Sorry I haven’t posted in a few weeks. Life has been very busy – and that’s a good thing.
I want to wish everyone a very happy Memorial Day. One can’t turn on the television or read the news without being reminded of how precious and rare the freedoms we enjoy really are. As you enjoy this weekend with family and friends, please take time to remember those patriots who paid the ultimate price so that you and I can live free. Freedom exists as long as there are those willing to stand together and fight for it.
I had the honor and privilege of attending the Town of Cary Firefighters Awards and Promotions Ceremony last week. I cannot begin to express my appreciation and support for all of our brave men and women in uniform for everything they do to help make Cary one of the safest communities in the nation to live. A number of awards were presented and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride listening to the stories behind the awards. Each response being recognized had a specific fire call designation number (Fire Call #2546 for example) yet not one of the awards was actually given to anyone responding to a fire. Every award recognized exemplary service in response to an accident, trauma or heart attack victim. Our firefighters are most often our first responders, and they respond to all life threatening medical emergencies. Congratulations to everyone recognized and thank you for your service to our community.
Council has held two budget worksessions and appears to have settled on the FY2012 budget. There will be a public hearing on June 16 prior to council decision on June 30. Some highlights include:
• Total Budget is about $222 Million – This is a 36% Decrease from the previous year.
• 27 new positions – includes 15 Firefighters and 10 Police Officers.
• $8 Million allocated for downtown initiatives/infrastructure
• $3.7 Million for WakeMed Soccer Park – the majority of which will be reimbursed to Cary via the interlocal hotel/meals tax revenue.
• No tax increase. Cary continues to have the lowest tax rate in the county
• A 5.9% increase in utility rates to help cover the costs associated with the state mandated Western Wake Regional Wastewater Management Facility and other utility system upgrades and maintenance.
• $2 Million for street and greenway repaving
You can view the proposed budget here: http://budget.townofcary.org/budget/fy2012/budgetfy12proposed.htm and feel free to email the council with any comments at council@townofcary.org .
Our council meeting was relatively short, with the notable decision item being the Town’s new redistricting map. The new plan was presented for public hearing at our May 12 meeting. No one spoke at the public hearing, and the council unanimously approved the new plan. I gotta pat us on the backs on this one; I am very proud of the council and how well we worked together on an issue that typically becomes a heated, partisan battle. We set clear criteria with predetermined goals, stuck to them and got the job done with no conflict.
Councilmember Portman was absent from the council meeting as he was attending a democrat party meeting where he was selected to replace resigning Wake County Commissioner, Stan Norwalk. Now I gotta admit it – if ya told me two years ago I would be a sad to Erv leave the council I might have laughed at you. But I am honestly a “little” disappointed to see him go ;-). Erv and I have worked well together over the last couple of years – especially on budget/development related items. As business owners, we share a number of real world experiences and try to bring our knowledge and talents to work for the town. I wish Erv the best on the County Commission. Cary’s loss is the county’s gain. I hope that he can remain on the council until July 1 (that start of our fiscal year) so that he can see our budget process through. It wouldn’t make much sense for him to go to the county commission and be expected to vote on a budget he is not familiar with.
I believe the council should and will fill this vacancy as soon as possible. Cary citizens deserve adequate representation. To leave the seat open demonstrates a lack of leadership, as evidenced by Morrisville’s decision to not fill the seat vacated by newly elected State Representative, Tom Murry. We are better than that.
Harold and I taped the June episode of CaryMatters this past week. The main topic is Cary’s FY2012 budget. You can watch CaryMatters, as well as other town meetings here.
I also had the pleasure of attending graduation ceremonies for Cary’s School of Government. This was a lot of fun as the topic for the last class was downtown – one of my favorite topics. The speaker for the evening was Cary’s Downtown Development Manager, Ed Gawf. Congratulations to all the graduates and thank you so much for caring enough to become more involved in your government! Our community is what we make of it – the more who get involved, the more our community reflects our desires. While there are a number of reasons that our community is one of the greatest places to live in America, none is greater than the citizens who live here, and give so much back to our town.
Another item I am sure a number of you have heard about is the proposed apartment complex at the corner of Tryon and Cary Parkway. I will speak more about this project later, but in the meantime I wanted to provide you with a couple of links so that you can learn more about the proposal.
Click here to be directed to the site opposing the project.
Click here to be directed to the project’s website.
That’s all for now. As always, thanks for reading!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
We Want YOU!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2011
Apply Now to Serve on Cary's Boards and Commissions
Community-minded citizens are encouraged to apply for one of 26 upcoming vacancies on the Town council’s nine advisory boards and commissions. Use your talents and take an active interest in your community on one of the following: Economic Development Commission; Environmental Advisory Board; Information Services Advisory Board; Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board; Planning and Zoning Board; Public Art Advisory Board; Town Center Review Commission; Zoning Board of Adjustment; and Citizen Issue Review Commission (for Cary’s School of Government graduates, only). Selected applicants will serve for three years starting in October, except where unexpired terms are being filled, and advise the Town Council on their board/commission’s cause. Applications can be found at http://www.townofcary.org/ and will be accepted until 5 p.m. on June 30, 2011. Learn more at “Boards and Commissions” at http://www.townofcary.org/ or call (919) 319-4508.
###
PRIMARY CONTACTS:
Karen Gray, Deputy Town Clerk, (919) 319-4508
Deanna Boone, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 462-3908
Susan Moran, Public Information Director, (919) 380-4240
May 2, 2011
Apply Now to Serve on Cary's Boards and Commissions
Community-minded citizens are encouraged to apply for one of 26 upcoming vacancies on the Town council’s nine advisory boards and commissions. Use your talents and take an active interest in your community on one of the following: Economic Development Commission; Environmental Advisory Board; Information Services Advisory Board; Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board; Planning and Zoning Board; Public Art Advisory Board; Town Center Review Commission; Zoning Board of Adjustment; and Citizen Issue Review Commission (for Cary’s School of Government graduates, only). Selected applicants will serve for three years starting in October, except where unexpired terms are being filled, and advise the Town Council on their board/commission’s cause. Applications can be found at http://www.townofcary.org/ and will be accepted until 5 p.m. on June 30, 2011. Learn more at “Boards and Commissions” at http://www.townofcary.org/ or call (919) 319-4508.
###
PRIMARY CONTACTS:
Karen Gray, Deputy Town Clerk, (919) 319-4508
Deanna Boone, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 462-3908
Susan Moran, Public Information Director, (919) 380-4240
Friday, April 29, 2011
Redistricting Update
Council held another redistricting worksession last night prior to our council meeting. After a brief discussion the council unanimously approved moving forward with the following redistricting proposal. Note - Precinct 05-05 currently shown in District A was moved to District B. Only 5 people live in 05-05. It made no sense to leave this in District A and continue to have District A span from Chatham County to the Airport.
