Story by Hal Goodtree. Photo by Laura Gilmore.

Cary, NC – The Chicago Tribune reported yesterday afternoon that Caterpillar is relocating a plant from Japan to the United States and has said no to Illinois elected officials, preferring to move the operation to the Cary area.

Business Climate is Better in NC

According to the Trib, Caterpillar cited logistical concerns and the business environment as ruling out Illinois, home of other Caterpillar operations:

Caterpillar Inc. has ruled Illinois out of plans to relocate a factory and 1,400 jobs from Japan, citing both logistical problems with building the plant in its home state and ongoing concerns about the business climate. – Chicago Tribune, 2/8/12

The company plans to announce the new location by April 1, start construction in mid-2013 and be at full capacity in four to five years.

Tight Proximity to Cary

In an email to Peoria County, Illinois elected officials, Caterpillar said “We have defined a very tight search area that is primarily being driven by logistics, port access, and proximity to our division headquarters in Cary, North Carolina.”

Caterpillar’s building and construction products division headquarters is located in Cary.

Global Shift

With increasing frequency, news is popping up of manufacturing jobs migrating back to the United States.

The existing Caterpillar plant, currently located in Sagami, Japan, makes excavators and small tractors. The company plans to move those operations to the U.S. and retool the Japanese plant to manufacture components for other Caterpillar equipment.

Thanks to CC News Spotters

Thanks to the CaryCitizen news spotters network for the tip. You know who you are.

Story and photo by Lindsey Chester.

Cary, NC – With the discussion swirling around the marquee for the new theater, the Town held their second public information meeting about Downtown development to another packed house on January 31 in Council Chambers at Town Hall. It’s a grand plan, and here’s how it stands right now.

On hand to present and answer questions were Eric Simpson, the project manager, Keith Giamportone, lead architect from Quinn Evans Architects, Ed Gawf, Downtown Manager and Lyman Collins, Cultural Arts Manager.

Resident’s Concerns

A quick recap of the earlier meeting (story) revealed concerns expressed by the public. They were:

• Just glad something is happening
• Respect the History
• Folks want a balcony
• Want to know what’s happening Downtown
• Need for restaurants and shopping

The town planners have taken these concerns into consideration as they plan the theater and other Downtown improvements.

Ed noted the plans for the “The Cary” as the theater is being called, are about 35% done and that now is the time to be heard, as changes can still be made. He also emphasized that although the building is historic, this is not a restoration, but rather a modification.

Lyman Collins Cultural Arts manager, added that these additions will …”bring a 20^th century building into the 21^st century”

The Plans Thus Far

There will be 180 seats, some of which will be removable to allow for cabaret seating for some events. The theater will include two balconies, one on each side upstairs that will be accessed from the 2^nd floor of the new adjacent addition building. The floor will have an appropriate modern slope, as the old theater did not conform to modern day standards.

The building addition includes dressing areas and a green room for stage productions on the first floor and a 2 story lobby opens up the space.

The building’s second floor includes a multi-purpose open space at the top of the stairs, and entry to the balcony as well as the main seating.

The third floor has some flex leasable space and the outdoor terrace café, which will be set back from the theater and the road.

The Marquee

The current drawings show the form of the sign rather than what materials will be used. The signage also tries to reflect the building’s 1940’s pedigree. The marquee will have a curve that will be reflected in the café upstairs and other curved lines throughout the building. Lyman noted that an artist team is working with the architects to create what he described as an art object for the signage. His hopes are that the sign will “enliven the street” and “give the building a rhythm” . The vertical element of the sign was added to create more presence and to help bring this section of downtown to life. Actual lighting materials have not been decided- neon, LED or otherwise.

East Chatham Streetscape Improvements

Eric Simpson, Project manager next spoke about the “very ambitious” timetable for completing the streetscape in the East Chatham Street area of downtown. Work is to begin late Spring 2012 and continue through the end of the year. It will require this section of road to go down to one lane at times, but yes, Lazy Daze will go on as usual.

To Be Improved:

1. Sidewalk
2. Parking and circulation
3. Academy Street intersection
4. Streetscape modifications
5. Pedestrian friendly

The theater block will be the first step towards making a visual improvement that creates more typical downtown building fronts. Facade improvements are planned for the Johnson Jewelers/ former India Bazaar building next door to the theater.

Another key idea is to bring the sidewalk to the street and eliminate the slope. Eric pointed out that the current sidewalk is almost a 9-degree slope, and a hazard. The slope will be eliminated to almost 2% and the sidewalk will allow for tables and chairs for diners. This sidewalk will be upgraded to a herringbone brick pattern and the curb will be granite. There will be 2 alleyways and 2 driveways to access the parking behind these buildings and the theater. Water and sewer lines will be improved (hence the road construction and lane reductions), and gutters will be upgraded on the Johnson’s Jewelers building.

Downtown Cary’s 100% Corner

“You shouldn’t have to guess where the Heart of Cary is”, but right now, its just not obvious. Ed refers to the intersection of Chatham and Academy, as Cary’s 100% corner. It is our single most important downtown intersection, and it needs to reflect that.

How will he accomplish that? Ideas are not finalized but the Town continues to work with both Kitchen and Bath Galleries and Fidelity Bank to enhance these opposing corners. First, the parking beside Kitchen & Bath on Academy will be angled (safer), paved with brick and reduced from 8 spots to 5. In the front, the parking will be reconfigured into “Hobby Plaza” in honor of the building’s original owners. The newsboy and clock will remain. Ed is currently exploring the idea of adding a second floor to this building. By adding height, the corners would become more significant.

Fidelity Bank has indicated they are willing to rework their plaza to be more inviting (fountain with seating, anyone?)- Nothing was presented for this corner yet. And the Town will also improve the sidewalks adjacent to the bank as part of the streetscape improvements.

On the street itself, the paving in this intersection needs improvement. Remember the old seal in the center of the street? Maybe this could be brought back? Or something like it to reflect the “Heart of Downtown”?

The Time Table

• Spring 2012 Final Theater Plans to Council, start construction
• December 2012- Chatham Street improvements completed (goal)
• August 2013- Downtown theater dedicated
• Bidding for construction will go out this spring.

Ed Gawf’s mentioned that he is in talks with some developers to have private investment Downtown. He added that if in five years, the only changes Downtown were what the Town itself has built, he would consider his tenure a failure.

With so many ambitious projects already begun, I’d say he’s anything but!

Story by Hal Goodtree. Photo by Sean Davis.

Cary, NC – Here’s a story that caught our eye: Sierra Nevada, one of America’s best-loved and fastest-growing brewers, has chosen North Carolina for the location of their first East Coast brewery. 

