Umstead #1 in NC, Disney Invests $1.5 billion in Epic Games, Ashworth Drugs Closes, HIRD meeting, Council Work Session, and Council Meeting

Council Meeting Prep

In preparation for Thursday’s council meeting, I attempted to contact each council member to learn of questions or concerns they may have had. Questions and concerns were expressed about rezoning 23-REZ-09, a rezoning proposal by the SV temple to allow overflow parking. Concerns and questions were related to not requiring the sidewalk along Chapel Hill Road. Later in the day I met with staff and Mayor Pro-Tem Bryson-Robinson to go over the agenda items.

Town Manager One-On-One

Later in the day the town manager and I met for our weekly one-on-one. We talked mostly about the Kansas City trip, The Center, and a potential bond.

Umstead #1 Hotel in NC

Tuesday the Triangle Business Journal reported that the Umstead Hotel is once again the best hotel in North Carolina. You can read the story here.

Human Relations, Inclusion, & Diversity Task Force Meeting

The HIRD (Human Relations, Inclusion, and Diversity) task force met Tuesday night. Presentations were given on potential future center and inter-generational community center at South Hills and the inter-generational community center at Mills Park. The group discussed experiences in the Downtown Cary Park, the two newest parks in western Cary, and DEI education efforts.

Disney Invests $1.5 billion in Epic Games

Wednesday it was announced that Disney will invest $1.5 billion in Epic Games which is headquartered in Cary. Epic Games has included Disney playable characters into Fortnite in the past. The Disney CEO says that they plan to work with Epic Games to create a new virtual reality universe as well as new games and entertainment with more characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and other company properties. I was asked by WTVD to issue a statement. Here the statement I provided:

“I believe Disney’s investment in Epic Games is good news for Cary. We are glad that Epic Games is headquartered in Cary, and we look forward to seeing what impact this new investment will have on Epic and Cary. Hopefully, Epic and Disney will develop a long partnership. Regardless of your place or stage in life, millions of people around the world have found inspiration, happiness, excitement, and joy in the experiences offered by Disney and Epic Games, so collectively we can’t wait to see what comes next for those of us in Cary. We are excited to see how both companies will come together to stay on ‘Top of the Arc’ and what role Cary, NC plays in that.”

Stable Homes Cary

Wednesday staff provided finalized work to Council about a new partnership with Dorcas ministries for affordable housing. This was originally presented to Council at a work session in January and council agreed to move forward. The following is the staff summary of the new program, called Stable Homes Cary, with additional information:

Cary Housing Plan & Support for Housing Initiatives

  • Two key foundations of Cary’s housing strategy are Partnerships and People First. Through projects and programs, Cary collaborates with local and regional partners to improve housing resources in Cary. These endeavors help ensure that all Cary citizens can enjoy the high quality of life that Cary has to offer.
  • Since the adoption of the Cary Housing Plan in November 2021, Cary has launched several initiatives including Healthy Homes Cary to support those in need with home improvements; Cary’s Nonprofit Capacity Building Program to provide training for nonprofit leaders; and Cary’s partnership with Laurel Street Residential to develop 126 units of mixed-income housing on Town-owned property at 921 SE Maynard.

Stable Homes Cary – Dorcas Partnership

  • Over the past year, Cary has been in discussion with Dorcas Ministries and other local groups interested in addressing housing instability, and in particular helping Chatham Estates residents. In addition to Cary and Dorcas, other organizations involved in the discussions include Taylor Family YMCA, Northwest Cary YMCA, The Carying Place, A Doorway to Hope, OneWake, and the Western Regional Housing Action Group.
  • Through these discussions, Dorcas Ministries, a major Cary non-profit established in 1968, agreed to serve as lead agency to support the launch of a new program, Stable Homes Cary. Dorcas provides emergency relief and support services to residents experiencing housing instability. Dorcas integrates three key components: short-term emergency relief, case management, and referrals to other area providers.
  • Dorcas also administers two existing Cary programs: the Oasis Utility Bill Program which assists residents with utility bill payments, and Play It Forward which provides scholarships to children for Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources activities.
  • Stable Homes Cary will allow Dorcas to scale up their current program model to serve more community members in need, while creating capacity and expertise to provide support to residents who may need to relocate due to specific large-scale property redevelopments, such as Chatham Estates.
  • Stable Homes Cary assistance will include individual case management to assess each household’s needs, to identify potential housing options, to connect residents with resources, and to administer relocation assistance disbursement. Dorcas’ expertise and data collection through case management will inform and determine relief needs.
  • Cary will utilize previously budgeted housing funds to fund Stable Homes Cary and support the administration the Oasis Utility Bill and Play It Forward programs, including:
  • a three-year allocation ($500,000 in 2024, $550,000 in 2025, and $600,000 in 2026) to increase Dorcas’ capacity, establish Stable Homes Cary, administer the Oasis Utility Bill and Play It Forward programs.
  • an initial allocation of $800,000 to seed a fund for assistance to be disbursed exclusively to residents who need to relocate due to property redevelopment.

