Alston, Where is that?

Google map, annotated

The Alston Regional Activity center is approximately 970 acres located at the northeast corner of the intersection of NC Hwy 55 and Interstate 540.  The Town believes that this area will be a big attraction due to its proximity to RTP, and quick access to local roads and interchanges.

In 2006, the Town Council created a special Mixed Use Overlay district as well as an Activity Center Concept plan to help guide development in that area, and one of the first developments to move forward is Parkside Town Commons.

Highlights

I reached out to the developer this week to get an update on their plans, timelines and thoughts regarding the site.  During my meeting I got a good overview of their phased plan and the history of the project.  (You can also check out their plans on their website.)

Site Plan

Here are the highlights:

1. The entire plan encompasses about 110 acres, providing over 300,000 square feet of retail.
2. The extension of “Little Drive” is currently in progress (Little Drive turns into O’Kelly Chapel Road and crosses the railroad tracks on the east side of the property
3. The railroad crossing will be “at grade”
4. Public art will be located throughout the area

Phased Plan:  There are several phases, with the first being the larger retail at the south end of the property

1. A 135,300 square foot TARGET is the anchor store
2. Additional large retail space (~26,000 S.F.) in that quadrant
3. Potential grocery store

 Follow-on phase includes:

1. 120 room hotel
2. Movie Theatre
3. Significant number of smaller retail and restaurants, including “junior anchor” stores.
4. Approximately 280 apartments.

Timeline

The site plan is currently in its 3^rd review at the Town of Cary and construction on the first phase should begin the first quarter of 2013 – with the TARGET Store opening in March of 2014.  The next phases will be developed soon after.

They have a video online, as well.

Little Known Secret

By the way, did you know that there is a very cool mountain bike trail on the other side of this property in RTP?

The Research Triangle Foundation worked with the Triangle Off-road Cyclists and Kite Realty (the developer of some of this property) to build a mountain bike trail.  Opened in 2009, it is very popular and has about 2 miles of trails with stream crossings, ladder bridges and lots of dips and rolling contours.  You can access this trail from the gravel parking lot off of Louis Stevens Drive.

(Parkside Town Commons pictures from Kite Realty Website)

Thanks for reading!  If you have any comments, questions, or thoughts, feel free to let me know.

I wrote about the Searstone and Bradford developments in March (“Construction in Cary”) – and now the work has recently begun at Bradford.

Updated Information

I met with the developers last month to get an update on the project, understand the timelines, and hear of any changes that may have occurred since the approval.  The original development plan was approved in May 2008.

Here are the highlights of the planned development:

1. The area in the plan is approximately 41 acres.
2. Phase 1 consists of 370 apartments and approximately 20 town homes – with retail planned for some areas within the center.
3. Many of the residential apartment buildings will have retail/commercial or offices on the first floor, with residential above.
4. A new road will be constructed (Magness Drive) that will go on the other side of the development, and line up with Riggsbee Farm Drive (on Davis Dr.) and an entrance to Searstone on High House.
5. A greenway is planned around the perimeter, as well as a 10′ trail along Magness Drive.
6. Three (3) signaled lights will eventually be installed at those entrances.
7. Construction will take about 2 years – with some occupancy potentially available in the Fall of 2013.
8. A planned “public square” type of area is planned for within the development.
9. There is an existing cemetery on the site (at the corner of Davis and High House) that will not be moved, but will be incorporated into a public space.
10. The uses of the out parcels (along the roadway of Davis and High House) have not yet been identified – but they are limited in what can be built. (No more than 2 fast food places, and no more than 3 drive-thrus, and no “traditional” grocery store is allowed.)
11. Despite the rumors, a movie theatre is not currently in the plan.
12. Additional turn lanes and road improvements will occur on both Davis Drive and High House.

If you would like to see the detailed plans you can go to the planning area where they are posted on the Town of Cary side at Bradford Site Subdivision Plan. And of course, they have an updated commercial website up, as well.

As always, feel free to contact me with comments, questions, issues and concerns.

Why don’t they put a park by my house?

Wonder what they’re building over there…

I wish we would have bigger recycling bins…

I want a walkable Town…

Why don’t we have a YouTube channel?

I wish Cary would….

If so, then your town needs YOU!

It’s that time of year, when we at the Town of Cary ask citizens to step up and help continue to make Cary the best Town in North Carolina.  Or, what we call, applying for a Town of Cary board or commission.

Board? Commission?

The Town of Cary boards and commissions are just one way that the Town Council and staff get direct citizen input and guidance on issues and opportunities facing the Town.  Our volunteers (across the Town) are advocates for this great community, and their participation makes Cary a better place to live. By volunteering your precious time to participate in one of our boards and commissions, you give us the information that we need to make decisions.

