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Neighbors Push Back as Cary Considers Plan Change to Allow Five‑Story Buildings in Carpenter Special Planning Area
Summary
A proposed comprehensive plan amendment (Act 39) to permit multifamily, commercial uses and up to five‑story buildings in the Carpenter special planning area prompted intense public opposition; council referred the proposal to the Planning & Zoning Board for further review.
CARY — A proposal to amend Cary’s Imagine Cary community plan to allow multifamily housing, neighborhood retail and buildings up to five stories at the Morrisville Carpenter Road and Lewis Stevens Drive intersection drew sustained public opposition at a June 11 council hearing.
Assistant Planning Director Katie Dry described the requested change (Act 39) as a targeted amendment to policies for the Carpenter special planning area, where the plan currently envisions primarily detached single‑family homes in the southern portion of the district. The applicant asked council to allow multifamily and limited nonresidential uses at the intersection and to accommodate building heights up to five stories, while preserving nearby viewsheds and historic character through buffers and design standards.
The applicant’s representative, who identified themselves as Ashley Honeyut Trouses of Parker Poe, said the property owners — David Frell and Dr. Bill Souder — have deep local ties and propose context‑sensitive infill that would preserve two historic homes and provide a mix of housing near parks and existing infrastructure.
But multiple residents urged the council to keep the adopted plan intact. Susan Ornstein told the council the amendment would permit an “overwhelming amount of commercial space” and warned that recent mixed‑use developments in the area are largely vacant. Barry Pope, whose backyard borders the site, said the amendment “removes the protection that exists to preserve Carpenter’s historic character” and called five‑story buildings incompatible with adjacent low‑density neighborhoods. Several speakers also asked the town to require current traffic studies and watershed/runoff analysis before loosening plan guidance.
Councilmembers repeatedly said they needed a compelling reason to change a citizen‑driven special planning area vision and emphasized the plan’s purpose of protecting Carpenter’s historic rural character. Multiple members said the request would be referred to the Planning & Zoning Board for detailed review and public input.
What’s next: Act 39 and the associated rezoning application will go to the Planning & Zoning Board for study, public comment and a recommendation before the council considers any final change to the comprehensive plan or zoning.
