downtown

Downtown Cary

Downtown Cary

At our Cary Town Council work session this week, we saw updated designs for the Downtown Park and Streetscape. I love how this area will entice our citizens to come downtown with a beautiful park, a lovely street, along with our Cary Art Center and the revitalization that is occurring downtown.  With the new fountain and wonderful welcoming streets. there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

downtownstreetscape
Academy Streetscape

The streetscape project includes a number of components:

–  “Rooms” at selected locations on Academy Street
– Modification of the intersection at Academy and Dry – widening the street into the park to provide exclusive right turn lanes onto Academy when coming from Kildaire
– New light pole options (allowing flags and other hanging ornamentation)
– Street tree lighting (up lighting and string lighting in the trees.)
– Benches, with artistic components
– Electrical infrastructure locations (big power distribution boxes (4 ft tall) and smaller pedestals (18” tall)   Read More…

Much ado about lights

Much ado about lights

This weeks Town Council meeting we will discuss a proposed amendment to an ordinance regarding String Lights.  Yes, string lights – like the ones you put on a Christmas Tree, or businesses have put in some of their outdoor areas.

PROPOSED ORDINANCE

Last council meeting, staff brought forward an ordinance to change the “rules” regarding the use of these lights around town.  The ordinance change that was originally proposed, and unanimously recommended by the Planning and Zoning board:

  1. Removed the restriction of lights in only the Downtown Cary Town Center and allowed lights across town.
  2. Removed the “twinkle type lights”
  3. Allowed accenting of lights along rooflines and the perimeter of outdoor areas.

stringlights

I liked the proposed ordinance the way it was written, but 5 of the 7 council members disagree with me.  (Thanks Don!)

NEW Ordinance

The NEW ordinance to be discussed/approved tomorrow makes these changes:

  1. Only allows these types of lights Downtown and in Mixed Use Overly Zoning Districts
  2. Only allows them in landscaping (not on rooflines) or other places,
  3. And only allows perimeter down-lighting that is shielded and only for sales areas
I like Lights

I’ve seen string lights tastefully used by our small businesses across the town to provide indirect, beautiful outdoor lighting at restaurants and other businesses with outdoor seating.

Folks enjoy dinner outside at Ashworth Village or Bosphorus– where the ambience is certainly set by the beautiful outdoor string lights.

Klara

bosphorus

I can’t imagine a summer evening at Goodberry’s without the tree lights.  (I’m checking to see if BOTH Goodberry’s are in Mixed Use Overlay districts.) 

goodberrys

I don’t feel it’s fair to limit the use of these lights to businesses and restaurants that are Downtown or in a Mixed Use Overlay District.  I’d like to be fair to all our businesses, and apply an ordinance equitably across the town.

But, let’s see how tomorrow goes. 🙂

As always, thanks for listening and please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or concerns.

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Featured photo by Memicat

Speak Up about Downtown

Speak Up about Downtown

You have probably noticed a great deal going on in Downtown Cary lately. 

We have the installation of the two roundabouts, the restoration of “The Cary” Theatre, the restoration of the Jones-Foy House, and work going on to install a waterline. 

Town of Cary Map (annotated)

Town of Cary Map (annotated)

But it’s time for you to weigh in, as well.

Downtown in Progress

Across from the Cary Arts center is what Town Council and Staff commonly refer to as the “Opportunity Site.” Last year the town held a charrette to brainstorm and create a framework regarding the area – to guide how that piece of property will develop.

There have been some great articles written about this effort – some of my favorite are by the Cary Citizen:

– Downtown Park Plans Move Forward (link)
– Ben Shivar: Past, Present, Future in Cary (link)

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A Theatre is Reborn

A Theatre is Reborn

4 Councilmembers shovel the sand

Being a council member does have its perks. Ceremonial duties such as groundbreakings or award programs are some of my favorite activities. I’m also looking forward to a promised ride-along with a Cary police officer, and my first chance to be in a parade (that’s next weekend!) Sometimes these events give me a behind-the-scenes look at some of Town projects in development in Cary.

That’s what I got on Saturday at the ground breaking ceremony of “The Cary,” the first indoor movie theater built in Cary.

“If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you are.” James Burke”

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What is Public Art?

What is Public Art?

When it comes to “art” I have to say that I am ill equipped to judge.  Sure, I like playing with graphic art on my computer.  And I love going to art museums; my favorites being MOMA in New York, the Art Institute in Chicago, and the Louvre, in Paris.  I even have a daughter that has tons of artistic skills, loves to paint, and I am forever amazed by her talent.

But, as they say, “art is in the eye of the beholder.”  And THIS beholder is no true critic.  I also know that what you might understand is “art,” I might think of as…well, *not* art.

So, when I heard that we were going to get an update on the Cary Public Art Master Plan, I was inquisitive and a bit nervous.  (“Lord,” I thought, “please don’t let them ask me what I think of any sculptures or paintings.  It’s a test I’m sure to fail.”)

But, as it turned out, I was in for a real lesson in “Public Art.”  First, a definition.

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