The council will now hold a public hearing to solicit citizen input prior to making our final decision. For comparrison, here is the current map:
The council will now hold a public hearing to solicit citizen input prior to making our final decision. For comparrison, here is the current map:
Please feel free to email the council at council@townofcary.org with any comments or questions regarding the proposed district map.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Week in Review 4/11/11 - 4/16/11
Saturday’s storms were the most violent I have seen since Hurricane Fran tore through North Carolina in 1996. Twenty two people are confirmed dead and hundreds are homeless. Businesses have been damaged or destroyed, and their employees now find themselves indefinitely unemployed. We can help. Please consider making a monetary donation or volunteer your time with the American Red Cross or Samaritan’s Purse to aid in relief efforts, or check with your church or area civic groups to see what you can do to help. You can also find more information on how to help here. Together we can make a difference and help North Carolina recover from this tragic event.
I had the privilege of participating in the Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors Leadership Academy this week along with Wake County School Board Member Deborah Prickett and Raleigh City Councilor Mary-Ann Baldwin. We were “guest panelists” for a session on Governmental Relations and Political Affairs. We spoke mainly about our call to leadership (why did we run for office?), our roles in our positions and what a typical day is like for each of us.
On Thursday the council held a worksession prior to our council meeting to discuss “sustainable site design guidelines”. Our town staff has been working to update Cary’s design guidelines in an effort to encourage development that creates more walkable, pedestrian friendly communities and better protects our environment through greater open space preservation.
Staff presented recommendations to council for consideration and feedback. My thoughts were that while I “liked what I saw”, I wanted to know more about the costs associated with these recommendations. Any time you create a new rule or regulation you add cost to a project, and we need to be sure that we aren’t imposing unrealistic burdens on small business owners in Cary. Sometimes blanket “one size fits all” ordinances don’t fit and might not work in a particular case. We need to ensure that there is flexibility so that when this happens – and it will – that we can resolve the issue in a timely manner.
Following the worksession was our council meeting. Notable discussion topics included the Pamlico Drive flood minimization and stream restoration project and associated greenway connection and sidewalk, and the Swift Creek Parallel Forced Main Project.
While residents in the Pamlico Drive area are eager for flood relief, they expressed concerns regarding the proposed greenway improvements – especially the greenway stub to their neighborhood and sidewalk. The council unanimously voted to remove the greenway connection and sidewalk from the project.
The council ultimately postponed a decision on the Swift Creek forced main project for two weeks to give our town staff time to resolve issues raised by property owners most impacted along Holly Springs Road.
The council also unanimously approved a quitclaim deed to relinquish property purchased from yours truly. I asked that I be recused from voting on this matter as it directly pertains to my property. You can read a detailed explanation on this item here.
I had a number of meetings this week including a meeting with Councilwoman Gale Adcock to discuss a number of items, as well as a budget preview meeting with our Town Manager and Budget Director.
On Saturday I had the honor of welcoming folks to this year’s Basant Bahar held at Athens Drive High School. Basant Bahar is the Indian celebration of spring and includes a number of beautiful dance and music performances. Unfortunately this year’s event was delayed due to severe weather and loss of power. Nonetheless the event was still a huge success and well attended. Thanks to everyone at HumSub for all your hard work and for your ongoing partnership with the town. Your involvement in our community is tremendous and we are all better for it.
I had the privilege of participating in the Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors Leadership Academy this week along with Wake County School Board Member Deborah Prickett and Raleigh City Councilor Mary-Ann Baldwin. We were “guest panelists” for a session on Governmental Relations and Political Affairs. We spoke mainly about our call to leadership (why did we run for office?), our roles in our positions and what a typical day is like for each of us.
On Thursday the council held a worksession prior to our council meeting to discuss “sustainable site design guidelines”. Our town staff has been working to update Cary’s design guidelines in an effort to encourage development that creates more walkable, pedestrian friendly communities and better protects our environment through greater open space preservation.
Staff presented recommendations to council for consideration and feedback. My thoughts were that while I “liked what I saw”, I wanted to know more about the costs associated with these recommendations. Any time you create a new rule or regulation you add cost to a project, and we need to be sure that we aren’t imposing unrealistic burdens on small business owners in Cary. Sometimes blanket “one size fits all” ordinances don’t fit and might not work in a particular case. We need to ensure that there is flexibility so that when this happens – and it will – that we can resolve the issue in a timely manner.
Following the worksession was our council meeting. Notable discussion topics included the Pamlico Drive flood minimization and stream restoration project and associated greenway connection and sidewalk, and the Swift Creek Parallel Forced Main Project.
While residents in the Pamlico Drive area are eager for flood relief, they expressed concerns regarding the proposed greenway improvements – especially the greenway stub to their neighborhood and sidewalk. The council unanimously voted to remove the greenway connection and sidewalk from the project.
The council ultimately postponed a decision on the Swift Creek forced main project for two weeks to give our town staff time to resolve issues raised by property owners most impacted along Holly Springs Road.
The council also unanimously approved a quitclaim deed to relinquish property purchased from yours truly. I asked that I be recused from voting on this matter as it directly pertains to my property. You can read a detailed explanation on this item here.
I had a number of meetings this week including a meeting with Councilwoman Gale Adcock to discuss a number of items, as well as a budget preview meeting with our Town Manager and Budget Director.
On Saturday I had the honor of welcoming folks to this year’s Basant Bahar held at Athens Drive High School. Basant Bahar is the Indian celebration of spring and includes a number of beautiful dance and music performances. Unfortunately this year’s event was delayed due to severe weather and loss of power. Nonetheless the event was still a huge success and well attended. Thanks to everyone at HumSub for all your hard work and for your ongoing partnership with the town. Your involvement in our community is tremendous and we are all better for it.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Making Wrong Right
I recently learned that I made a mistake that I must take responsibility for.
The downtown streetscape project was approved as a component of the town’s budget in 2008 by a vote of 6-1. I voted for it. After the project was approved, the town began to acquire the necessary easements and right-of-way to implement the project, up until the project was ultimately postponed by council in 2009 to reduce spending to cope with the economic recession. The vote to delay the streetscape project passed unanimously.
From the time the project was approved until the time it was delayed, the town had acquired right-of-way and easements from over 90 different properties. Ours was one of them. The town purchased a small portion of our business property frontage for $14,550. Land prices paid to all landowners ranged from $100 - $102,000 depending on the size and value of the property acquired.
We have since discovered that NCGS 14-234 prohibits the town’s purchase of our property outright given my position on the council. The town should have instead performed what is referred to as a “friendly condemnation”. The town would have still acquired a portion of our property and we would still have been compensated for it.
It’s not THAT the town acquired a portion of our property, its HOW the town acquired it that is the problem. It is a process issue. Neither I nor the town was aware of this.
To correct this mistake, I have already paid back the entire $14,550 to the town and our property will be deeded back to us. If in the future the town finds itself in a position to move forward with the streetscape project, we will proceed with the condemnation process at that time (which unfortunately is a more expensive process than a simple purchase).
I apologize for this mistake and take full responsibility for what happened, yet I take great pride in the fact that I was treated no differently than any other land owner downtown.
I had spoken with Cary’s legal department shortly after joining the council regarding voting on matters pertaining to downtown projects and initiatives. I was told that being a downtown business owner did not prohibit me from voting on matters concerning downtown, and that state law actually requires me to vote barring a legal conflict. It’s not much different than Mayor Weinbrecht or Councilwoman Adcock voting on matters pertaining to their employer, SAS.