Something Big is Brewing in NC

Sierra Nevada started in Chico, California in 1979. Over the years, they have come to be considered the premier craft brewer in the country. But they still brew the beer in Chico, CA.

Not for long.

Sierra Nevada CEO Ken Grossman joined North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue today in announcing the new brewery in NC. “After carefully looking at more than 200 sites east of the Mississippi, Sierra Nevada is pleased to locate our second brewery in Henderson County,” said Grossman.

According to the Governor’s office, the company plans to create 95 full-time jobs. In addition, Sierra Nevada expects to hire another 80 part-time employees and expects to create about 60 construction and mechanical jobs during its 24-month building phase.  The jobs will be created in gradual phases starting in mid to late 2012 and continuing through 2013.

The State of Beer

“North Carolina is home to more craft breweries than any Southern state – 21 brewpubs and 28 production breweries – with western North Carolina being particularly strong,” according to the Governor’s office. Who knew?

“We are proud that Sierra Nevada, with its tradition of innovation, stewardship and quality, chose to tap all the great things North Carolina had to offer,” said Gov. Perdue.  “This announcement enhances a burgeoning craft beer industry in our state.   The investment, jobs and brand recognition Sierra Nevada brings will be a boon to this region and help confirm North Carolina as a destination for innovation.”

Everyone Raise a Glass

The announcement today was a good illustration that bipartisanship continues to function in North Carolina.

“Sierra Nevada knows that North Carolina is a place where the business climate will help them grow and thrive,” said Sen. Tom Apodaca, of Hendersonville. “I’m sure my sons are looking forward to buying some of the first bottles brewed here.”

“This terrific news is a perfect example of leaders at the state and local level, and from different political parties, working together to bring jobs to the people of North Carolina,” said Rep. Chuck McGrady of Hendersonville.

Apodaca and McGrady are Republicans; Perdue is a Democrat. I’ll drink to that!

Spending One to Get One Hundred

As readers of this space know, we’re not in favor of government giveaways to lure business relocations. In fact, no one really likes them (except companies that benefit from the largess, of course).

Sierra Nevada is receiving a modest $1 million grant from the One North Carolina Fund. The company plans to invest $107.5 million during the next five years in Henderson County.

The Green Economy

I don’t know if the new brewery in Mills River, NC will have solar panels, recycled water or reclaimed brick. It might. But this is not that kind of a green project.

This facet of the green economy is about saving energy and lowering the carbon footprint. According to Ken Grossman, “We felt the most responsible thing to do was to build a brewery on the other side of the country, to lessen our impact on the environment while continuing to place great craft beer into the hands of our consumers.”

Sierra Nevada has a history of support for conservation and environmentalism. Even their name, Sierra Nevada, was inspired by Grossman’s love of hiking in the wild mountains of California.

Who Wants to Make Beer?

The note from the Governor’s Office ended with this tidbit:

For more information about Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. including job opportunities, please visit SierraNevada.com.

Pale ale, anyone?

Story from staff reports. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Morrisville, NC – The Morrisville Chamber of Commerce has named its 2012 Board of Directors. It’s a prestigious group.

2012 Morrisville Chamber Board of Directors

Chair
Roy Watson
Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC

Treasurer
John McGeary
Capital Bank

Past Chair
Karen Ondrick
Lenovo

Executive Committee member and Business Advisory Council Chair
J. Drake Brinkley
Moore & Van Allen, PLLC

Executive Committee member
Michael Kearns
Jani-King of Raleigh/Durham

Executive Committee Member and Economic Development Committee Chair
Jeff Sheehan
Duke Realty Corporation

Fred Adams, Jr.
Fred Adams Paving Co.

Emily Aldrich Barbour
Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina

Anthony Blackmon
Atlantic Tire Co.

Hill Carrow
Sports & Properties, Inc.

Marty Clayton
Progress Energy

Kimberly Copney
Costco

Theresa deMatas
Rex Healthcare

Dan Dzamba
Morrisville Square

Robert Mouro
Merril Lynch

Terry Poythress
Poythress Homes, Inc.

Houck Reed
Tekelec

Ed White
White Ventures LLC

Ex officio
John Whitson
Town of Morrisville

Ex officio
Carlotta Ungaro
Morrisville Chamber of Commerce

Morrisville Chamber Events

The Morrisville Chamber Calendar lists several regular monthly events including Business Tool Box, K.N.O.W. luncheons (Knowledgeable Network of Women) and Coffee & Connections.

CaryCitizen is proud to be a 2012 member of the Morrisville Chamber.

Story and photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – Connolly’s Irish Pub, long a stalwart of the food music and neighborhood scene in Cary, closed it’s doors without comment or announcement last week. Chairs and tables are neatly stacked inside, but the Pub has not been open in several days.

A Place for Local Bands

When Connolly’s opened in 1999, it was just one small room in Cornerstone Shopping center (corner of Davis & High House).

I remember playing there with Bonus Room in December of 2006 – jammed in behind the front door. A cold breeze would waft over the band every time someone came or left.

Soon after, Connolly’s expanded into the space next door, adding a proper dining room. But the timing was bad and the economy tanked. Sami, then the manager, would sometimes remark to the bands on the lack of a robust dinner trade.

I played there again with SHMaK last year – good times, good crowd. Lots of other bands played there, too. Almost every weekend had something. Our buddy DJ George was a regular favorite.

Facebook and Twitter lit up with the news last week:

Sorry for the last-minute cancellation.. but Connolly’s Irish Pub finally closed their doors for the last time..  Anyone know a venue looking for a party this Sat nite.. I can help – DJ George on Facebook

Others lamented the end of an era:

Everytime I drive past Connelly’s and see the lights off it makes me sad. Please come back! - Karyen on Facebook

…too bad. I have played some of my favorite gigs there over the years and I met some of my dearest friends inside that building. Hopefully it will rebound into something else. - Bob on Facebook

Met some amazing friends here!! First place I ever strapped the bass on and played in with Eric and Rupert. - Bart on Facebook

The food at Connolly’s had its fans as well. Good burgers, fish and chips – just your basic pub food, but well prepared and lots of it.

The closure of Connolly’s leaves a gaping hole in the Cary live-and-local music scene. There are still a few places to hear live music in Cary – open mikes and jazz duos, mainly. Not too many places have the space or the cash to bring in full bands.

Rallypoint on Harrison Ave still books local bands in Cary. I’ll be there with my latest group (A Fifth of Blues) on Saturday, February 11. Rallypoint owner Drew Schenk always treats the band well and we’re likely to draw a couple of hundred people to the pre-Valentine’s show.

But I’ll miss Connolly’s.

From the blog of Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, covering the week through January 22, 2012. Photo collage by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – This week consisted mostly of three events: the Mayors Association Meeting, a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), and a council work session on downtown.

