIMARY CONTACTS: Major Tony Godwin, Operations Bureau Commander, (919) 462-3812 Deanna Boone, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 462-3908 Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, (919) 460-4951
Latest addition comes as K9 Axle retires after seven years of service to local communities
CARY, NC – On the heels of its first K9 retirement, the Town of Cary Police Department is proud to introduce its newest K9 officer, Enzo. Purchased from the Czech Republic, Enzo is a solid black, 17-month-old German Shepherd. He and his new partner, K9 Handler and Cary Police Officer Seth Everett, are enrolled in a three-month K9 training program in Chapel Hill that started January 4, 2010. Enzo replaces Axle, a German Shepherd that serviced both Carrboro and Cary during his seven years as a K9 Officer. His replacement allows the community to continue to benefit from around the clock K9 coverage.
“We are so grateful for the assistance Axle has provided our police department and the local communities over the years, and we really look forward to introducing Enzo into the same role,” said Major Tony Godwin, Operations Bureau Commander of the Cary Police Department. “Our K9 program is an invaluable resource to our police force as we strive to keep Cary a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
The Town of Cary paid $6,500 for Enzo and will pay an additional $2,000 for training. Funding to acquire and maintain Enzo is made possible by numerous community partners. The Police Department’s Citizens Assisting Police (CAP) Team donated $1,000 toward the purchase of the dog. Both Mayfair Animal Hospital and Veterinary Specialty Hospital have committed to donating veterinary services free of charge to all dogs in the Cary K9 Program. Dog food maker Iams Corp. will continue to provide food free of charge. Remaining costs not covered by these community partners are covered with Town funds.
The addition of Enzo comes as the Cary Police Department celebrates its first retirement of a K9 officer, Axle. In his seven years of service to local communities, including two years with the Cary Police Department, Axle helped locate missing persons, tracked suspects that tried to elude officers and found concealed drugs and money. During his career, Axle met over 3,000 children and their parents during special community events. Axle’s last day with the Cary Police Department was December 29, 2009.
In addition to Enzo, the Town of Cary Police Department will be recruiting a third dog in March 2010 to join the K9 Program. This dog and its K9 handler will be in training by the end of March and on patrol serving the citizens of Cary by June 2010. In just the last two years, the Town of Cary K9 Program has been used to investigate or solve over 600 cases.
Created in 2005, Cary’s K9 program is designed to enhance the high level of service provided by the Town’s nationally accredited police department. Cary is consistently ranked as the safest large city in North Carolina, the safest large community in the Southeast, and the fifth safest of its size in America. Cary’s first K9 team, Master Officer Jeremy Burgin and a German shepherd named Max, completed a rigorous 14-week training program together in June 2005. Max finished as the Top Dog in obedience and apprehension work. The team hit the streets together in 2005, and continues to serve the citizens of Cary today.
To learn more about the Town of Cary’s K9 Program, visit the Police Department Web page at www.townofcary.org.
PRIMARY CONTACTS: Major Tony Godwin, Operations Bureau Commander, (919) 462-3812 Deanna Boone, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 462-3908 Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, (919) 460-4951
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Last Week in Review of 2009
Sorry for not posting in the last couple of weeks but we’ve been traveling a bit lately to see family and friends for Christmas and to watch our son Jordan and UCF play Rutgers in the St. Petersburg Bowl.
Council held a worksession with town staff on Dec. 15 to discuss capital projects and next year’s budget. After a review of recommended projects we agreed to postpone or eliminate $89 million in capital projects to reduce debt and spending and avoid a tax increase. Cary has seen a significant reduction in revenue as a result of the down economy and there just simply isn’t enough money to do all the things Cary has planned to do. We are working hard to craft a budget that focuses on priorities and continues to provide the levels of services our citizens demand at the lowest possible cost and without raising taxes. Families across the country have had to tighten their belts and adjust – their government should be no different.
Well I think that at this point unless you live under a rock you’ve heard about the great Christmas Tree controversy in Cary. Let me assure you there is no controversy folks. But thanks largely in part to some media outlets trying to make the news rather than report it there has been quite a bit of misinformation spread about resulting in a lot of angry folks.