My support for downtown Cary is no secret. Heck, it was a large part of my campaign platform when I ran for council and has remained a priority during my service on the council. I have championed a number of downtown initiatives including the Cary Arts Center, the streetscape project and Cary’s new Downtown Manager. I have worked with residents, business owners and Cary PD to reduce crime in our downtown neighborhoods; as well as our zoning enforcement department to address minimum housing violations and hold absentee landlords accountable.
And during this time I have worked hard to keep citizens informed about my service on the council right here on my blog. I have always been open and honest with you. We may not always agree, but you will always know where I stand. And when I make a mistake I am going to tell you about it and take responsibility for it.
Thank you for your understanding.
The downtown streetscape project was approved as a component of the town’s budget in 2008 by a vote of 6-1. I voted for it. After the project was approved, the town began to acquire the necessary easements and right-of-way to implement the project, up until the project was ultimately postponed by council in 2009 to reduce spending to cope with the economic recession. The vote to delay the streetscape project passed unanimously.
From the time the project was approved until the time it was delayed, the town had acquired right-of-way and easements from over 90 different properties. Ours was one of them. The town purchased a small portion of our business property frontage for $14,550. Land prices paid to all landowners ranged from $100 - $102,000 depending on the size and value of the property acquired.
We have since discovered that NCGS 14-234 prohibits the town’s purchase of our property outright given my position on the council. The town should have instead performed what is referred to as a “friendly condemnation”. The town would have still acquired a portion of our property and we would still have been compensated for it.
It’s not THAT the town acquired a portion of our property, its HOW the town acquired it that is the problem. It is a process issue. Neither I nor the town was aware of this.
To correct this mistake, I have already paid back the entire $14,550 to the town and our property will be deeded back to us. If in the future the town finds itself in a position to move forward with the streetscape project, we will proceed with the condemnation process at that time (which unfortunately is a more expensive process than a simple purchase).
I apologize for this mistake and take full responsibility for what happened, yet I take great pride in the fact that I was treated no differently than any other land owner downtown.
I had spoken with Cary’s legal department shortly after joining the council regarding voting on matters pertaining to downtown projects and initiatives. I was told that being a downtown business owner did not prohibit me from voting on matters concerning downtown, and that state law actually requires me to vote barring a legal conflict. It’s not much different than Mayor Weinbrecht or Councilwoman Adcock voting on matters pertaining to their employer, SAS.
My support for downtown Cary is no secret. Heck, it was a large part of my campaign platform when I ran for council and has remained a priority during my service on the council. I have championed a number of downtown initiatives including the Cary Arts Center, the streetscape project and Cary’s new Downtown Manager. I have worked with residents, business owners and Cary PD to reduce crime in our downtown neighborhoods; as well as our zoning enforcement department to address minimum housing violations and hold absentee landlords accountable.
And during this time I have worked hard to keep citizens informed about my service on the council right here on my blog. I have always been open and honest with you. We may not always agree, but you will always know where I stand. And when I make a mistake I am going to tell you about it and take responsibility for it.
Thank you for your understanding.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Almost There!
Here are a few photos I took inside the Cary Arts Center yesterday. Construction is progressing along nicely - and within budget! I can't wait until the ribbon cutting!
 |
| Main Entrance Lobby |
 |
| Classroom Space |
 |
| Another Classroom |
 |
| Stage |
 |
| Fly Tower Cable Controls |
 |
| Looking out from the stage |
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Week in Review 3/21/11 - 3/27/11
Council held a worksession on Tuesday to discuss three topics: Quasi-Judicial hearings, redistricting, and the naming of the Cary Community Arts Center.
Council received information and training regarding quasi-judicial hearings from our town attorney and Mr. T.C.Morphis of the Brough Law Firm. A Quasi-judicial hearing is much like that of a legal court proceeding as the council acts as judge and jury. Discussion topics included the responsibility of the Mayor and council, what type of information may be entered into the record (council may only receive factual information – not opinion) and who may give testimony. This session was very valuable as council is seeing more and more special use applications these days for projects such as cell towers and day-cares.
Staff presented a number of options for council to consider regarding redistricting. Cary’s growth over the last ten years has resulted in a significant imbalance in Cary’s council districts. District A (West Cary) for example has nearly 55,000 citizens where District B (Downtown to North Cary) has only 26,000. Council reviewed and discussed a number of options before narrowing our choices to just a few. We will meet again next month to discuss further and finalize Cary’s redistricting plan.
The council asked citizens to suggest a new name for the Cary Community Arts Center and did they ever! 191 different names were submitted in total with some names recommended numerous times. After a healthy discussion the council voted 5-2 to select the name “The Cary Arts Center”. Ya, I know – not very creative, but it works. It calls the center what it is – Cary’s arts center. We call our soccer park a soccer park, USA Baseball is USA Baseball, Cary’s Tennis Center is the Tennis Center and so on. It helps folks better understand what these facilities are, and who they serve. These are not private facilities – they are public.
I had the honor of participating in the national Title 1 Distinguished School Awards ceremony at Kingswood Elementary School in Cary this week. Title 1 schools are defined as those with high percentages of low income students as determined by those enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program. To be considered for recognition – and the $10,000 that comes with the award – a school must demonstrate exceptional student performance for two consecutive years and/or close the achievement gap between student groups.
Only two schools in each state are selected each year by the National Title 1 Association. With over 1800 elementary schools in North Carolina, this is truly an amazing achievement for Kingswood Elementary. Congratulations to Principle Sherry Schliesser, her staff, teachers, parents, the PTA and especially the students for all their hard work and dedication. You have made Cary proud and hopefully will serve as a model for other schools to follow.
Our council meeting this past Thursday consisted of a few notable discussion items.
Northwoods Activity Center Rezoning: After conducting a public hearing, the council voted to approving the rezoning from commercial to high density residential by a vote of 5-2. I supported the request for the following reasons:
· High density residential provides for less vehicle traffic than commercial.
· Over 2 acres of buildable land will be forever preserved as open space.
· Increase buffer protections (the smallest section of buffer being 115 feet – the largest being over 450 feet)
· Area commercial is struggling – area already saturated with commercial.
· Applicant committed to exceeding town requirements for stormwater runoff and treatment. Ordinance requires they mitigate up to a 10 year storm event. The applicant has agreed to mitigate to the 50 year storm event.
· Applicant reduced building heights to address resident’s concerns.
· Residential adjacent to commercial helps to create sustainable, walkable communities.
· Applicant committed to supplement buffer beyond what exists today with evergreens.
· Our Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval by a vote of 6-1.
· Reduced impervious surfaces.
When a developer asks for a rezoning, they must convince the council that the proposed use will benefit the community more so than if the property developed under base zoning. The council has greater leverage during a rezoning process, and developers know they have a higher bar to reach in order to gain council approval. More importantly, they must also get the support of the majority of neighboring residents and property owners.
Should the property be developed under base zoning, it must only meet the requirements of Cary’s land development ordinance. The project is not required to receive council approval. In fact, it would never come before council at all. It would be approved at staff level – without concessions from the developer.