Mayors Association Meeting

The Mayors Association met on Monday and all twelve mayors of Wake County were present (which happens maybe once a year). Two new mayors were present at this meeting; newly elected Mayor McFarlane of Raleigh, and Mayor Hinnant of Wendell. We discussed several interesting topics and the following were some of the notable points:

There are several municipalities with various mailing addresses that cause confusion. For example, there are people in Cary with Raleigh, Apex, and Morrisville mailing addresses. The mayors would like to reduce these.

There may be three referendums on the ballot this fall including the ½ cent sales tax for transportation, a school bond, and municipal bonds.
Speaking of schools, the mayors decided to set up a meeting with the school board members. The mayors would like to discuss their capital project plans and their reassignment plans. School board members have indicated that they are interested in meeting the mayors again. We have only had one other combined meeting which was a breakfast meeting in Cary a few years ago. Our meeting lasted about two hours. The mayors will have an outing in February and next meet in March.

Successful Retreat

Tuesday I met with the town manager for a little over an hour. We mostly compared notes on the council/staff retreat the previous weekend. We both believe the retreat was very beneficial and much more was accomplished since it was out of town. If we can make sure to keep the costs down, as we did this year, we will look at holding it out of town in the future. Another topic we talked about was the Joint Land Use Plan with Chatham County. Public Hearings on this plan will be held in the near future for both boards.

Transportation Planning

Wednesday I attended the monthly meeting of the CAMPO TAC (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Association Transportation Advisory Committee) on behalf of the town. This has almost 30 representatives from neighboring towns and counties. We make decisions that will prioritize transportation improvements for the region. This month’s agenda can be found at http://www.campo-nc.us/TAC_Agenda/2012/Agenda-TAC-2012-01-18.pdf. Items of note for Cary include a proposal that the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the Wake-Durham Commuter Rail project be approved prior to any action on the Wake Transit Financial Plan. CAMPO decided to send this to the technical staff for their review and recommendation. Another item of interest was the Cary Parkway extension which was referred to by CAMPO as the Gorman Street extension (these two are on the plans to connect). CAMPO agreed to study the Swift Creek area excluding this route. In addition, CAMPO has started the process, which will include public hearings, to remove the route from the transportation plan.

The Theater

Thursday the council held a work session to review the progress of the downtown theater. The theater is expected to be finished around August of 2013 and will hold approximately 180 people. The project will include significant work on Chatham Street to install new water lines and to create the streetscape. There will be times when Chatham Street is reduced to one lane in this area. This may pose a problem during events like Lazy Daze. All work on the streetscape is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. As part of the streetscape the town seal located in the middle of Chatham and Academy will be removed. Instead council asked that a seal be placed in a prominent area near that intersection, hopefully in the Fidelity plaza. One note of interest presented at that intersection was that negotiations were ongoing to add another story to the Kitchen and Bath building.

In the previous days and weeks there was a lot of emphasis placed on the theater’s marquee and its lighting by the media. Specifically, the media talked about a neon sign. All that was presented in this update were three possibilities: a baseline marquee, a marquee with a vertical component, and a marquee with a vertical component that is accented by lighting. The council decided they would prefer a marquee accented by lighting. It is too early in the process to decide what type of lighting will be used. While there was some interest expressed by one council member for neon the rest of the council did not seem interested. Contrary of what was reported and implied in the local newspaper in Sunday’s article, the decision on the type of lighting will be made at our next update which is scheduled in the spring.

Carolina Tiger Rescue

Saturday I, along with my wife and oldest daughter, toured the Carolina Tiger rescue outside of Pittsboro. This facility houses abused, neglected and otherwise unwanted large cats (lions, tigers, etc). The public can learn about the plight of these animals through tours and other programs. This is a “no touch” facility which means that hardly anyone ever touches these animals. That is an important rule since many of them were abused by humans throughout their lives. These animals are magnificent creatures and it was a real treat to visit them up close. If you are an animal lover this is a must see.

The Marathi Children’s Theater

Sunday I attended an impressive performance of Kilbil Kalavishkar by children that are a part of The Marathi Children’s Theater group. It was a performance written, produced, and performed by children. I was joined by Mayor Holcombe, Mayor Pro-Tem Johnson, and council member Rao of Morrisville. It was a great time and we were all privileged to be present.

Emails: Cell Phones, Yellow Lights and Cable, Complaints

Emails from staff this week included a response to a citizen concerning emergency 911 coverage in areas with poor cell coverage. The following is the response:

“…I did check with our carriers locally and they do not block 911 calls even during peak periods. This would be a potentially significant liability for them and they have a lot to lose and nothing to gain by blocking 911 calls. However if a caller has made a 911 call and is connected, continues to drive and drives out of the coverage area of that tower and there is no other tower to pick up the call it will be dropped. In addition if the service area is overloaded and no circuits are available or if there is no service at all the caller will not be able to make a 911 call or any other type of call. This is also true for conventional phones. If you cannot get dial tone you can’t make a call. … “

There was also an email from staff to a citizen concerned about short timing on yellow lights and how we set the timing:

“… The yellow light times are calculated based on a nationally accepted equation that uses set parameters such as travel speed, width of the intersection, and approach grade of the road.  Yellow light times at all signalized intersections in Cary are reviewed and approved by the North Carolina Department of Transportation for correctness and consistency.  Each intersection configuration is unique, thus the parameters will be different at each intersection, making the yellow interval timing unique at each intersection.  To ensure that the timings stay correct, the Town performs inspections at every intersection four times a year.  During these inspections, staff checks the signal timing, operational equipment and vehicle detectors.  This operation ensures all traffic signals are operating as designed.  …”

Emails from citizens this week included a complaint about Time Warner Cable rate increases, a complaint that our police department is corrupt because Brad Cooper was convicted, complaints about a potential neon sign at the Cary Theater that is being renovated, chain email complaints about a townhouse proposal on near Mills Park school, a complaint about future round-a-bouts in Cary, and complaints about a potential Costco in the MacGregor shopping center.

Growth, My Soapbox

In the local newspaper on Sunday this week was a story about a potential bond referendum in Cary. This story implied the bond referendum is a tax increase needed because we are not growing fast enough or at a fast rate. There were even quotes stating that there are consequences to “no growth, slow growth”. Unfortunately, I was not asked for my opinion so I will use this medium.

[Begin soapbox]

Whenever something is built in Cary it creates an impact on the town’s infrastructure which includes things such as roads, water, sewer, fire and police protection, etc. While Cary has developer fees to pay for some of the impact of new developments, these fees are set at a competitive rate which is about 60% of the cost of the infrastructure needed. This is an improvement of the less than 10% of the costs (in some cases) before I took office. The remaining portion of the infrastructure cost is absorbed in the tax rate.

