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Cary board backs moving ahead with shade structures for Spring Street ‘Alfresco Alley’
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Summary
Consultants presented permanent streetscape and seasonal alfresco concepts for Spring Street; the board directed staff to pursue shade structures, asked for updated, itemized costs and emphasized maintenance, storage and staging to limit business disruption.
Consultants from MKSK presented the village board on Jan. 27 with permanent streetscape upgrades and seasonal programming concepts for Spring Street — the village’s Alfresco Alley — and trustees signaled support for moving forward with overhead shade structures.
Brett Bridal, landscape architect and principal in charge at MKSK, said the team conducted robust outreach (more than 374 online survey responses and an open house) and proposed using the same material palette as nearby Main Street, adding pavers, trees, planters and benches to make Spring Street feel cohesive with the downtown. ‘‘The total has increased to about over 800,000,’’ Bridal said when summarizing the opinion of probable cost, noting increases tied to power‑pole removal, line burial and geotechnical work.
Abigail Fiala, project manager with MKSK, clarified a placeholder for the electrical work was raised to account for burying power and electrical lines: ‘‘The updated cost for that would be closer to $330,000 for electrical work,’’ she said, adding the design is still in schematic phases and estimates remain broad.
Capital projects manager Katie Ward told the board the $850,000 grant for the overall project has been partially spent on design and studies and that about $702,000 remains for construction. Ward said staff is seeking direction on which temporary and permanent features to prioritize and will provide an itemized, updated cost estimate.
Board discussion emphasized community preferences and life‑cycle costs. Multiple trustees said lighting, string lights and shade scored highest in outreach and favored pursuing overhead shade structures to provide immediate, visible benefit. Several trustees raised concerns about storage and maintenance for seasonal elements such as pergolas, wood decks or turf tiles and asked MKSK to quantify expected maintenance and storage needs in future design phases. MKSK said storage and winter removal are part of design considerations.
Trustees also discussed phasing to limit business impact during construction. MKSK noted typical streetscape phasing can keep businesses open by staging work in halves or defined segments.
Ward said she would receive an updated, line‑item cost opinion from MKSK and share it with the board. The board’s direction on Jan. 27 was to advance design development for shade structures while refining cost, maintenance and storage plans; no formal vote was taken.
Next steps identified by staff include completing site survey and civil engineering inputs, delivering an itemized cost spreadsheet, conducting any needed light studies for shade placement, and advancing to 60% design deliverables in late February to prepare for construction documents targeted for spring with a goal of construction this summer.