Chatham Estates Potential Sale

  • As of February 7, 2024, Curtis Westbrook, owner of Chatham Estates, the 27.25-acre mobile home park located on 607 Cedar Street at the intersection of E. Chatham Street and SE Maynard Road, has listed the property for sale with broker Lee & Associates.
  • The Listing currently includes the residential portion of the property. The current owner plans to maintain ownership of the commercial area Chatham Square Shopping Center and Maynard Plaza. There is not an advertised listing price.
  • Cary continues to have a keen eye on the sale and welcomes the opportunity to work with any potential new owners to communicate Cary’s vision and needs as we do with all property in Cary. Until then, Cary will continue to communicate with the current property owner as they work to limit new tenancy.

The Stable Homes Cary will be brought to the Council for a vote in March.

Ashworth Drugs Closes

Thursday it was announced that the iconic business, Ashworth Drugs, located at Academy and Chatham, closed its business. This business has been in operation since 1957 and I remember it well as a child. I wish the Ashworth family the best in their future endeavors and hope to see a new business in its place soon. We will certainly miss their iconic presence downtown.

Council Work Session

Thursday evening the council held a work session and discussed retreat topics, the council calendar, connectivity requirements, the potential 2024 bond, and philanthropy.

Topics for the retreat include:

  • The 2024 Bond
  • Timing of municipal elections
  • Development in Cary
  • Downtown Issues
  • Stormwater
  • Cary Events such as the Christmas parade

The council calendar was reviewed, and no revisions were made.

The council asked staff to review connectivity requirements especially considering the Middleton Avenue complaints.

A potential 2024 bond was discussed at length. It was pointed out that most people are not sure what it means (bonds are essentially voter approval of a loan not whether a project should be built).

A discussion on the lack of Cary philanthropy. It was pointed out by a council member that Cary will eventually stop growing and funding could be an issue without philanthropy.

Council Meeting

Thursday night the council met for its first regularly scheduled meeting of February. The agenda included five consent items and one discussion item.

The auditorium was full because the group OneWake asked their members to show up and speak for Cary’s proposed Stable Homes Cary (see above). They had several speakers in the Public Speaks Out portion of the meeting.

The consent agenda was approved unanimously.

The discussion item was 23-REZ-09 for the SV Temple Parking. This will allow for overflow parking at the temple. In addition, they dedicated land so that the town could build a sidewalk along Highway 54. The proposal was unanimously approved.

Town Manager’s Report

Sean’s Message

It was so good to be able to spend time with you this week, Council, both individually and collectively. During last night’s work session and after our regular meeting, I heard from several of you just how much you’re valuing the work sessions and the opportunities they bring for thinking out loud and free-flowing discussions. I couldn’t agree more – an excellent prelude to the retreat.
Thanks to you, we’re making good progress toward this year’s retreat, and the staff is fully engaged in making it our best.
Have a good weekend.
Sean

Girl Scouts Learn About Environmental Initiatives

Councilmember Sarika Bansal and Assistant Town Manager Danna Widmar visited Girl Scout Troop 2327 to speak with the girls about trees, environmental initiatives, and sustainable practices. The information was well received by the troop, and the girls had insightful questions and engaging discussions.

TBJ Business Persons of the Year

Councilmember Carissa Kohn-Johnson and Town staff attended a February 7 event celebrating Triangle Business Journal’s 2023 Business Persons of the Year, Cary developers Jordan Gussenhoven and George Jordan III. From the stage, both men credited the Town with giving them the confidence to invest in the Cary community. The panel, including several past winners and the 2023 winners, also discussed economic development, entrepreneurship, health care, and community development initiatives for the future of the Triangle region.

Soft Opening of Neighborhood Parks

Two new parks located in western Cary are now available to the public. While each park has some punch-list work remaining, staff has decided to allow soft openings to occur to facilitate the use of most facilities. A celebration for the opening of the parks will be scheduled later this spring.
The Neighborhood Park on McCrimmon Parkway features 12 new courts (six pickleball and six tennis) and hosts walking trails, a community garden, a playground, and public art.
The Neighborhood Park on Carpenter Fire Station Road features ballfields, a basketball/futsal court, a playground, an adult fitness area, dog park, public art, and a connection to the Panther Creek Greenway.

Cary Launches Online e-Commerce Store

This week, the branding team took a significant step in Cary’s rebranding initiatives with the launch of a new online store. This platform extends Cary’s merchandise availability beyond our two existing in-person locations and allows people to purchase branded merchandise from anywhere in the United States so they can represent Cary no matter where they reside. Visit the store and explore the collection at shop.carync.gov.