Let me begin by saying that I know of no time in our town's history that the town "officially" called our Christmas Tree(s) a Christmas Tree. According to town staff for the last 25 years it has always been called a "holiday tree" or "community tree". No one is currently trying to remove Christ or Christmas from the town’s holiday celebrations. Someone 25 years ago might have been (or was), but not now.
However, while I do appreciate the town's efforts over the last 25 years to be all inclusive during our holiday celebrations, I feel that in our efforts to not offend anyone we have succeeded at offending nearly everyone.
A tree decorated with lights and ornaments during the Christmas season is a Christmas Tree. It's neither a Holiday tree nor a community tree. To call it anything else would be like calling the Jewish Menorah a candelabra. It is as much a part of our culture and tradition as it is our faith.
I along with Councilman Jack Smith have asked the council to consider calling Cary’s tree lighting ceremony the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, and to call the tree inside town hall Cary’s Community Christmas Tree.
I believe the majority if not all of council will support our request.
I apologize for all the media attention this issue has received. That was not my intent. As a matter of fact I intentionally requested the council discuss this in January as to not be a distraction from this year’s holiday celebrations. In hindsight I maybe should have waited until May to bring this forward, but regardless it’s the right thing to do and I believe the overwhelming majority of citizens agree. I’ve received well over 100 emails on this – I can count the number of those who support the current practices on one hand.
It was an honor and a privilege to attend Cary Fire Chief Don Daniels’ retirement luncheon this past week. Don has dedicated the last 38 years of his life to serving and protecting Cary’s citizens. He is truly an amazing man. It was a lot of fun hearing from current and former town employees about their experiences in working with Don over the years. Man how things have changed in 38 years! I wish him all the best as he begins a new chapter in his book of life.
Well that’s about all for now. Happy New Year and as always, thanks for reading!
Council held a worksession with town staff on Dec. 15 to discuss capital projects and next year’s budget. After a review of recommended projects we agreed to postpone or eliminate $89 million in capital projects to reduce debt and spending and avoid a tax increase. Cary has seen a significant reduction in revenue as a result of the down economy and there just simply isn’t enough money to do all the things Cary has planned to do. We are working hard to craft a budget that focuses on priorities and continues to provide the levels of services our citizens demand at the lowest possible cost and without raising taxes. Families across the country have had to tighten their belts and adjust – their government should be no different.
Well I think that at this point unless you live under a rock you’ve heard about the great Christmas Tree controversy in Cary. Let me assure you there is no controversy folks. But thanks largely in part to some media outlets trying to make the news rather than report it there has been quite a bit of misinformation spread about resulting in a lot of angry folks.
Let me begin by saying that I know of no time in our town's history that the town "officially" called our Christmas Tree(s) a Christmas Tree. According to town staff for the last 25 years it has always been called a "holiday tree" or "community tree". No one is currently trying to remove Christ or Christmas from the town’s holiday celebrations. Someone 25 years ago might have been (or was), but not now.
However, while I do appreciate the town's efforts over the last 25 years to be all inclusive during our holiday celebrations, I feel that in our efforts to not offend anyone we have succeeded at offending nearly everyone.
A tree decorated with lights and ornaments during the Christmas season is a Christmas Tree. It's neither a Holiday tree nor a community tree. To call it anything else would be like calling the Jewish Menorah a candelabra. It is as much a part of our culture and tradition as it is our faith.
I along with Councilman Jack Smith have asked the council to consider calling Cary’s tree lighting ceremony the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, and to call the tree inside town hall Cary’s Community Christmas Tree.
I believe the majority if not all of council will support our request.
I apologize for all the media attention this issue has received. That was not my intent. As a matter of fact I intentionally requested the council discuss this in January as to not be a distraction from this year’s holiday celebrations. In hindsight I maybe should have waited until May to bring this forward, but regardless it’s the right thing to do and I believe the overwhelming majority of citizens agree. I’ve received well over 100 emails on this – I can count the number of those who support the current practices on one hand.
