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Cary council rescinds authorization for Walnut Street gravel‑lot upgrade and asks staff to return with lower‑cost landscaping options
Summary
After extensive discussion about the temporary nature of a Walnut Street gravel lot adjacent to the library, the council rescinded a prior $125,000 appropriation authorization, directed staff to return with a revised budget that removes a fence and proposes moderate landscaping to prevent gravel intrusion, and voted unanimously to refer the revised plan back to council.
Council revisited an earlier decision to appropriate up to $125,000 for improvements to a gravel lot on Walnut Street that the town had agreed to maintain temporarily under a development agreement. Staff explained the development agreement timeline: the developer must submit development plans by no later than 2030 and begin construction by 2032, which means the town could operate the lot in its current state for several years before redevelopment begins. Staff also noted legal and accessibility constraints: any new ADA parking spaces constructed now must meet current accessibility standards (requiring a paved surface such as concrete or asphalt), whereas the remainder of the lot could remain gravel.
Council members questioned whether a full paved, landscaped and fenced upgrade was appropriate for a site that could remain temporary for several years. Several members said a lighter touch — ensuring ADA compliance and addressing gravel tracking onto the sidewalk with targeted plantings or minimal infrastructure — would be preferable to a full buildout that the town might later remove. One council member expressed concern about spending on amenities that would later be removed when a building is constructed.
On a unanimous voice vote council rescinded the prior authorization to spend up to $125,000 on the Walnut Street lot upgrades. Council then directed staff to return at a future meeting with a revised budget and scope that excludes the decorative fence and focuses on moderate landscaping sufficient to prevent gravel from reaching the sidewalk and to meet safety requirements. The council asked staff to identify any elements that cannot be removed for safety or ADA reasons and to propose a cost estimate for the revised package.