It is important to understand that capital projects have operational costs associated with them which are not calculated in the development fee. This is also absorbed in the tax rate. In addition, operational costs have continued to increase over the years yet Cary has not increased taxes in decades. As a result there is a lot of pressure on the tax rate.

For years Cary has continued to do more with less and is one of the most efficient municipalities in the state. For example, the town operates with 8 ½ employees per thousand residents compared to an average of 11.

There are many that argue that slower growth is the reason there are money pressures, implying that a faster growth rate would create more money to pay for infrastructure. While this is partially true it is an incomplete thought. Today’s growth will create money to pay for yesterday’s infrastructure demands created by growth during that time. But today’s growth will also create infrastructure demands for the future. To put it simply, it is like using a credit card to pay off a credit card. Eventually, you will have to pay for that credit card. I believe we are at the point where we are going to have to pay for the infrastructure and associated costs created by years of growth. If not, we will see capital improvements at a much slower rate (as we have the last couple of years) and town operations adjusted to reflect the reduced revenue available. And adjusting town operations is essentially changing the level of service that we provide today. I certainly don’t want that nor do I want a tax increase. So it will be extremely important for council to decide what capital projects are needed to maintain the quality of life we have today, while at the same time create a tax rate that is as low as possible. Currently, we have the lowest tax rate in Wake County and I would like to keep it that way.

[End soapbox]

Next Week

Next week will be busy for me. It will include giving the State of the Town live at a Chamber Breakfast, speaking with other mayors at a panel of realtors, a council meeting, and a policy advisory committee meeting of the Western Wake Partners.

Well that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, January 29th. Please feel free to email me with a comment. Email all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org. Email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.

Story by Don Frantz, Cary Town Council member, District B. Republished from Blogspot. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Thursday afternoon I headed to Wilmington for our annual council/staff retreat. While we have typically stayed in town for our retreats to better encourage citizen attendance and reduce costs, the conveniences of being in town proved too much of a distraction for some. Two years ago one council member actually left our retreat so they could attend another meeting for three hours! We decided the best way to eliminate the distractions was to head out of town.
Council members met Thursday evening for dinner and social. This was a great opportunity to get to know each other better outside of town hall – especially newly elected council member Lori Bush. We had a great time and learned a few things about each other we didn’t already know. Council member Julie Robison did not attend our retreat.

The retreat began Friday morning with a session on how to be an effective council. We mainly discussed how council members expect to work with one another; respect differing viewpoints, agree to disagree, stuff like that; stuff we already know and do. We did however learn a few things about each other that we didn’t already know. For instance, did you know we have a “Doobie” and a “Wino” on the council???

Next was a session on the Land Use Plan update. Cary will be revisiting our land use plan and our staff was looking for direction on how the council wishes to proceed. We broke out into smaller groups and brainstormed key points we want the new plan to address. Some of the more popular suggestions included:

• Economically sustainable
• Promotes lower density housing
• Simple and easy to understand
• Better reflects changing demographics (our growing senior population for example)
• Better transitions between uses
• Infill development
• Increased citizen input

There will be a number of community meetings and worksessions as this goes through the process. I encourage you to get involved and offer your vision for the future of Cary. This is your town after all.

The next session dealt with intergovernmental effectiveness; how to better work with other local, state and federal elected officials. So much of what Cary can or can’t do is determined by others – especially our state and federal officials and we need to do a better job of communicating to them issues impacting our community. We heard from Jack Cozort, Cary’s state legislative consultant, Paul Meyer from the North Carolina League of Municipalities, and Roger Gwinn and Leslie Mozingo from the Ferguson Group, our Federal legislative consultants. “Consultant” in this case really means lobbyist. Yes, Cary has lobbyists and while they do a great job for us, there is no substitute for one on one elected official to elected official communication.

We will work to better communicate with our state and federal officials and staff will do a better job of keeping us informed of issues that require our involvement.

Afterwards we broke for dinner and social, and yes we all paid for our own bar tabs.

Saturday morning began with a session on customer service. While I think most everyone would agree that Cary provides exceptional customer service, we can always do better. We discussed a number of areas for improvement, and ways in which to accomplish that. For years Cary has had a reputation as a difficult place to do business, and while we have worked very hard to make Cary a more business friendly community, we still periodically hear complaints from business owners about issues with permitting and inspections. We will continue to look for ways in which we can better serve Cary customers.

Next we discussed general capital projects and funding. The economic recession has significantly impacted Cary’s revenues, and while the council and staff have done a good job trimming the fat from our budgets and taking on no new debt, the “needs” list continues to grow. The bottom line is that there are more future needs and capital projects (fire stations in West Cary, parks and community centers, and transportation projects) than there is funding available.

We discussed a number of options:

• Continue to delay projects and operate as we have been for the last three years
• Utilize roughly $60 million of unappropriated bonding authority (authorized by voters in 2003)
• Begin preparations for a new 2012 bond

The council chose to offer a new community bond to the voters this fall. The thinking was that economic times have changed tremendously since 2003, and that the voters should again decided if Cary is to take on any new debt. One thing citizens should be aware of is that “IF” voters approve the bond, they will also be voting for a tax increase.

Previous bonds were offered to citizens with the promise of no tax increase. This was possible due to Cary’s high growth rate; new revenues were able to cover the debt. That is no longer the case.

I cannot say at this time whether I support a new bond or not until see I see the list of capital projects proposed, how much they will cost and the impact on our tax rate. We will have a number of worksessions and community meetings as this moves through the process. I encourage all of you to get involved and offer your input.

Finally was our session on boards and commissions. Some town boards work well while others have struggled. Some have a consistent work load, mission and purpose while others have either completed their mission or duplicate existing efforts of other boards or staff. The council decided to eliminate the following boards and commissions:

Economic Development Commission (EDC): This board has completed it’s mission. They were created prior to the current Economic Development partnership with the Chamber of Commerce. Cary also has an Economic Development Governing Board that is comprised of council members, key staff and Chamber representatives. Current EDC board members have become frustrated that there is nothing for them to do. They are correct. We decided instead to take a few members from the EDC and add them to the Economic Development Governing Board.

Citizen’s Issue Review Commission (CIRC): This board was formed a couple of years ago with the intent of providing citizens an avenue to bring community issues to council. While the creation of CIRC was well intentioned, it has not worked out as we had hoped. This is mainly because there is a much easier way to get an item on council’s agenda – the pink slip process. It only takes two council members (a sponsor and co-sponsor) to get any item on the next council agenda. Why go through a long and bureaucratic process when all you need is the support of two council members and you’re on our agenda? Existing CIRC members also recognized this and stated that they do not find their board effective, nor do they find that it serves a purpose.

We will instead tap into these board members upon occasion when a specific issue arises that requires a citizen task force to better help us.

