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Cary board approves $10,000 exception for 109 Cary Street facade restoration after lengthy debate
Summary
The village board voted to make an exception to its facade improvement grant program and approved a $10,000 incentive for the owner of a historic 1865 property at 109 Cary Street to rebuild a wrap‑around porch; trustees discussed precedent, zoning setbacks and program rules before the unanimous approval.
The Cary Village Board on Aug. 19 approved an exception to its facade improvement and interior build‑out grant program and awarded $10,000 to the owner of 109 Cary Street to restore a historic wrap‑around porch, after a prolonged debate over program rules and precedent.
Brian Simmons, the village’s community development director, told trustees the property — originally developed as the Freeman Boarding House around 1910 (the owner described the structure as being from the 1860s) — would receive exterior work only; staff noted the program’s written parameters generally limit grants to commercial or mixed‑use buildings with first‑floor commercial space.
Owner Nick Proger said the project is intended to restore character‑defining features, return the facade to a period‑appropriate appearance and catalyze adjacent reinvestment. "This grant investment is gonna preserve this scarce 18 sixties resource from Cary's earliest railroad era and strengthen the downtown sense of place," Proger told the board.
Trustees pressed several planning and finance details during discussion: Simmons said the property sits inside the village TIF district and has produced just under $8,000 in increment in the TIF’s first two years; Proger said the building contains seven rental units and is fully occupied. Trustees raised concerns about setting precedent, program intent, and whether the grant fund should be used for a primarily residential building.
Staff and several trustees noted that the porch as proposed would require zoning relief because the east elevation faces an R‑2 single‑family district and the addition would reduce the effective setback (Simmons described a reduction from the current 18 feet to roughly 8 feet as proposed). Simmons also explained that the grant program requires approval before construction begins; reimbursements are made after completion and submission of final waivers of lien and invoices.
After debate, a trustee moved and the board voted to make an exception to the strict application of the grant criteria for this project and approve the $10,000 incentive. The amended motion passed by roll call with unanimous support from trustees present.
Key clarifying details disclosed at the meeting: the village has $30,000 remaining in this fiscal year’s façade grant allocation; Simmons said the village awarded some grants the previous year and that award funds revert to the originating fund if unused; Proger estimated the full project cost at about $50,000–$80,000 in discussion and said he would not proceed without the grant award.
Board members and staff framed the vote as an individual exception rather than a program rewrite; village counsel noted the board has authority to grant exceptions to established program criteria on a case‑by‑case basis.
Ending — next steps: Director Simmons will be the owner’s point of contact for permitting and project coordination; the owner will apply for required building permits and pursue any necessary zoning relief through the zoning board and village processes before construction begins. The grant will be processed as a reimbursement after completion and submission of required documentation.