My first choice of use would have been office, but the property owner wasn’t asking for office. They asked for high density residential. Given the reasons above, I believe this change in use with conditions to be more of a benefit to the surrounding community than more commercial. The existing commercial is struggling as the area is already saturated with commercial, and more commercial is coming in the future along the east side of North Harrison. A change to residential will help the existing Northwoods shopping center and businesses.
This particular project was the first to go through Cary’s new community workshop process. The community workshop process was designed to help applicants and citizens work together to craft a project that all stakeholders can support. The process appears to have worked relatively well in that some citizen concerns (such as building height) were addressed. While a handful of residents remained opposed to the rezoning, the majority of the surrounding community appeared to support the change.
The council also approved entering into an interlocal agreement with Chatham County that would prohibit any involuntary annexation by Cary into Chatham County and require Chatham County approval for citizen-initiated annexations. I cannot begin to explain how wonderful it is to finally have a Chatham County Commission who understands the words “regional cooperation”; that we share many of the same issues and concerns that can best be addressed by working together.
Cary also held public hearings regarding land development ordinance amendments pertaining to signs, and Cary’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). Afterwards council held a closed session to discuss a lawsuit and seek legal advice from the town attorney.
On Sunday I had the pleasure of attending a reception at the Matthews House hosted by the Heart of Cary Association to welcome Cary’s new Downtown Manager, Ed Gawf. Ed brings a wealth of experience and a track record of success helping other communities revitalize their downtowns. Needless to say, a lot of folks can’t wait for him to get to work. We have high expectations of Ed, and I am sure he won’t let us down…but no pressure, Ed. ;-)
That's it for now - as always, thanks for reading!
Council received information and training regarding quasi-judicial hearings from our town attorney and Mr. T.C.Morphis of the Brough Law Firm. A Quasi-judicial hearing is much like that of a legal court proceeding as the council acts as judge and jury. Discussion topics included the responsibility of the Mayor and council, what type of information may be entered into the record (council may only receive factual information – not opinion) and who may give testimony. This session was very valuable as council is seeing more and more special use applications these days for projects such as cell towers and day-cares.
Staff presented a number of options for council to consider regarding redistricting. Cary’s growth over the last ten years has resulted in a significant imbalance in Cary’s council districts. District A (West Cary) for example has nearly 55,000 citizens where District B (Downtown to North Cary) has only 26,000. Council reviewed and discussed a number of options before narrowing our choices to just a few. We will meet again next month to discuss further and finalize Cary’s redistricting plan.
The council asked citizens to suggest a new name for the Cary Community Arts Center and did they ever! 191 different names were submitted in total with some names recommended numerous times. After a healthy discussion the council voted 5-2 to select the name “The Cary Arts Center”. Ya, I know – not very creative, but it works. It calls the center what it is – Cary’s arts center. We call our soccer park a soccer park, USA Baseball is USA Baseball, Cary’s Tennis Center is the Tennis Center and so on. It helps folks better understand what these facilities are, and who they serve. These are not private facilities – they are public.
I had the honor of participating in the national Title 1 Distinguished School Awards ceremony at Kingswood Elementary School in Cary this week. Title 1 schools are defined as those with high percentages of low income students as determined by those enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program. To be considered for recognition – and the $10,000 that comes with the award – a school must demonstrate exceptional student performance for two consecutive years and/or close the achievement gap between student groups.
Only two schools in each state are selected each year by the National Title 1 Association. With over 1800 elementary schools in North Carolina, this is truly an amazing achievement for Kingswood Elementary. Congratulations to Principle Sherry Schliesser, her staff, teachers, parents, the PTA and especially the students for all their hard work and dedication. You have made Cary proud and hopefully will serve as a model for other schools to follow.
Our council meeting this past Thursday consisted of a few notable discussion items.
Northwoods Activity Center Rezoning: After conducting a public hearing, the council voted to approving the rezoning from commercial to high density residential by a vote of 5-2. I supported the request for the following reasons:
· High density residential provides for less vehicle traffic than commercial.
· Over 2 acres of buildable land will be forever preserved as open space.
· Increase buffer protections (the smallest section of buffer being 115 feet – the largest being over 450 feet)
· Area commercial is struggling – area already saturated with commercial.
· Applicant committed to exceeding town requirements for stormwater runoff and treatment. Ordinance requires they mitigate up to a 10 year storm event. The applicant has agreed to mitigate to the 50 year storm event.
· Applicant reduced building heights to address resident’s concerns.
· Residential adjacent to commercial helps to create sustainable, walkable communities.
· Applicant committed to supplement buffer beyond what exists today with evergreens.
· Our Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval by a vote of 6-1.
· Reduced impervious surfaces.
When a developer asks for a rezoning, they must convince the council that the proposed use will benefit the community more so than if the property developed under base zoning. The council has greater leverage during a rezoning process, and developers know they have a higher bar to reach in order to gain council approval. More importantly, they must also get the support of the majority of neighboring residents and property owners.
Should the property be developed under base zoning, it must only meet the requirements of Cary’s land development ordinance. The project is not required to receive council approval. In fact, it would never come before council at all. It would be approved at staff level – without concessions from the developer.
My first choice of use would have been office, but the property owner wasn’t asking for office. They asked for high density residential. Given the reasons above, I believe this change in use with conditions to be more of a benefit to the surrounding community than more commercial. The existing commercial is struggling as the area is already saturated with commercial, and more commercial is coming in the future along the east side of North Harrison. A change to residential will help the existing Northwoods shopping center and businesses.
This particular project was the first to go through Cary’s new community workshop process. The community workshop process was designed to help applicants and citizens work together to craft a project that all stakeholders can support. The process appears to have worked relatively well in that some citizen concerns (such as building height) were addressed. While a handful of residents remained opposed to the rezoning, the majority of the surrounding community appeared to support the change.
The council also approved entering into an interlocal agreement with Chatham County that would prohibit any involuntary annexation by Cary into Chatham County and require Chatham County approval for citizen-initiated annexations. I cannot begin to explain how wonderful it is to finally have a Chatham County Commission who understands the words “regional cooperation”; that we share many of the same issues and concerns that can best be addressed by working together.
Cary also held public hearings regarding land development ordinance amendments pertaining to signs, and Cary’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). Afterwards council held a closed session to discuss a lawsuit and seek legal advice from the town attorney.
On Sunday I had the pleasure of attending a reception at the Matthews House hosted by the Heart of Cary Association to welcome Cary’s new Downtown Manager, Ed Gawf. Ed brings a wealth of experience and a track record of success helping other communities revitalize their downtowns. Needless to say, a lot of folks can’t wait for him to get to work. We have high expectations of Ed, and I am sure he won’t let us down…but no pressure, Ed. ;-)
That's it for now - as always, thanks for reading!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Hostage Situation Update.
Many of you have been asking for updates regarding the attempted bank robbery and hostage situation that occurred at the Wachovia Bank in West Cary in February. Unfortunately there isn’t much I can tell you as the State Bureau of Investigation has not completed their investigation as of yet.
I would however like to share some information I discovered on my own.