Town Center Review Commission (TCRC): The Town Center Review Commission serves as an advisory board to the Town Council for the review of subdivision plans, site plans, and variances within the Town Center Zoning District. In a nutshell, it serves as the Planning and Zoning Board for downtown. This board was created prior to the creation of Cary’s Downtown Development Department and the hiring of Downtown Development Director, Ed Gawf.

Existing board members expressed frustrations that their work duplicates that which town staff is already doing, there isn’t enough happening downtown to justify their existence and that their current mission is inadequate. I agree.

This board, like CIRC, was formed with good intentions. However, the reality is that they don’t do anything our Planning and Zoning Board couldn’t do and even adds another layer of government bureaucracy to the process.

We will call upon the existing board members to assist us with Cary’s land use plan rewrite and serve on future citizen task forces.

After a quick review of the retreat topics and action items we were out of there and headed back to Cary. I took Lisa and a few of the kids out to Chili’s…where we found that Mayor Wino…I mean Weinbrecht had the same idea. Too funny….

That’s the council retreat in blog form. Thanks for reading!

Story and photo by Brent Miller. Read Part 1 of this story.

Customer Service and Service Philosophy: Unleashing Excellence

The Town’s mission statement includes the phrase “providing exemplary services” and two of the Town’s eleven values address customer service:

• Our organization exists to serve our citizens…
• We will provide outstanding customer service that is polite, friendly and responsive.

So it seems fitting to discuss customer service and service philosophy at the retreat. Assistant Town Manager Mike Bajorek presented highlights of a survey about Cary’s customer service and a plan to improve that service.

Town Council members were surveyed using an online tool. Complete results were distributed to meeting attendees; the overall results indicate that council members are quite satisfied with service provided by Cary town staff but that it still remains important to improve customer service. When asked about what they hear from citizens about Cary’s customer service, overall satisfaction remained high although responses were slightly lower than for Council’s own satisfaction with staff’s service. However, customer satisfaction was lower among business owners, according to responses from council members who hear from them. Among a few areas identified for improvement, the Inspections & Permits department was cited most, especially as the cause of lower satisfaction among business owners.

The themes identified most often by the council’s survey feedback were to improve consistency, be more helpful and take ownership of issues. Gale Adcock believes that the lack of consistency and helpfulness is the biggest complaint of business owners in the area of inspections and permits. One recurring complaint from business owners was inconsistency in the form of dealing with different inspectors who provide different information. Bajorek indicated that this stems from the policy of responding to inspection requests the very next day, which means that businesses get very timely responses but are unlikely to have the same inspector each time. Mayor Weinbrecht suggested that perhaps the town’s customers should be given an option – let the customer decide if they prefer immediate responses or are willing to wait to obtain higher consistency. Don Frantz added that taking ownership could also help respond to this dissatisfaction by encouraging staff to help solve inspection issues rather than just identify them.

Mr. Bajorek then described the “Unleashing Excellence” initiative that the town is undertaking to improve customer service. Objectives of this effort are:

• Look at everything through the eyes of the customer
• Relationship (rather than task-based) mindset
• Create moments of “Wow!”
• Hold all employees accountable for customer service

Regarding the last point, Bajorek observed that for town employees, customer service is “not just part of your job – it is your job”.

In terms of overall customer service improvement, Bajorek stated that the town will use training and education, process reviews, measurements and accountability to “unleash excellence”. Initial focus will be on regulatory staff, front-line operations staff with frequent customer interactions, high-use customer processes and web site interfaces.

A spirited discussion ensued about applying these goals to the Town’s web site. Jennifer Robinson advocated for customer-based interfaces that are easier for people to find and navigate – she suggested examples such as “I want to start a business” or “I want to look up a rezoning” as easy ways to interact with the web site. She also believes that current events should be easily and immediately accessible on the home page – she noted that when she wanted to see what time she needed to arrive at the Cary Christmas parade, she could not find an entry on the town’s web site calendar of events. Lori Bush agreed and suggested similar ideas of role-based web site interfaces such as “I am a citizen and I want to…” interactions. She stated that people should not need to click through lots of screens to get the information they want, such as a calendar of events.

Council consensus showed support for the overall customer service improvement initiative, although Gale Adcock wants to ensure that we measure and track current and future data to ensure that we know if we have improved, and Jack Smith reminded staff, “Don’t fall into the trap that improvements will cost more money”.

Cary’s biennial citizen survey is in process now and it will offer some additional feedback about satisfaction with the town’s service – but in the meantime, citizens and business owners can expect even better service as the town “unleashes excellence”.

General Capital Projects and Funding

Budget Director Scott Fogleman led a discussion about capital projects funding, with the main goal of determining whether or not the Town Council would support using borrowed money (that is, issuing bonds) to augment the cash-only funding that has been used for recently so that more capital projects could be completed.

Budget discussions can be complex; many complexities and details are omitted here in the interest of reporting the salient points. As high-level background, though, Cary’s budget has two major divisions: a general fund and a utility fund. The utility fund is essentially a “zero-sum” budget that is funded by utility (water and sewer) fees and that money is spent on utility projects. The general fund is the more familiar part of the budget that is funded by property taxes, sales taxes, various fees and other sources. General funds are spent largely on the services and amenities that the town provides (other than utilities), such as public safety (fire and police), parks and recreational facilities, public works (trash collection, streets, sidewalks and so on), general government and other functions. Both the utility fund and the general fund have an operating component and a capital component. The operating budget addresses day-to-day expenses of operating the town government; the capital budget addresses large projects such as water/sewer plants (in the utility fund), streets, sidewalks, parks, buildings and facilities and other projects (in the general fund). Interested readers can learn more about the budget on the town’s web site (http://budget.townofcary.org/budget/fy2011/bib/bib.htm).

The retreat discussion considered the capital budget component of the operating fund. In recent years, during the economic downturn, Cary has deferred many capital projects such as road improvements. That means that the town has remained economically healthy, achieving a budget surplus each year, but it also means that planned improvements such as street maintenance, new parks and sidewalks and other projects have not been performed. In addition, for the past three years, the Town Council has chosen to fund the reduced list of capital projects entirely with cash, without taking on additional debt. In prior years, the town borrowed significant amounts of money to complete capital projects, and the cost of servicing that debt has grown.

Fogleman reported that the current capital reserve (essentially, cash on hand to fund capital projects) is $19.7 million, and that about $5 – $6 million of capital reserve annual revenue is expected. Capital reserve revenue comes primarily from Cary’s share of the state gasoline tax, transportation development fees and other fees. In addition, operating fund surpluses (money available above and beyond required expenses and the required minimum balance in Cary’s “savings account) has also been transferred from the general fund each year so that it can be applies to capital projects. However, Mr. Fogleman reported that that “excess” amount will largely be consumed by debt service (interest payments for debt that was taken on in past years) in 2012.