We have seven boards and commissions right now at the Town and each of them provides a vital and important role to staff and Town Council.  By participating on one of the boards, you are giving us your “citizen recommendations” for all types of activities, events, and policies throughout the town, on issues that impact our entire community.  Whether you provide input relying on a unique skill or set of experiences, or based on your personal interests – your active involvement makes Cary a better community.

What will you do if appointed?

Each of the boards and commissions has a set of guidelines and focus areas.  Although some of the boards are looking for specific skills for some roles, the basic requirement is your active participation.

•    Each board has a set meeting schedule and you are asked to attend these meetings in person.
•    Different boards/commissions have various work plans, time committments  and schedules.
•    Some “homework” may be involved.
• Your input and feedback is key to continuing our great quality of life.  You’ll develop new relationships, share your concerns, opinions, and help us solve problems,  and you might even have fun!

Apply

The following boards and commissions will have openings this year:

1. Environmental Advisory Board – 3 positions
2. Information Services Advisory Board  – 2 positions
3. Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Advisory Board – 3 positions
4. Public Art Advisory Board – 3 positions
5. Planning and Zoning Board – 3 positions
6. Town Center Review Commission – 1 position  (This board is being sun-setted)
7. Zoning Board of Adjustment – No positions open for 2012

Please review the Board and Commissions guidelines before applying, to ensure you don’t have any conflicts of interests associated with the board for which you would apply.

Applications must be received by June 30, 2012.

Play a part

Pick a board or commission that has a mission that is near and dear to your heart or perhaps one of your passions.  From the Environmental Advisory Board, to the the Information Service Advisory Board, to Parks and Recreation – there are many to choose from. YOU are what’s best about this town that we live in, and we need your help.

I look forward to seeing your application, and thanks for helping to keep Cary great!

Featured picture by DonkeyHotey 

Why travel to another city?

Although I took vacation from my “day job” to attend this Intercity trip, it was definitely a “work trip.” Every minute was filled with meeting our host city representatives and learning about their environment.  Many of these municipalities are dealing with the same challenges and opportunities that we face in Cary. Whether it was issues surrounding growth, planning, transit, or sports or public art – we got a chance to hear about their solutions. Our trip to the “Texas Hill Country” included time in Austin, Round Rock and a lesson on transit challenges from the folks in Leander.

Our goal and objective was to gather ideas, hear from our various speakers about their lessons learned and to hopefully come back with a slate of actionable items and thoughts to move forward and to continue to create and support the best place to live, work, do business, and raise a family.

Trip Report

DOWNTOWN AUSTIN:  We started in Austin, meeting the Honorable Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Representative Mark Strama; both are extremely passionate about their city.  Our lunch was on the Mayor’s Balcony – I have the distinct feeling that Mayor Weinbrecht would love one of those.

Austin has a population of more than 750,000 people and is the 4th largest city in Texas.  They are home to the University of Texas in Austin, the music and film festival – South by Southwest (SXSW), and known for their slogan, “Keeping Austin Weird.” We were treated to a historical overview of Austin’s past, the public private partnerships that have shaped Austin, along with a wonderful walking tour of downtown.  Their downtown has undergone a revitalization – and they are continuing to make progress.

MetroRail

TRANSIT: Austin has been making strides in the area of Transit – and they MUST as they have the third worst traffic in the country.  They are limited by their current road structure – so the only way out of that pain is to embrace multi-modal transportation and mass transit.  We rode the new Metro Rail which was a real treat. These rail cars are Swiss designed, diesel/electric, quiet and energy efficient with places for cyclist to hang or hold their bikes.  Transit is gaining traction, and more and more people are starting to take advantage of it.

SPORTS: We were lucky to get a tour of the University of Texas at Austin – Texas Memorial Stadium. Standing on the field was amazing – it’s a state of the art facility from the field turf to player workout area, they were gracious hosts to our large group.

Dell Diamond, Round Rock

We also got a chance to visit Dell Diamand, the home of the Round Rock Express, a triple A minor league baseball team affiliated with the Texas Rangers, and baseball hall of famer Nolan Ryan.  The City of Round Rock owns the Dell Diamond, and they were wonderful hosts to us at the field (or as they like to call it, their convention center.)

Round Rock: This is a city very similar to Cary in many respects – with close to 100,000 people (Cary has 140,000+), with a 63.4% population increase in the last 10 years.  (Cary had a 43% increase from 2000-2010.) Our tour consisted of their downtown area, several communities and a drive through areas where new hospitals and community colleges were locating.

Old Control Tower onsite

Mueller – Greenfield Development: One of the most interesting tours was of a new mixed use area near Austin, built on the site of the old Robert Mueller Municipal airport. The 700 acre site became available when the airport relocated in 1999, and it will eventually be home to almost 10,000 people.  Built with a master plan, significant innovative investment methodologies, it’s a unique design, home to families, businesses, a town center, senior community, school, parks and greenways.