I am sure most of you are aware that one of the hostages, Mr. Lee Everett, has filed a complaint with the Cary Police Department alleging he was mistreated because he is black. The hostage-taker was black. Cary PD detained Mr. Everett until they could verify he was not the suspect.
Mr. Everett’s attorney, Mr. Alan (Al) McSurely sent the following letter to the town.
The name Al McSurely sounded very familiar to me – but I couldn’t place it so I Googled it.
The Duke Lacrosse case.
Mr. McSurely was (maybe still is) the attorney and legal director for the North Carolina NAACP during this fiasco. You can learn more about his efforts during the Duke Lacrosse case here, here, here and here. Please read and come to your own conclusions.
Mr. McSurely also happens to be the agent of organization of NC Fire! Films and Books LLC. - the publishing company created to publish Ms. Crystal Mangum’s (Duke Lacrosse accuser) book titled “Last Dance for Grace”.
Nice.
Mr. McSurely also represented the family of a Mr. Gil Barber in a civil lawsuit against the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department and Deputy Thomas Gordy.
Mr. Barber – after crashing his car – broke into a nearby church and desecrated the property. Deputy Gordy responded to the call and found Mr. Barber inside the church…naked. Mr. Barber attacked Deputy Gordy. During the altercation Mr. Barber was able to gain control of Deputy Gordy’s weapon and shot the Deputy twice before he could regain control of his firearm, shooting and killing Mr. Barber.
Deputy Gordy should have received a commendation. Instead he was sued and called a murderer…by the family and representatives of the man who tried to kill him.
So who did win an award?
I’m sorry I can’t provide any greater details than that above, but at least now you know a little more about the man representing Reverend Lee Everett.
I wonder why the media has failed to report any of this???
On second thought, no I don’t.
I would however like to share some information I discovered on my own.
I am sure most of you are aware that one of the hostages, Mr. Lee Everett, has filed a complaint with the Cary Police Department alleging he was mistreated because he is black. The hostage-taker was black. Cary PD detained Mr. Everett until they could verify he was not the suspect.
Mr. Everett’s attorney, Mr. Alan (Al) McSurely sent the following letter to the town.
The name Al McSurely sounded very familiar to me – but I couldn’t place it so I Googled it.
The Duke Lacrosse case.
Mr. McSurely was (maybe still is) the attorney and legal director for the North Carolina NAACP during this fiasco. You can learn more about his efforts during the Duke Lacrosse case here, here, here and here. Please read and come to your own conclusions.
Mr. McSurely also happens to be the agent of organization of NC Fire! Films and Books LLC. - the publishing company created to publish Ms. Crystal Mangum’s (Duke Lacrosse accuser) book titled “Last Dance for Grace”.
Nice.
Mr. McSurely also represented the family of a Mr. Gil Barber in a civil lawsuit against the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department and Deputy Thomas Gordy.
Mr. Barber – after crashing his car – broke into a nearby church and desecrated the property. Deputy Gordy responded to the call and found Mr. Barber inside the church…naked. Mr. Barber attacked Deputy Gordy. During the altercation Mr. Barber was able to gain control of Deputy Gordy’s weapon and shot the Deputy twice before he could regain control of his firearm, shooting and killing Mr. Barber.
Deputy Gordy should have received a commendation. Instead he was sued and called a murderer…by the family and representatives of the man who tried to kill him.
So who did win an award?
I’m sorry I can’t provide any greater details than that above, but at least now you know a little more about the man representing Reverend Lee Everett.
I wonder why the media has failed to report any of this???
On second thought, no I don’t.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Hostage Situation
I am sure you have heard of the attempted bank robbery and hostage situation that occurred at the Wachovia Bank on Green Level Church Road in Cary this past Thursday. After a three hour standoff with law enforcement officers, 19 year old Devon Mitchell of Cary was fatally shot when he exited the building holding what appeared to be a gun pointed at one of the hostages.
We now know that was not the case. Devon Mitchell was not armed.
“Despite what the 911 call reported, despite what he said to the hostages, despite what he told our hostage negotiator, despite what we all thought we saw when he came out of the bank with something pointed at one of the hostages’ head, we know now that there was no gun,” said Town of Cary Police Chief Pat Bazemore.
It doesn't matter - he made everyone believe he was armed and a threat.
Devon Mitchell played – and lost - a sick game with law enforcement. He claimed to have a gun and threatened to use it. For three hours Devon Mitchell instilled fear and terror in the lives of his hostages and their families. He had plenty of time to realize the error of his judgment and give himself up to authorities. He didn’t. He continued his charade until the very end, and now four outstanding law enforcement officers have to live the rest of their lives knowing they killed an unarmed 19 year old.
While the loss of this young man’s life is unfortunate and the outcome was not what we had hoped for, I could not be prouder of the Cary Police Department and supporting law enforcement agencies for the manner in which they handled this situation given the information available to them at the time, and my prayers go out to everyone involved and their families.
A number of citizens in the Cary Park area have contacted the town about their concerns regarding increased crime in their community. Some of the actions the town is working on include:
• Increased police patrols.
• The District 2 Commander for that area has begun implementation of a new effort called DDACTS (Data Drive Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety). This is a national based model that uses high visibility patrols and law enforcement presence to reduce social harm and improve quality of life.
• Cary is following up with the Grove apartment complex to encourage them to be a part of next month’s launch of Project Phoenix. This is a new crime prevention program that is being designed especially for multi-family communities.
• The town manager will meet with the police chief and the command team today to evaluate additional steps. They will brief council immediately after the meeting.
• The police chief, town manager, Mayor, I, and others will meet with the homeowners of Cary Park at their homeowners meeting on February 23rd at Panther Creek High School at 6:30. I look forward to hearing from area residents and any ideas that we as a town can do to improve folk’s quality of life in this area.
We now know that was not the case. Devon Mitchell was not armed.
“Despite what the 911 call reported, despite what he said to the hostages, despite what he told our hostage negotiator, despite what we all thought we saw when he came out of the bank with something pointed at one of the hostages’ head, we know now that there was no gun,” said Town of Cary Police Chief Pat Bazemore.
It doesn't matter - he made everyone believe he was armed and a threat.
Devon Mitchell played – and lost - a sick game with law enforcement. He claimed to have a gun and threatened to use it. For three hours Devon Mitchell instilled fear and terror in the lives of his hostages and their families. He had plenty of time to realize the error of his judgment and give himself up to authorities. He didn’t. He continued his charade until the very end, and now four outstanding law enforcement officers have to live the rest of their lives knowing they killed an unarmed 19 year old.
While the loss of this young man’s life is unfortunate and the outcome was not what we had hoped for, I could not be prouder of the Cary Police Department and supporting law enforcement agencies for the manner in which they handled this situation given the information available to them at the time, and my prayers go out to everyone involved and their families.
A number of citizens in the Cary Park area have contacted the town about their concerns regarding increased crime in their community. Some of the actions the town is working on include:
• Increased police patrols.
• The District 2 Commander for that area has begun implementation of a new effort called DDACTS (Data Drive Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety). This is a national based model that uses high visibility patrols and law enforcement presence to reduce social harm and improve quality of life.