But with nearly $1billion of capital projects identified in Cary’s 10-year outlook, and nearly $200 million of those projects included in the 10-year plan (that is, deemed high priority), the funding demand clearly outweighs available capital funds.

The other source of funding for capital projects is borrowed money, typically issued in the form of bonds. In 2003, Cary voters approved a bond referendum for streets and parks/recreation; about $60 million of those approved bonds has not yet been appropriated and could be applied to capital projects. However, this would require taking on that additional amount of debt in the town’s budget (the bond referendum gave the town the authority to issue $160 million in bonds, but only about $100 million has been issued, so to use the remaining available $60 million would require issuing new bonds – that is, borrowing this additional money).

So the options presented to council were:

1. Continue funding capital projects with available cash only (this would mean that Cary would continue to perform fewer capital projects).
2. Use cash plus the additional authority from the 2003 bond referendum to issue $60 million in new bonds.
3. Use cash plus new bond authority to issue some amount of new bonds (let the 2003 bond authority expire and instead present voters with a new bond referendum for capital projects).

Of course, any new bonds issued (money borrowed) has the associated possibility of that political anathema – tax increases. Although Cary’s property tax rate has not increased in many years and previous bond issues have avoided the need to increase taxes, and although revenue depends on many factors, such as the economy, growth and so on, it was apparent that a tax increase is probable if additional money is borrowed. The tradeoff, of course, is how many streets, sidewalks, fire stations, parks and other things are built or improved.

After much discussion, council consensus was to not use the authority from the 2003 bond referendum (that is, let that authority expire and not issue the remaining $60 million in bonds that are approved), review the list of high-priority capital projects and if additional borrowed money is desirable, place a new bond referendum before Cary’s voters in the next year or two. Mayor Weinbrecht summarized this approach, saying “Citizens need to decide how to handle the projects that have been delayed – either accept decreased service levels or accept a possible tax increase to complete the desired projects”. With this direction, Town Staff will provide council with a list of priority capital projects and their associated costs so that Town Council can decide how much money might be requested from voters in a bond referendum. Don Frantz also asked staff to consider the timing of a bond referendum (this year or next year), if one is pursued. Finally, council also achieved consensus to maintain the current debt ceiling that it has established – no more than 15% of the budget expenditures are used for debt service (that is, interest on borrowed funds). So even if a new bond referendum is pursued, the amount of funding would be limited by this debt ceiling policy (currently, Cary spends 11.6% on debt service).

Boards and Commissions Review

The final topic of the retreat was a review of the town’s boards and commissions. The Town has several boards and commissions that consist of appointed citizen volunteers who advise the Town Council on various topics. According to the Town’s web page:

Town of Cary has nine Boards and Commissions. Each is unique in its size, meeting schedule, and specific function; however, the overall mission is the same: To make Cary a place in which we can be proud to live, work and play.

The nine boards/commissions are:

• Citizen Issue Review Commission
• Economic Development Commission
• Environmental Advisory Board
• Information Services Advisory Board
• Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Advisory Board
• Public Art Advisory Board
• Planning & Zoning Board
• Town Center Review Commission
• Zoning Board of Adjustment

Town Clerk Sue Rowland presented the results of a survey of current and previous board and commission members and their staff and council liaisons. Nearly all boards were deemed highly effective and valuable, with clear roles and expectations, by the survey respondents.

However, there were three clear exceptions: the Citizen Issue Review Commission (CIRC), Economic Development Commission (EDC) and Town Center Review Commission (TCRC) all had lower marks from survey respondents in several categories. In particular, the survey indicated that CIRC and EDC members believe that those commissions are not well utilized by staff and council and some suggested that they be eliminated. TCRC members indicated that their mission statement limits their effectiveness; hence, that commission is not well utilized by Council. Members suggested various actions ranging from eliminating the board to restructuring its organization and purpose.

Using a “sticky dot exercise”, council members selected the boards and commissions that they wanted to further explore for possible changes. It was no surprise that they overwhelmingly selected the three commissions with the least positive survey results:  CIRC, EDC and TCRC.

After much discussion about each of these boards, Council achieved consensus on each one:

• The Citizens Issue Review Commission (CIRC) will be replaced by a “task force” model – that is, when council members agree that an issue needs more citizen study, a task force (essentially a temporary board or commission) will be appointed to perform that study and generate a recommendation. The Council believes that the task forces should be composed in large part of graduates of the Town of Cary’s School of Government.
• The Economic Development Commission had already undergone some introspection by its own members and a subcommittee of the Council. At the retreat, the Council achieved consensus to accept that committee’s recommendations and take other actions that will result in the EDC being replaced by a task force model similar to that of CIRC, to address particular issues as they arise. In addition, a related body called the “governing board” will be renamed and expanded so that it includes Council, Staff and citizen members who will address economic development issues in an ongoing fashion.
• The Town Center Review Commission was chartered to review site plans for downtown development projects, but the projected work for TCRC has not materialized. Hence, the Council determined that TCRC also should be replaced with a task force model, similar to CIRC and EDC.

Closing Remarks

In closing remarks, each participant – Staff and Council – described one “takeaway” of the retreat. Town Manager Ben Shivar indicated that this retreat had provided the “clearest direction of any retreat since I have been Town Manager”. Engineering Director Tim Bailey, who has attended 18 retreats, echoed this sentiment, saying “this is the best council consensus and direction of any retreat I have ever attended”. Planning Director Jeff Ulma summarized, “We’re a heck of a team!”

In his closing remarks, Mayor Weinbrecht thanked Vee Willis for all of her work in organizing the retreat and Michelle Ferguson for “being the best facilitator”. He reiterated his appreciation to Town Staff and stated, “I am honored to work with such an impressive group of people. I believe we work together really well, and I believe we have the best staff in the state of North Carolina”.

Part 1 of this story began with the expectations of new Council Member Lori Bush and veteran Jack Smith. Bush’s reflections at the end of the retreat were positive. She expressed her appreciation for all of the information from staff and stated that the retreat was “different from what I expected. It wasn’t just ‘talking head’ presentations but real discussion and interaction. I felt very welcome and comfortable as the newbie of the group”. Smith noted that this year’s retreat had focused topics that resulted in clear directions. He said he did not really see that single “Aha! moment” this year, but he noted that “the energy spent on the land use plan update will pay off in the future”.

The retreat is a time for staff and council to spend time in an informal environment to explore topics that are important at the time. Although no official action is taken, the retreat establishes important directions for the next year and beyond, and observers will see items from the retreat coming before council for formal votes in the next few months. This retreat established consensus for several topics – so although no official decisions were made to float a bond referendum or abolish commissions, those directions were set and future actions are expected.