It was an honor and a privilege to attend Cary Fire Chief Don Daniels’ retirement luncheon this past week. Don has dedicated the last 38 years of his life to serving and protecting Cary’s citizens. He is truly an amazing man. It was a lot of fun hearing from current and former town employees about their experiences in working with Don over the years. Man how things have changed in 38 years! I wish him all the best as he begins a new chapter in his book of life.
Well that’s about all for now. Happy New Year and as always, thanks for reading!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Week in Review 12/7/09 - 12/12/09
I hate to sound like a broken record but this was a very busy week – a council meeting that lasted until almost midnight, meetings with citizens, staff and a neighborhood, and a couple ceremonial events. There is no way I can cover everything that occurred this week without putting ya’ll to sleep so I’ll just hit the highlights.
On Tuesday I had the honor and privilege of attending the swearing in ceremonies for the newly elected Morrisville Town Council members as a guest of Councilman Tom Murry. Tom and I have been friends for some time now and I wouldn’t have missed his swearing in for anything...well ok, almost anything. ;-) This was a lot of fun and the comments from outgoing council members were especially entertaining. I hope the new board members have similar senses of humor - given the long meetings and contentious items that council members often deal with a little laughter goes a long way towards helping to maintain one’s sanity. I wish the new council members and Mayor the very best and look forward to working with them over the years to come.
Wednesday evening Councilwoman Julie Robison and I along with representatives from our town staff participated in a neighborhood meeting with residents of the Evans Estates Subdivision and the applicants of a proposed 30 home subdivision adjacent to Evans Estates. The applicants are requesting a waiver from the town’s connectivity ordinance which would require them to construct a road stub for a future road connection and bridge to Evans Road. For those reading who may be unaware, the town’s connectivity ordinance requires that when certain are met that new development connect to adjacent development and/or provide new road connections to collector roads or thoroughfares.
Residents were roughly split as to whether they supported the requested waiver or not and many in attendance expressed concerns regarding additional traffic and safety of neighborhood children as well as significant environmental and economic impacts.
After a healthy discussion the following day at our council meeting the council unanimously rejected staff’s recommendation to deny the appeal and supported the requested waiver. While I cannot speak for the other council members specific reasons for supporting the applicant’s request, I supported it for the following reasons:
· Concerns over the negative environmental impact, loss of mature trees and natural area and increased impervious surface. Roughly 16,500 square feet of buffer and 181 linear feet of the stream would be destroyed.
· Evans Estates was planned and built knowing these 30 homes would be constructed in the future. Evans Estates Road is a collector street and the Evans Estates subdivision has three connections to Evans Road already.
· Economic Impacts: Requiring the road construction and associated bridge/stream crossing would add significant cost to the project (over $600,000.00) potentially resulting in a request to increase the project’s density to offset these additional costs. A reduction in the current lot sizes (some as large as 24,000 sq. ft.) and/or increase in density would be unacceptable.
· Construction traffic will utilize Evans Estates Road regardless of whether or not a stub connection is made to Evans Road or not. We are better to work to reduce its impact as we cannot eliminate it.
· The applicant’s agreement to work with the Evans Estates HOA to implement traffic calming measures to address existing and future traffic concerns.
After speaking with Chief of Police Pat Bazemore we also learned that Evans Estates Road has no posted speed limit signs – therefore the legal speed limit is currently 35mph. We will be working to reduce the speed limit to 25mph and post the appropriate signage. I have also contacted WCPSS Board members to discuss the possibility of relocating the existing bus stop further inside Evans Estates to move children waiting for the bus away from the dangerous corner at Evans and Evans Estates Road and away from any future construction traffic.
Other council meeting highlights included the swearing in ceremonies of Councilwomen Jennifer Robinson and Julie Robison and Councilman Jack Smith. Immediately following the ceremonies was the selection of Cary’s Mayor Pro-Tem. Councilwoman Julie Robison was elected Mayor Pro-Tem by a vote of 4-3.