• Cary is following up with the Grove apartment complex to encourage them to be a part of next month’s launch of Project Phoenix. This is a new crime prevention program that is being designed especially for multi-family communities.
• The town manager will meet with the police chief and the command team today to evaluate additional steps. They will brief council immediately after the meeting.
• The police chief, town manager, Mayor, I, and others will meet with the homeowners of Cary Park at their homeowners meeting on February 23rd at Panther Creek High School at 6:30. I look forward to hearing from area residents and any ideas that we as a town can do to improve folk’s quality of life in this area.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Week in Review 2/7/11 - 2/13/11
Our council meeting agenda this past Thursday was relatively light, with the notable discussion item being Cary’s state legislative Agenda.
Cary’s legislative agenda is a list of goals or legislation that we as a town want to see our state leaders address while in session.
Recommended items on this year’s state legislative agenda include:
1) A request by Cary and the Wake County Mayor’s Association to grant Cary and other Wake County Municipalities the authority to enter into long-term leases (up to 20 years) without treating those leases as sales. This will enable municipalities to enter into public-private partnerships for the generation of renewable energy on municipal property.
2) Support of the Wake County Mayor’s Association Legislative Agenda.
3) Support of the North Carolina League of Municipalities Core Municipal Principles and Advocacy Goals.
The council unanimously supported agenda items 1 and 2 minus one item on the Wake County Mayor’s Association agenda that council requested more information on before making a final decision.
After a lengthy discussion the council did NOT vote to support the NCLM Advocacy Goals or Core Municipal Principles. Needless to say, I am thrilled!
Why? Because the NCLM’s Advocacy Goals included the following:
· Seek legislation to revise the local land transfer tax so that it can be adopted without a referendum.
The land transfer tax has already appeared on the ballot 23 times in 21 counties in North Carolina since 2007. Each and every time voters rejected the proposed tax hike. That apparently doesn’t matter to the NCLM who believes that local governments should have the authority to implement this tax regardless of what the voters say. Ridiculous.
· Support legislation providing municipalities with the authority to impose a fee to recover the costs of vehicle accident and fire response from at-fault drivers and parties responsible for fires, up to a statutory maximum amount.
Yes, you read that correctly. The NCLM wants to give local governments the authority to charge you a fee for fire and accident response – on top of the tax dollars you already pay for this service. Never mind that you may have just lost your home and all your worldly possessions to a fire, now they want to send you a bill for fire response…assuming there is still a mailbox left to put it in. Absurd.
· Seek legislation reforming annexation laws that ensures the ability of a city to grow in a reasonable manner, while providing quality municipal services on a timely basis.
This statement is too vague. If you are going to request annexation reform I believe we should say what kind of reform we hope to achieve. Examples could include requiring a vote of county commissioners, or more importantly, those targeted for annexation. It could better define meaningful services or perhaps even require that the annexing municipality cover the cost of water and sewer hook-up. The above statement says nothing to that effect.
The reality is that the NCLM has consistently opposed any real annexation reform and have opposed any efforts to give those most greatly impacted a voice in the process. The above statement from the League is political pandering and rings hollow to those of us who have experience with the League’s position on annexation.
· Seek legislation to allow municipal creation or extension of extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) without county approval.
I find this request problematic as it could result in a land grab competition between municipalities. While obtaining county approval for ETJ extension can be difficult at times, it also ensures that municipalities grow in a reasonable and fair manner.
· Support legislation to expand the sales tax base to include services.
Here a tax, there a tax, everywhere a tax tax. The NCLM has never met a tax they didn’t like. While I understand there is an effort to reform North Carolina’s tax code – to possibly include a reduced sales tax rate combined with a tax on services (this COULD reduce the overall cost to taxpayers IF done correctly) – the above statement says nothing to that effect. It simply states a request to tax services. North Carolina already has the highest combined tax rate in the Southeast and the NCLM wants us to pay more???
· Seek legislation to increase the existing municipal vehicle fee for public transportation from $5 to a maximum of $20, and allow it to also be used for pedestrian and bicycle projects.
Here we go again – we need more money!!! A 300% increase in vehicle fees is outrageous – especially in this economy – and to pay for non-vehicle related expenditures???
Now in all fairness to the NCLM, some of their agenda requests were reasonable. That being the case the council first attempted to approve those items which we could support, and deny those which we did not. Halfway through our debate however, the council ultimately decided not to support any of the League’s agenda, and directed town staff to acknowledge receipt of their agenda, but not endorse it.
I opposed this proposal as I believe we need to send a message to the NCLM and make clear our concerns regarding these specific agenda items.
Afterwards council held a lengthy closed session to discuss a number of legal matters ….that I cannot discuss. Sorry. ;-)
That's all for this week's blog. As always, thanks for reading!
Cary’s legislative agenda is a list of goals or legislation that we as a town want to see our state leaders address while in session.
Recommended items on this year’s state legislative agenda include:
1) A request by Cary and the Wake County Mayor’s Association to grant Cary and other Wake County Municipalities the authority to enter into long-term leases (up to 20 years) without treating those leases as sales. This will enable municipalities to enter into public-private partnerships for the generation of renewable energy on municipal property.
2) Support of the Wake County Mayor’s Association Legislative Agenda.
3) Support of the North Carolina League of Municipalities Core Municipal Principles and Advocacy Goals.
The council unanimously supported agenda items 1 and 2 minus one item on the Wake County Mayor’s Association agenda that council requested more information on before making a final decision.
After a lengthy discussion the council did NOT vote to support the NCLM Advocacy Goals or Core Municipal Principles. Needless to say, I am thrilled!
Why? Because the NCLM’s Advocacy Goals included the following:
· Seek legislation to revise the local land transfer tax so that it can be adopted without a referendum.
The land transfer tax has already appeared on the ballot 23 times in 21 counties in North Carolina since 2007. Each and every time voters rejected the proposed tax hike. That apparently doesn’t matter to the NCLM who believes that local governments should have the authority to implement this tax regardless of what the voters say. Ridiculous.
· Support legislation providing municipalities with the authority to impose a fee to recover the costs of vehicle accident and fire response from at-fault drivers and parties responsible for fires, up to a statutory maximum amount.
Yes, you read that correctly. The NCLM wants to give local governments the authority to charge you a fee for fire and accident response – on top of the tax dollars you already pay for this service. Never mind that you may have just lost your home and all your worldly possessions to a fire, now they want to send you a bill for fire response…assuming there is still a mailbox left to put it in. Absurd.
· Seek legislation reforming annexation laws that ensures the ability of a city to grow in a reasonable manner, while providing quality municipal services on a timely basis.
This statement is too vague. If you are going to request annexation reform I believe we should say what kind of reform we hope to achieve. Examples could include requiring a vote of county commissioners, or more importantly, those targeted for annexation. It could better define meaningful services or perhaps even require that the annexing municipality cover the cost of water and sewer hook-up. The above statement says nothing to that effect.
The reality is that the NCLM has consistently opposed any real annexation reform and have opposed any efforts to give those most greatly impacted a voice in the process. The above statement from the League is political pandering and rings hollow to those of us who have experience with the League’s position on annexation.
· Seek legislation to allow municipal creation or extension of extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) without county approval.
