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Residents urge caution as Cary holds public hearing on Feral Road annexation and rezoning
Summary
At a Jan. 22 public hearing, residents pressed the Cary Town Council to slow consideration of a proposed annexation and R‑8 rezoning of about 153 acres near Jordan Lake, citing watershed risks, groundwater concerns, school capacity and compatibility with the Chatham‑Cary joint land use plan; staff said technical environmental reviews occur at later development‑plan stages and the case will go to the Planning & Zoning Board for recommendation.
Council heard more than a dozen in‑person speakers at a public hearing on a proposal to annex roughly 153 acres along West Farrell Road (Feral Road West) and apply initial Cary R‑8 conditional zoning. Assistant Planning Director Katie Dry introduced staff analysis and said the applicant offered conditions intended to limit impacts: a gross density of about 1.5 dwelling units per acre, a cap of 230 detached dwellings across two pods, minimum lot sizes of 10,000 square feet (increasing to 15,000 along the perimeter), wide streetscapes (50–70 feet), at least 63,500 square feet of community gathering space, and a commitment to preserve approximately 40% of the site as open space.
Mark Frederick, an attorney for the applicant, outlined voluntary commitments from David Weekley Homes and project consultants, saying the design responds to community feedback by clustering development, preserving open space and providing transition buffers adjacent to existing Chatham County lots. He said some off‑site transportation improvements are proposed but subject to the developer acquiring easements.
Many nearby residents told council they remained unconvinced. Tirzah Tavana and several others warned the site borders fingers of Jordan Lake and argued clear‑cutting, added impervious surfaces and routine landscape chemical use would increase sediment and pollutant runoff into shared watershed and private wells. Marie Lo said previous rezonings closer to the lake were denied, and asked the town to commission independent civil, environmental and geologic engineers to map topography and flowpaths before any approval. Residents also raised school capacity and questioned whether voluntary commitments by a developer adequately protect neighbors from long‑term impacts such as groundwater contamination and utility‑driven annexation.
Katie Dry told council that an environmental report is not required for a rezoning application but that specific environmental analyses (tree reports, stream‑buffer determinations, watershed protections) will be required at development‑plan review and that the site falls within the Jordan Lake watershed protection overlay district. She said the Planning & Zoning Board will review the case and provide a recommendation before the council takes any final action.
Council members expressed concern about the site's proximity to the lake and the tension between clustering houses to preserve stream buffers while still creating a different rural character than the existing very‑low‑density neighbors. Several members asked staff to ensure residents and the Planning & Zoning Board receive clear information about what technical studies will occur, and one council member asked whether the joint land use plan itself should be reconsidered for this corridor.
Because this was a public hearing, council did not vote on the rezoning tonight; the matter will proceed through the Planning & Zoning Board process and return to council at a later date.