Cary citizens can stay informed and become involved in the important business of the town council via the “Town Council” tab on the Town’s web page (http://www.townofcary.org/Town_Council.htm) where one can find agenda and minutes of council meetings and many other related items. And of course, town council meetings, work sessions and retreats are public meetings that are open to anyone to attend.

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Brent Miller has been reporting on Cary Town Council retreats and other issues of municipal government for CaryCitizen since 2009. He is the Vice President of The Friends of Page Walker, a member of the town Planning & Zoning Board and an a 2009 inductee into the Cary Volunteer Hall of Fame.

Story by Lindsey Chester. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – This past year, we have reported on Downtown development with an eye to what the Town of Cary has purchased and developed.

In this article, we take a look at the independent businesses now open in the core area of downtown – chiefly Academy and Chatham Streets.

Unwine’d

The most recent addition to the Cary retail and dining scene is Unwine’d,  a wine bar located in the Olde Cary Commons building at the corner of Harrison and West Chatham Street.

Owner Scott Higgenbotham  opened his doors in mid December and immediately began offering Thursday night wine tastings from 5:30- 7 and offers live jazz music every Friday night. The location has 2 bar areas and a light menu served from 4- midnight, they are open Monday- Saturday. Scott promises it is a great place to have a meeting because he has free WiFi and will be adding a coffee option soon.

Soul Food Coming Soon

Another new spot soon to open is Ermer Jone’s soul food restaurant located at the former Chatham Street Cafe. We are keeping our fingers crossed that this is open by the end of January. We will post more info about this exciting development when we finally are able to catch up with the new establishment’s owner.

These most recent additions add to other businesses that we saw added to downtown in 2011. These include:

Lynn’s Treasure Chest

At Lynn’s Treasure Chest, owner Lynn Rogers sells gifts and offers classes. Lynn has recently partnered with Best Friend Pet Adoption (BFPA) to help owners adopt pets to their forever homes. Next door,  Belen Divine specializes in wedding gowns. They sell both new and used, can handle custom tailoring and just added their own line: “Carmen Belen”  . Both stores are located at 149 East Chatham formerly “Calvin’s Salon”.

Beautimous Beads

Bridgette Bordonaro opened Beautimous Beads in June after buying the former Bedazzeled store in the current location. Bridgette offers a wide array of custom beads, jewelry and gifts, classes and camps. The store is next to Ashworth’s Drug at 107 West Chatham Street.

Designed-to-Sold

Next door, Shanna Middleton relocated her real estate and staging company, Designed-To-Sold in December. Shanna offers more than a listing- she will assist sellers in staging their homes for a quick sale, and handles other interior design projects. We wrote about her outreach project  where her business renovated a home for a disabled couple in Raleigh last fall.

MMI Public Relations

Earlier last year, we reported about Patty Briguglio’s decision to move her PR company MMI to her new Downtown location at 223 East Chatham Street (story). With so many Cary clients, the location made a lot of sense. She has already become a vocal member of the downtown business circle.

Purple Polka Dot

The Purple Polka Dot (story) opened in June in the former Flower Cupboard house at 114 South Academy Street. Owner Kristin Gurganus does a great job keeping her windows cheery with colorful gift and furnishings displays.

Dorry’s Downtown

When The Food Factory left Cary for Duke University, everyone wondered what would we do about breakfast downtown? The answer was Dorry’s Downtown that opened up shortly thereafter, owned and operated by Ray Dorry. Ray is a former New Yorker but has lived in Cary for over 20 years. He knows his way around a deli sandwich!  They also have my new favorite: great egg and potato wrap sandwich that I get with a spinach tortilla. With free WiFi and open as early as 7:30 you can have an early morning meeting and be on your way. Dorry’s is located at 211 east Chatham Street.

Styles Fitness

This past April, Autumn Hibberd opened a new type of fitness studio. The business is called Styles Group Fitness and offers the intensity of a personal trainer with the lower cost of group classes. Located in the Chocolate Smiles building on West Chatham Street, members decide how many sessions they wish to attend per week and for how many months and are priced accordingly. Classes are offered Sunday- Friday and usually have 3-8 members. Classes are tailored to who attends and focus on strength and core training.

What’s Next?

These new and many other established businesses join the efforts that the Town of Cary has engaged in to create a vibrant Downtown Cary Experience. Rumors abound about a Pub, a coffee shop and other private investors.

CaryCitizen will be reporting on these developments as they occur. We hope we captured all the recent developments, but feel free to comment at the bottom of this story (online) if we missed something. Know of any other newcomers that will be opening soon? Email Lindsey Chester and she will be sure to meet the newcomers.

Story and photos by Brent Miller for CaryCitizen.

January 13, 2012 Wilmington, NC – The annual Cary Town Council/Staff retreat, where Cary’s elected officials and senior staff discuss vision, strategy and hot topics in an informal setting, began on Friday at the Hilton Riverside hotel in Wilmington, NC.

Quality Time

The agenda included discussions of effective councils, effective intergovernmental relationships and how Cary will grow in the future – although remarks from several council members emphasized the “quality time” together that the retreat offers, so in many respects, today was about working and playing well with others, whether they be council members, staff members, other agencies or citizens in our community.

District C representative Jack Smith is the longest-serving member of the current council. He has attended 23 retreats over the years. He tells CaryCitizen that from his perspective as an adult trainer (his day job), retreats are valuable. Jack said, “At the end of each retreat there’s usually one ‘Aha! Moment’ that makes it all worthwhile”.

By contrast, this is the first council retreat for newly-elected at-large representative Lori Bush. She noted that “although I have been involved in the community for many years, I am looking forward to participating in this retreat from the perspective of a Town Council member. I believe that the retreat is a unique opportunity for council and staff to interact informally and build relationships to be even more effective in our work on behalf of the citizens of Cary”.

“Pretreat”: Planning the Annual Council-Staff Retreat

Before the Cary Town Council and senior Town Staff members trekked to Wilmington, decisions needed to be made about the retreat’s agenda and venue. On October 25, 2011, Council held a work session to discuss options.

For the past two years, the retreat was held locally in Cary; prior to that, it was held elsewhere, including Wilmington and Southern Pines. After discussion, Council voted to hold this year’s retreat in Wilmington, citing more “quality time” and fewer interruptions as compared to holding the retreat in Cary.

District B representative Don Frantz was a driving force in the past for having the retreat in Cary to save money, but this year he supported an out-of-town venue.  He told CaryCitizen that this helps to keep people together. Frantz stated, “When you’re two hours away, it’s harder for people to leave. It removes distractions”. This year’s retreat budget is about $14,000, the same as last year.