I find this request problematic as it could result in a land grab competition between municipalities. While obtaining county approval for ETJ extension can be difficult at times, it also ensures that municipalities grow in a reasonable and fair manner.
· Support legislation to expand the sales tax base to include services.
Here a tax, there a tax, everywhere a tax tax. The NCLM has never met a tax they didn’t like. While I understand there is an effort to reform North Carolina’s tax code – to possibly include a reduced sales tax rate combined with a tax on services (this COULD reduce the overall cost to taxpayers IF done correctly) – the above statement says nothing to that effect. It simply states a request to tax services. North Carolina already has the highest combined tax rate in the Southeast and the NCLM wants us to pay more???
· Seek legislation to increase the existing municipal vehicle fee for public transportation from $5 to a maximum of $20, and allow it to also be used for pedestrian and bicycle projects.
Here we go again – we need more money!!! A 300% increase in vehicle fees is outrageous – especially in this economy – and to pay for non-vehicle related expenditures???
Now in all fairness to the NCLM, some of their agenda requests were reasonable. That being the case the council first attempted to approve those items which we could support, and deny those which we did not. Halfway through our debate however, the council ultimately decided not to support any of the League’s agenda, and directed town staff to acknowledge receipt of their agenda, but not endorse it.
I opposed this proposal as I believe we need to send a message to the NCLM and make clear our concerns regarding these specific agenda items.
Afterwards council held a lengthy closed session to discuss a number of legal matters ….that I cannot discuss. Sorry. ;-)
That's all for this week's blog. As always, thanks for reading!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Week in Review 1/17/11 - 1/21/11
Council held a worksession Tuesday to discuss redistricting. If this sounds familiar that’s because it is. The council considered redistricting in 2008, but voted 4-3 against it.
Municipalities are required by law to evaluate their districts following each decennial census. If population imbalances exist among the districts, the municipality is required to adjust the districts to correct the imbalance. Although municipalities are only required to redistrict after a Federal census, they can voluntarily redistrict more often to keep districts balanced. Cary has voluntarily redistricted numerous times in the past. Redistricting occurred in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001. Only 1981, 1991, and 2001 were census years.
A combination of explosive growth and a failure to redistrict during the last ten years have resulted in a significant imbalance in Cary’s Council districts. Cary’s district A, for example has nearly 54,000 of Cary’s 140,000 residents, while Cary’s district B and district D have 28,000 and 26,000 respectively. District A has roughly double the population of the other council districts and stretches from Downtown Cary into Chatham County.
Cary should have redistricted years ago, but better late than never I guess.
I recommended and the council agreed to direct staff to begin work on the redistricting process; specifically that they develop a couple of different proposals to bring back for council consideration. It is my hope that by having our town staff perform the majority of work will help to keep this as non-political a process as possible. Ya, I know, wishful thinking huh? ;-)
Our Planning and Development Committee meeting had two notable discussion items; whether or not to rename the Cary Community Arts Center and consideration of a four party agreement to modify and close rail crossings pertaining to the Parkside development in west Cary.
The four party agreement is somewhat complicated, so instead of me trying to explain it I suggest you read the staff report here. The bottom line is the agreement would extend the timeline of construction and closing of rail crossings at Carpenter Fire Station Road and O’Kelly Chapel Road and would also waive a $500,000 developer contribution towards the bridge construction.
We unanimously supported the agreement EXCEPT for the $500,000 developer fee waiver.
The Town’s Cultural Arts Committee along with town staff have discussed potential name options for the Cary Community Arts Center (Old Cary Elementary) and offered the following three possibilities.
· Arts on Academy
· Cary Arts and Cultural Exchange
· Kaleidoscope, Cary’s Arts Center
After a brief discussion, we selected none of the above and unanimously recommended that the Cary Community Arts Center be named the Cary Community Arts Center.
I also met with the applicants of two projects in Cary this week to discuss their progress towards addressing area resident’s concerns and to review proposed changes to their plans.
Well that’s about it for now. As always, thanks for reading.
Municipalities are required by law to evaluate their districts following each decennial census. If population imbalances exist among the districts, the municipality is required to adjust the districts to correct the imbalance. Although municipalities are only required to redistrict after a Federal census, they can voluntarily redistrict more often to keep districts balanced. Cary has voluntarily redistricted numerous times in the past. Redistricting occurred in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001. Only 1981, 1991, and 2001 were census years.
A combination of explosive growth and a failure to redistrict during the last ten years have resulted in a significant imbalance in Cary’s Council districts. Cary’s district A, for example has nearly 54,000 of Cary’s 140,000 residents, while Cary’s district B and district D have 28,000 and 26,000 respectively. District A has roughly double the population of the other council districts and stretches from Downtown Cary into Chatham County.
Cary should have redistricted years ago, but better late than never I guess.
I recommended and the council agreed to direct staff to begin work on the redistricting process; specifically that they develop a couple of different proposals to bring back for council consideration. It is my hope that by having our town staff perform the majority of work will help to keep this as non-political a process as possible. Ya, I know, wishful thinking huh? ;-)
Our Planning and Development Committee meeting had two notable discussion items; whether or not to rename the Cary Community Arts Center and consideration of a four party agreement to modify and close rail crossings pertaining to the Parkside development in west Cary.
The four party agreement is somewhat complicated, so instead of me trying to explain it I suggest you read the staff report here. The bottom line is the agreement would extend the timeline of construction and closing of rail crossings at Carpenter Fire Station Road and O’Kelly Chapel Road and would also waive a $500,000 developer contribution towards the bridge construction.
We unanimously supported the agreement EXCEPT for the $500,000 developer fee waiver.
The Town’s Cultural Arts Committee along with town staff have discussed potential name options for the Cary Community Arts Center (Old Cary Elementary) and offered the following three possibilities.
· Arts on Academy
· Cary Arts and Cultural Exchange
· Kaleidoscope, Cary’s Arts Center
After a brief discussion, we selected none of the above and unanimously recommended that the Cary Community Arts Center be named the Cary Community Arts Center.
I also met with the applicants of two projects in Cary this week to discuss their progress towards addressing area resident’s concerns and to review proposed changes to their plans.
Well that’s about it for now. As always, thanks for reading.
Monday, January 17, 2011
2011 Retreat
This past week was dominated by meetings – the most notable being our council and staff retreat.
This year’s retreat was again held at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Harrison Avenue. Day one began with a session on remarkability. Each council member was tasked with defining what remarkable means to them, and to identify examples of what we consider remarkable on note cards. The cards were then placed on the wall and categorized. I am pleased to report that no one picked “beige”.
There was a wide-range of opinions on what remarkable means to each council member. Some of the items listed by council members, like the craftsmanship of the Library of Congress for example, were very detail oriented, while others, like a healthy economy or sense of community were more broad. The goal of this exercise was to identify the characteristics of a remarkable municipal environment, identify actions to achieve that environment, and then prioritize those actions.
After a healthy discussion about what is both remarkable and unremarkable in Cary, the council identified a number of action items for the following year. These include but are not limited to the following:
· Evaluate ways to incorporate features and amenities for our growing senior population into existing parks.