Also on Thursday’s agenda was the first of two public hearings regarding the proposed single quadrant intersection design at Cary Parkway and High House Road. Not one citizen spoke in favor of the proposal and of the 40-50 emails council has received thus far regarding the project none have been supportive. That speaks volumes to me. Given the overwhelming opposition to the current proposal and the fact that most likely not one council member will support it I made the motion to cancel January’s public hearing and to direct staff to cease and desist work on this project and to begin work on an alternative proposal. To my amazement my motion failed for the lack of a second. The council majority (everyone but me) felt that since we have already scheduled and noticed the January public hearing we should go forward with it to further solicit public input. That’s all well and good but in my opinion why waste any more time or resources on something we know we will not consider?
Afterwards council held a closed session to discuss an ongoing lawsuit and potential incentives contract.
Saturday I had the honor of riding in the Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade in downtown Cary. What a great day for a Christmas parade – the cold air and overcast skies had everyone bundled up in winter coats and blankets and drinking hot chocolate trying to stay warm. It just felt like Christmas. Thanks so much to the Cary Jaycees and everyone who worked so hard to make the parade a huge success.
It was great to see so many friends and neighbors. Then again I was pretty easy to spot riding atop a bright yellow Corvette. And after riding in it I gotta say, nothing says Christmas like Corvette. ;-) Maybe once we graduate a few out of college Santa will bring me one? I’ve been a good boy right? ;-)
Well that's it for now. I may not post next week as we will be in Florida to watch our son Jordan and the University of Central Florida take on Rutgers in the St. Petersburg Bowl. This game is extra special for all of us as this will be the final game of Jordan’s five year college football career. We are so proud of Jordan’s success on and off the field, and while he will soon begin to write a new chapter in his life story, we can’t help but be a little sad that this one is coming to a close. Congratulations, Jordan. We couldn’t be any prouder. Go Knights!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Cary!
On Tuesday I had the honor and privilege of attending the swearing in ceremonies for the newly elected Morrisville Town Council members as a guest of Councilman Tom Murry. Tom and I have been friends for some time now and I wouldn’t have missed his swearing in for anything...well ok, almost anything. ;-) This was a lot of fun and the comments from outgoing council members were especially entertaining. I hope the new board members have similar senses of humor - given the long meetings and contentious items that council members often deal with a little laughter goes a long way towards helping to maintain one’s sanity. I wish the new council members and Mayor the very best and look forward to working with them over the years to come.
Wednesday evening Councilwoman Julie Robison and I along with representatives from our town staff participated in a neighborhood meeting with residents of the Evans Estates Subdivision and the applicants of a proposed 30 home subdivision adjacent to Evans Estates. The applicants are requesting a waiver from the town’s connectivity ordinance which would require them to construct a road stub for a future road connection and bridge to Evans Road. For those reading who may be unaware, the town’s connectivity ordinance requires that when certain are met that new development connect to adjacent development and/or provide new road connections to collector roads or thoroughfares.
Residents were roughly split as to whether they supported the requested waiver or not and many in attendance expressed concerns regarding additional traffic and safety of neighborhood children as well as significant environmental and economic impacts.
After a healthy discussion the following day at our council meeting the council unanimously rejected staff’s recommendation to deny the appeal and supported the requested waiver. While I cannot speak for the other council members specific reasons for supporting the applicant’s request, I supported it for the following reasons:
· Concerns over the negative environmental impact, loss of mature trees and natural area and increased impervious surface. Roughly 16,500 square feet of buffer and 181 linear feet of the stream would be destroyed.
· Evans Estates was planned and built knowing these 30 homes would be constructed in the future. Evans Estates Road is a collector street and the Evans Estates subdivision has three connections to Evans Road already.
· Economic Impacts: Requiring the road construction and associated bridge/stream crossing would add significant cost to the project (over $600,000.00) potentially resulting in a request to increase the project’s density to offset these additional costs. A reduction in the current lot sizes (some as large as 24,000 sq. ft.) and/or increase in density would be unacceptable.
