Cary residents press for wider outreach, meetings over Maplewood plan and proposed New Haven extension

Dozens of Cary residents urged the Village Board on June 3 to expand public outreach and hold community meetings before the board votes on the Maplewood development and the proposed extension of New Haven to Route 31.

The petition concerning the project had grown to about 400 signatures, resident David Arbenz told the board, and neighbors said many residents did not receive mailed notices. “We want meetings before any votes take place,” Arbenz said, asking the board to schedule community meetings separate from a developer presentation.

Residents emphasized safety and traffic concerns tied to the New Haven extension. Anton Chrigali, a homeowner on Augusta Lane, said New Haven already has speeding and recent accidents and warned an opened street would increase risk: “With the throughway, with the street opening up, do we want more of that?” Megan Resheinsky, a 22-year Cambria resident, said New Haven serves multiple school districts and described school buses and children on the route; she said converting the street into a thoroughfare would “pose severe hazards to our students.”

At the meeting village staff told the board the developer distributed letters to properties near Maplewood and that the developer will hold two identical open houses — Wednesday, June 18, and Wednesday, June 25 — from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Village Boardroom at Cary Village Hall. Village staff said the events are open to any Cary residents and that the village has also posted notices on the village website, the monument sign on the former Maple Grove School property, Facebook, and in the Cary News Weekly.

Resident Chris Reiche suggested developer displays at public events such as the farmer’s market and weekly cruise nights to reach residents who do not use the village website or social media. Village staff said they will raise that suggestion with the developer team during weekly coordination meetings.

The public comment period at the June 3 meeting was the only formal place residents raised the petition and traffic concerns; the board did not take a vote on the development or street extension that night. Village staff indicated next public steps are the two open houses in June and additional online and sign-based notices.

Community members asked the board to schedule local meetings before any board votes and requested that the village consider additional outreach options so that mailed notices’ limited radius does not leave out affected residents.