· Access the needs of our aging community to provide future services.
· Encourage and create gathering places and spaces for public events.
· Increase the use of technology to improve customer service interface.
· Expand Cary’s SPRUCE program.
· Encourage a vibrant and dynamic downtown.
· Identify needs and improve roads to meet desired standard.
The afternoon session focused on the transportation system improvement process and funding. This included a presentation and review of Cary’s current APF/TDF/CTP structure, a look at what other municipalities are doing, and North Carolina’s legal framework.
The goal of this session was to determine a future direction for transportation requirements and improvements regarding new developments. The council has expressed the following concerns with our existing ordinances:
· Gaps - Developers are required to widen the roadway in front of their property. This often results in roads going from narrow to wide, then back to narrow.
· Fairness – oftentimes the last one in bears the burden of fixing everyone’s problem. While previous development surely impacted area traffic, if it did not degrade the level of service beyond a level of “D”, it is not required to mitigate their impact. Yet the last guy in whose project takes the intersection’s level of service below a “D” is now required to mitigate their traffic. Every project contributed to the area traffic but not every project was required to address it. That’s not right.
· Small Business Impact – Small businesses looking to open up shop in existing buildings may also find themselves responsible for traffic mitigation if their use is more intense than the previous. Often times the costs of traffic mitigation are a deal killer and the business locates in another city.
I believe we did a good job of articulating our goals to staff and they have an idea of what we are looking to accomplish with any ordinance amendments.
Day two focused primarily on our downtown area and on low to no cost initiatives – what do we want to do versus what CAN we do now given the economy? Discussion focus primarily on potential incentives (fee waivers, tax abatements, public/private partnerships etc..) to incent new development, as well as increased opportunities for events and festivals downtown.
I was VERY pleased to see council now open to fee reductions downtown as this is something I have been pushing for since I joined the council. The cost of developing downtown is far greater than that of developing a greenfield site for a number of reasons, most notably land assemblage, escalated property values, demolition, etc.. You aren’t just buying land. You also have to purchase the building sitting on it…before you tear it down. Parking is also a concern.
Council directed staff to communicate with potential downtown prospects that we will consider incentives for worthy projects. However, before others would commit to fee waivers/reductions downtown, they requested that staff mock up potential downtown projects and associated costs and fees so they can better understand how much of an incentive reduced/eliminated fees would provide.
I understand the concern that reduced fees mean reduced revenue. I get it. But right now we are seeing NO redevelopment downtown. 100% of nothing is nothing. A fee waiver or reduction just might be enough help to get a project going, and create a few jobs in the process – not to mention increased sales tax and property tax revenue – and bring something desirable downtown.
The final session was to develop an updated list of initiatives to provide staff with a foundation to prepare specific work plans and adjust resource requests accordingly. We also discussed how best to report these initiatives and their progress to the public and in the town’s budget document.
The most frustrating part of the retreat was one council member’s push for a “mobility fee” and a “transit tax”. Thankfully the rest of council did not agree.
Increasing fees and taxes are the LAST thing our economy needs.
I found this year’s retreat better than previous years as there was more discussion and action, and less presentation. I look forward to the months ahead as we turn words into action, and work to make Cary even more remarkable than it is today.
This year’s retreat was again held at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Harrison Avenue. Day one began with a session on remarkability. Each council member was tasked with defining what remarkable means to them, and to identify examples of what we consider remarkable on note cards. The cards were then placed on the wall and categorized. I am pleased to report that no one picked “beige”.
There was a wide-range of opinions on what remarkable means to each council member. Some of the items listed by council members, like the craftsmanship of the Library of Congress for example, were very detail oriented, while others, like a healthy economy or sense of community were more broad. The goal of this exercise was to identify the characteristics of a remarkable municipal environment, identify actions to achieve that environment, and then prioritize those actions.
After a healthy discussion about what is both remarkable and unremarkable in Cary, the council identified a number of action items for the following year. These include but are not limited to the following:
· Evaluate ways to incorporate features and amenities for our growing senior population into existing parks.
· Access the needs of our aging community to provide future services.
· Encourage and create gathering places and spaces for public events.
· Increase the use of technology to improve customer service interface.
· Expand Cary’s SPRUCE program.
· Encourage a vibrant and dynamic downtown.
· Identify needs and improve roads to meet desired standard.
The afternoon session focused on the transportation system improvement process and funding. This included a presentation and review of Cary’s current APF/TDF/CTP structure, a look at what other municipalities are doing, and North Carolina’s legal framework.
The goal of this session was to determine a future direction for transportation requirements and improvements regarding new developments. The council has expressed the following concerns with our existing ordinances:
· Gaps - Developers are required to widen the roadway in front of their property. This often results in roads going from narrow to wide, then back to narrow.
· Fairness – oftentimes the last one in bears the burden of fixing everyone’s problem. While previous development surely impacted area traffic, if it did not degrade the level of service beyond a level of “D”, it is not required to mitigate their impact. Yet the last guy in whose project takes the intersection’s level of service below a “D” is now required to mitigate their traffic. Every project contributed to the area traffic but not every project was required to address it. That’s not right.
· Small Business Impact – Small businesses looking to open up shop in existing buildings may also find themselves responsible for traffic mitigation if their use is more intense than the previous. Often times the costs of traffic mitigation are a deal killer and the business locates in another city.
I believe we did a good job of articulating our goals to staff and they have an idea of what we are looking to accomplish with any ordinance amendments.
Day two focused primarily on our downtown area and on low to no cost initiatives – what do we want to do versus what CAN we do now given the economy? Discussion focus primarily on potential incentives (fee waivers, tax abatements, public/private partnerships etc..) to incent new development, as well as increased opportunities for events and festivals downtown.
I was VERY pleased to see council now open to fee reductions downtown as this is something I have been pushing for since I joined the council. The cost of developing downtown is far greater than that of developing a greenfield site for a number of reasons, most notably land assemblage, escalated property values, demolition, etc.. You aren’t just buying land. You also have to purchase the building sitting on it…before you tear it down. Parking is also a concern.
Council directed staff to communicate with potential downtown prospects that we will consider incentives for worthy projects. However, before others would commit to fee waivers/reductions downtown, they requested that staff mock up potential downtown projects and associated costs and fees so they can better understand how much of an incentive reduced/eliminated fees would provide.
I understand the concern that reduced fees mean reduced revenue. I get it. But right now we are seeing NO redevelopment downtown. 100% of nothing is nothing. A fee waiver or reduction just might be enough help to get a project going, and create a few jobs in the process – not to mention increased sales tax and property tax revenue – and bring something desirable downtown.
The final session was to develop an updated list of initiatives to provide staff with a foundation to prepare specific work plans and adjust resource requests accordingly. We also discussed how best to report these initiatives and their progress to the public and in the town’s budget document.
The most frustrating part of the retreat was one council member’s push for a “mobility fee” and a “transit tax”. Thankfully the rest of council did not agree.
Increasing fees and taxes are the LAST thing our economy needs.
I found this year’s retreat better than previous years as there was more discussion and action, and less presentation. I look forward to the months ahead as we turn words into action, and work to make Cary even more remarkable than it is today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)