· Construction traffic will utilize Evans Estates Road regardless of whether or not a stub connection is made to Evans Road or not. We are better to work to reduce its impact as we cannot eliminate it.
· The applicant’s agreement to work with the Evans Estates HOA to implement traffic calming measures to address existing and future traffic concerns.
After speaking with Chief of Police Pat Bazemore we also learned that Evans Estates Road has no posted speed limit signs – therefore the legal speed limit is currently 35mph. We will be working to reduce the speed limit to 25mph and post the appropriate signage. I have also contacted WCPSS Board members to discuss the possibility of relocating the existing bus stop further inside Evans Estates to move children waiting for the bus away from the dangerous corner at Evans and Evans Estates Road and away from any future construction traffic.
Other council meeting highlights included the swearing in ceremonies of Councilwomen Jennifer Robinson and Julie Robison and Councilman Jack Smith. Immediately following the ceremonies was the selection of Cary’s Mayor Pro-Tem. Councilwoman Julie Robison was elected Mayor Pro-Tem by a vote of 4-3.
Also on Thursday’s agenda was the first of two public hearings regarding the proposed single quadrant intersection design at Cary Parkway and High House Road. Not one citizen spoke in favor of the proposal and of the 40-50 emails council has received thus far regarding the project none have been supportive. That speaks volumes to me. Given the overwhelming opposition to the current proposal and the fact that most likely not one council member will support it I made the motion to cancel January’s public hearing and to direct staff to cease and desist work on this project and to begin work on an alternative proposal. To my amazement my motion failed for the lack of a second. The council majority (everyone but me) felt that since we have already scheduled and noticed the January public hearing we should go forward with it to further solicit public input. That’s all well and good but in my opinion why waste any more time or resources on something we know we will not consider?
Afterwards council held a closed session to discuss an ongoing lawsuit and potential incentives contract.
Saturday I had the honor of riding in the Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade in downtown Cary. What a great day for a Christmas parade – the cold air and overcast skies had everyone bundled up in winter coats and blankets and drinking hot chocolate trying to stay warm. It just felt like Christmas. Thanks so much to the Cary Jaycees and everyone who worked so hard to make the parade a huge success.
It was great to see so many friends and neighbors. Then again I was pretty easy to spot riding atop a bright yellow Corvette. And after riding in it I gotta say, nothing says Christmas like Corvette. ;-) Maybe once we graduate a few out of college Santa will bring me one? I’ve been a good boy right? ;-)
Well that's it for now. I may not post next week as we will be in Florida to watch our son Jordan and the University of Central Florida take on Rutgers in the St. Petersburg Bowl. This game is extra special for all of us as this will be the final game of Jordan’s five year college football career. We are so proud of Jordan’s success on and off the field, and while he will soon begin to write a new chapter in his life story, we can’t help but be a little sad that this one is coming to a close. Congratulations, Jordan. We couldn’t be any prouder. Go Knights!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Cary!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
We Want YOU!
Apply Now for Cary's 7th Annual School of Government
Get an innovative, hands-on, behind-the-scenes look at Town government, decision-making, and the people and facilities that provide the services you use every day. Applications will be accepted through December 31 for the 2010 Town of Cary School of Government. Sessions are scheduled for Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. from February 3 through March 17 plus one session on Saturday morning, February 13, from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information or to download an application, visit School of Government at www.townofcary.org or call (919) 469‑4006.
PRIMARY CONTACTS:
Lana Hygh, Assistant to the Town Manager, (919) 469-4006
Deanna Boone, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 462-3908
Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, (919) 460-4951
Get an innovative, hands-on, behind-the-scenes look at Town government, decision-making, and the people and facilities that provide the services you use every day. Applications will be accepted through December 31 for the 2010 Town of Cary School of Government. Sessions are scheduled for Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. from February 3 through March 17 plus one session on Saturday morning, February 13, from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information or to download an application, visit School of Government at www.townofcary.org or call (919) 469‑4006.
PRIMARY CONTACTS:
Lana Hygh, Assistant to the Town Manager, (919) 469-4006
Deanna Boone, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 462-3908
Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, (919) 460-4951
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