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Cary officials present updates to parks and bike plans and propose LDO amendments
Summary
Town staff previewed Act 37 (PRCR system plan) and Act 38 (bike plan and Land Development Ordinance amendments), saying the changes would embed the parks and bike plans into the Imagine Cary plan and the LDO to enable regulatory implementation; a public hearing is set for Thursday.
Town staff on April 28 presented proposed updates to the town's parks system (PRCR) plan and the Cary bike plan and described companion amendments to the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) that would give the plans regulatory effect.
Paul (speaker 9), a long-time Cary parks and greenway planner, told the council the PRCR system plan is the town's fifth master update (the first dated 1978) and serves as a guidance document that does not itself appropriate capital funds. He said the plan organizes programming, facilities and maintenance priorities and that having an adopted plan is often a precondition for pursuing grants and matching funds.
Cassie Schumacher Georgopoulos (speaker 11), identified in the meeting as Cary's transportation director, outlined the bike plan update and said it responds to public requests for more separated, low-stress bikeways designed for daily trips rather than recreation alone. She said the plan favors a network approach combining separated bikeways on higher-stress corridors with neighborhood connectors and traffic-calming measures on lower-stress streets.
On implementation, staff described three implementation paths: (1) capital projects funded through the town's budget and street-improvement programs; (2) updates to development-review standards so private development builds components of the network as sites are redeveloped; and (3) education and partnership programs with agencies including NCDOT.
Cassie said the town is coordinating with NCDOT on corridors the state owns and cited a proposed Harrison Avenue road diet (Maynard to Chatham) as an example where NCDOT has been supportive and would fund its portion of the segment it owns. Staff noted the plans do not change right-of-way ownership and that some NCDOT streets may be harder to retrofit.
Staff discussed technical changes proposed for the LDO (Act 38): updating names and references, clarifying easement widths and allowing greenways/bikeways and street-side trails to be accommodated within the right of way similarly to sidewalks, updating bike-parking requirements and design standards, and clarifying definitions for bikeways and greenways. Staff emphasized the amendments are intended to work within existing rights of way and, where possible, use lane-width adjustments (engineers noted a typical travel lane can be reduced from 12 to 11 feet) or other on-street reallocation rather than requiring additional developable land.
Staff cited local precedents where the town used existing road width to add bike facilities: the Fenton development's separated facility, the Norwell Road Diet (2022, cited cost about $200,000), and the Walnut Street Road Diet (completed 2024, cited cost about $500,000 for the project length). Council members asked about inconsistency where new segments would adjoin older cross sections; staff acknowledged some piecemeal transitions would be expected as projects and private development proceed.
Next steps: staff said the Acts will be presented at a public hearing Thursday, then considered by the Planning & Zoning Board, with a target to return to council for final action this summer if recommended. The presentation reiterated that adoption of the plans establishes policy and regulatory guidance but does not itself appropriate capital funds; any funding would come through separate budget processes.