Building an Effective Town Council

Having arrived Thursday evening, Town Council members began bright and early at 7:30 a.m. Friday with a discussion about effective councils. After opening remarks from Mayor Weinbrecht, who stated that it is valuable to build relationships among council members and noted that at-large representative Julie Robison had to miss the session due to an unexpected emergency, facilitator Michelle Ferguson of Novak Consulting Group led council members through a set of ground rules for the meeting – among these was to “participate and be fully present” which included a request that all council members turn off their cell phones for the duration of the meeting – and everyone complied!

As an icebreaker exercise, council members were asked to write and explain all of the names, including nicknames, that they have used throughout their life. There were a few surprises, including Lori Bush’s revelation of a total of 8 names and Mayor Weinbrecht’s statement that one citizen calls him “Mayor McCheese”.

Ms. Ferguson then presented some key characteristics of effective councils, followed by discussion. District A representative Jennifer Robinson believes that Cary’s council is “really good” in terms of effectiveness and District D representative Gale Adcock concurred, noting that Cary’s council is especially good as compared to other local governing bodies. Don Frantz noted that council members can agree to disagree and not take things personally. Jack Smith observed that much of the “real work” gets done in work sessions, which helps the council to be more effective. Lori Bush concurred, noting that work sessions are especially helpful for a “newbie”.

The final portion of this exercise consisted of council members writing their behavioral expectations of one another on sticky notes and sharing these. Council members’ expectations of their colleagues include being fair, objective, friendly, respectful, informed, honest, on time and inclusive.

Land Use Plan Update

Town Staff traveled to Wilmington on Friday morning and joined the Council at 10:00 a.m. to launch into a discussion about Cary’s land use plan. Although “land use plan” might not sound like an exciting topic, it is perhaps the most important component of shaping Cary’s growth and hence, its overall future as a community.

Planning Director Jeff Ulma stated that Cary’s current land use plan, which governs the type of development that is expected to occur throughout all of Cary, was adopted in 1996 and has been amended numerous times. Rather than continuing to make minor revisions to the plan, the Town has decided to perform a more holistic update of this portion of Cary’s Comprehensive Plan and has engaged consultants Clarion Associates and ACE Visioning+Planning to assist in the design of that update. The updated land use plan is intended to address Cary’s build-out situation (that is, most of the land in Cary is either developed or has approved development plans) and redevelopment of already developed areas.

Ulma then presented some statistics, some of which are rather startling, about changes occurring in the US and in Cary. Among these are:

• US population in 2006 was 300 million; projected 2050 population is 500 million
• The Town of Cary’s population in 1980 was about 20,000; in 2000 in was about 100,000 and it currently stands at about 140,000 – with projections of 180,000 Cary citizens in 2025.
• The median age in the US and locally is increasing. Cary in particular has one of the highest median ages among all of North Carolina’s major municipalities.
• The US and Cary populations are becoming more diverse, especially with growth of Hispanic and Asian population shares.
• The suburban paradigm is shifting as trends of long-distance commuting and reliance of fossil fuels are seen as non-sustainable.
• Homes are becoming smaller but still are predominantly single-family residences, although more are renter-occupied.
• In Cary, single-family dwellings decreased from about 88% of the housing stock in 1988 to about 73% today, with townhomes increasing in share to about 24% and condos remaining steady at about 3% over the same time period.
• Cary has 44,524 acres not including the portion in Chatham County; of this, 33,036 acres already are developed and 2,316 acres are in the process of being developed. Only 9,172 undeveloped acres remain, or about 20% of the total.
• Cary’s estimated population at build-out (that is, when all land is developed according to existing plans) is about 220,000 people.
• Cary has  about 4000 residential units more than 40 years old and more than 8 million square feet of non-residential space that is more than 25 years ole (about 2.5 million square feet of which is retail, including 9 shopping centers).
• Based on the rate at which aging structures are typically replaced, it is expected that Cary’s current built environment will be renewed 3 times by the year 2100.

Mr. Ulma concluded by stating that the updated land use plan must address Cary’s older, more diverse population, increased demand for a wider range of housing types and challenges of maintaining and serving older building stock.

Don Frantz commented that some of this information is good news, but some is not so good. Gale Adcock remarked that these are trends that we can not control; Frantz responded that even though trends indicate more single-person households, he believes that Cary’s policy should be to maintain our family-oriented community.

Ben Herman of Clarion Associates then presented best practices in community planning, which include stronger linkage of comprehensive plan elements such as land use, housing, transportation, economy and finance, energy, utilities and community health and safety. He noted several contemporary land use themes such as sustainability, diversity, housing choices, energy management, “green” development and waste stream reduction.

Herman recommended building the land use plan around big, compelling ideas with balanced land use, equitable distribution of recreational opportunities, economic vitality, livable neighborhoods and activity centers and a connected town.

The idea of a linked, simplified comprehensive plan seemed to resonate with council members and town staff. Town Manager Ben Shivar indicated that he likes any approach that bridges multiple plans.

After a presentation by Jamie Greene of ACP Visioning+Planning about engaging the community, council and staff split into three groups to brainstorm ideas about the updated land use plan.

Group 1 considered the question “What does success look like in the plan?” and the top ideas were financial sustainability, a plan that is inspirational, easy to understand, simple and visually-oriented. Group 2 responded to the question “What are the top opportunities with the new plan to be more responsive to the community and council?” and generated ideas of a plan that is accessible – such as a single-sheet summary – and that is strategic and focuses on desired outcomes and the resources needed to achieve those outcomes. They also want to ensure that community outreach and input is authentic and representative of the entire community. Group 3 considered issues that the updated land use plan should address and identified the inclusion of all age groups, simplicity, protection of open space and the natural environment and capturing the character of Cary’s older developments.

Jeff Ulma concluded this session by stating that this input was exactly what staff needs to move forward with the design phase of the updated land use plan. He indicated that staff will take these ideas and generate a recommendation to Council, most likely in April of this year.

Outreach and Cooperation

The final session of the first day addressed enhancing council effectiveness with local, regional, state and federal organizations and agencies. Jack Cozort and Paul Meyer of the NC League of Municipalities described strategies for achieving the town’s objectives with state government. Representatives of the Ferguson Group presented similar information about working with the federal government. A recurring theme of both presentations was to cultivate and maintain good relationships with state and federal elected officials and their staffs.

The retreat continues on Saturday with the Council focusing on customer service and service philosophy, capital projects and funding and a review of the town’s boards and commissions.

Brent Miller has been reporting on Cary Town Council retreats and other issues of municipal government for CaryCitizen since 2009. He is the Vice President of The Friends of Page Walker, a member of the town Planning & Zoning Board and an a 2009 inductee into the Cary Volunteer Hall of Fame.