ImagineAustin: An overview of the process and comprehensive plan that Austin put together in their efforts to move forward.  Creating ImagineAustin was truly an effort that included citizens from all over Austin. The city put together a well thought out plan for citizen engagement to create the vision for their future.  From their “meeting in a box”, to Town Halls and reaching out to church groups and through online methods, the staff used any and all mechanism to connect. The Comprehensive Plan took 2 years, and is just going to CIty Council now.

Lessons Learned

1. A walkable downtown really brings folks out and about. The Austin streetscape project is comfortable, at a human scale, and I can absolutely see something like that in Downtown Cary. Their street trees were planted in a way that protects the trees, and offers a lovely canopy while protecting the root systems.
   

   New streetscape

2. Revitalization can be done in a sustainable way – their City Hall used native plantings that are watered from runoff from the air-conditioning units.
3. Public Art is important to Austin – seen in their bridges, within City Hall, it’s part of who they are, and what defines them.
4. They embrace what’s unique about them.  Whether it’s their “Bat Bridge,” their motto of being the “Live Music Capital of the World” – they highlight and market the heck out of it.  We should do the same for our Amateur Sports leadership.
5. Surprises were everywhere! From the swings that were located throughout the city, to a sculpture of bottle caps in City Hall.
   

   Mayor Pro Tem Adcock found a swing

6. Quote that I loved – “Done beats perfect every time!”
7. Round Rock has some great marketing for their youth sports called “Game On” – with a marketing, branding and media campaign that has caught the attention of teams across the country.
8. Technology is in use all over Austin – from QR codes on coasters, to streaming a city meeting, twitter feeds and blogs. It was great to see technology all over the place.
9. ImagineAustin is a great model for what will will need to do for our new Comprehensive Planning process.  Maybe we can call it “CreateCary!”  
10. Public private partnerships can really accelerate all types of activities – whether transit, development or sustainability.

 Glad to be Home

It’s always nice to travel to see new places.  But, as Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz – there’s no place like home.

–Featured picture by Knowsphotos

Two projects are slated to begin this month at that intersection – at 2 of the 4 quadrants. Searstone is a project that has several components already started – the roads, lights, and trees have been down for quite some time.  You might also remember that Bradford was the controversial development that launched many citizens into action when it was proposed and finally approved in 2007.

Although these developments were approved 5 years ago, the state of the economy has slowed their timelines, causing both of these communities to now be on a similar build out trajectory. I expect that we will soon see a lot of movement and traffic delays as work begins.

Searstone

The Searstone Retirement Community is expected to start putting in their infrastructure for their residential buildings beginning this month.  You can see the construction trucks in place, and many of the outlying retail buildings are already open.

Based on the site plan, it looks to be an exciting and beautiful community, with a significant amount of open space, greenways, a lovely water feature and even a conservatory.  I love the idea of a senior community being close to our wonderful parks and catty corner to shopping and retail.

Town staff provided Mayor Weinbrecht, Councilmember Adcock and me an update on the project that has been on hold while the developer has secured funding.

– Building for all of the residential components will occur at the same time, rather than each of the buildings being completed in a phased plan.

– Additional road improvements will be needed; an eastbound right-turn lane at High House and Cary Parkway, an eastbound left-turn lane on High House also at Cary Parkway, additional widening of High House road

– A new traffic light on High House Road, aligned with Magness Drive in Bradford will be required once the warrant analysis is completed.

You can learn more on the Town of Cary Website and see the 99 pages of site plan documents.

Or, visit Searstone’s webpage for more information

Bradford

Bradford has also started moving forward in the building process. It’s slated as a “mixed-use development” that was approved to have  commercial (100,000 to 200,000 square feet), Office use (7,500-1000,000 square feet) and between 300-340 residential units (with 20-40 of those being townhomes.)

Notable updates from staff include:
– Bradford increased their residential units by 50 units while reducing the maximum commercial square footage by 50,000 square feet. (Total residential units = 390)

– A cemetery is located on the property, and will be left on site

– First implementation phase will be residential, with about 65,000 square feet of commercial

– The parking decks will not be built UNTIL needed by the developer

– Despite rumors to the contrary, there is NOT a movie theatre in the site plan

– None of the retail is identified in the the plan, and is certainly not in phase 1. It IS possible that this developer can sell off the retail space in the same manner that Searstone did several years ago.

– Depending on the timing of the Bradford and Searstone projects, one of those developers will have to widen an offsite intersection –  Cary Parkway and High House, based on their traffic impact.  Widening that intersection will be significant, given the amount of traffic through that corridor and the fact that any change will cause the clock tower and brick walls to be moved.
– Installation of Magness Road with signaled lights at both ends – lining up with Riggsbee Farm subdivision and Searstone. Signals will only be added as the traffic warrants the need.  (I’m worried about the traffic, since it backs up so quickly there when folks are headed home from work.)

You can check out the site plans on the Town of Cary page.  I also found their commercial webpage, online.