Downtown Library Parking Deck Gates Project

Contractors are wrapping up the installation of the parking gates at the Downtown Library Parking Deck. Now that the parking equipment and gate arms are installed, the contractor will continue to perform work behind the scenes to commission and test the smart parking system and will install signage before it is activated. This work will occur intermittently over the next month. Once the system is activated, parking will continue to be free of charge to the public. Cary will be able to use this new technology to better understand the use and capacity of the deck to help effectively manage parking. For more information about this work, please visit our website. 

ACC Championship Commits to Cary

Given our deep history of hosting nearly 90 college championships, the ACC views Cary as a great host, especially since we have hosted 49 ACC championships over the past 21 years. We will continue this legacy through 2029 as we have committed to each other to host Men’s & Women’s soccer and tennis over the next six years in Cary.

Cary Marketing Team Visits GRVCB at Tourism Talk Live

The Cary Marketing team attended “Tourism Talk Live” from the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (GRCVB) on Feb. 8 at The Ritz, a live music venue in Raleigh. Members of the GRCVB marketing team shared what they’ve been working on and how they can be a valuable resource to partners, like Cary, in promoting future visitation to Wake County.

Chamber Leadership Tour and Presentations

On Jan. 31, Cary PRCR hosted the Cary Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Cary program. The group consisted of 40 business leaders in the Cary area, including Assistant Finance Director Denisha Harris. The group took tours of WakeMed Soccer Park, The Cary Arts Center, and the Downtown Park. The tour ended at the Bark Bar for a great social outside.

Parks at West Lake Meeting

This week, staff met with residents of the Parks at West Lake community to discuss signal and sidewalk projects currently under design in the area. These projects include:

  • New signal at Optimist Farm Road and Glade Hill Drive
  • Upgrades to the existing signal at Optimist Farm Road and West Lake Road
  • New sidewalk along two sections of Optimist Farm Road
  • New sidewalk along West Lake Road from Optimist Farm Road to Piney Branch Drive


Staff shared key safety features included in these projects and listened to feedback from the residents. Final designs and permitting will continue through the fall.

Police Training and Awards

Congratulations to six of our leaders (Lieutenant Jenkins, Sergeants Pearson, and Marks, and Corporals Jones, Pyland, and Crossman) for completing the FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA) Executive Leadership Institute training course. Furthermore, we are proud to announce that five of them have earned the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award for completing all three leadership institute courses. We are proud of their achievements and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Fire Recruit Academy 28

Fire Academy 28 reported for duty on Monday. These 21 individuals will train rigorously over the coming months to earn their required fire, rescue, hazardous materials, and rescue certifications, as well as immerse themselves in Cary’s culture before joining their fellow firefighters on shift.

Celebrating World Wetlands Day with Service Learning

Cary celebrated World Wetlands Day on Feb. 2 with a service-learning event. In collaboration with our nonprofit partners from the Carolina Wetland Association and environmental science students from Green Hope High School, staff organized an afternoon of litter collection in the wetlands that border the Cary Tennis Park and high school properties. Participants collected 160 pounds of litter and witnessed the wonders of a local wetland ecosystem via a short educational presentation.

Cary’s Compost Comes to Good Hope Farm

Cary citizens are helping to grow future crops at Good Hope Farm with compost generated from material collected at the Food Waste Recycling Drop-off. Through CompostNow’s Garden Partner Program, the farm received almost 40,000 pounds of finished compost this week, and almost 10,000 pounds of that weight was derived from Cary’s Food Waste Recycling program efforts in 2023. Through this partnership, 10% of the annual weight of food scraps collected are delivered back to the community as finished compost for our fields.

Upcoming Meetings

Environmental Advisory Board
Tuesday, February 13
6:00 p.m.

Greenway Committee
Thursday, February 15
6:00 p.m.

Mayor’s Mailbox

  • A question about a sidewalk project (You can see the status of all sidewalks here).
  • A question about how to get involved with a Public Transit working group.
  • Complaints about a rezoning proposal 19-REZ-25 on Piney Plains Road. (This proposal, from 2019, has yet to be scheduled for a public hearing.)
  • A request to walk through Taylor’s Pond over the extension of Middleton Avenue. This is related to 22-REZ-21.
  • Several comments that support Chatham Estate residents (This property is up for sale and residents have stated they can’t afford to live anywhere else in Cary).
  • A request for a ribbon cutting.
  • A comment that downtown redevelopment should have a maximum of four story buildings.
  • A complaint that the “town, manager agenda, supported by council” to turn Cary into North Hills because of the RFQ submittals last fall for town hall campus. (Part of my response: “The newest building on town hall campus is 20 years old. We are reaching the point of having to rehab many of the buildings. Currently the buildings and the community center are not meeting the needs of the citizens or staff. It makes sense to research to see if it is cost effective to redevelop the area and include a new town hall. An RFQ was issued last year to get ideas of what a developer would do in redevelopment. I haven’t seen any of these to date. We will have plenty of time to provide input of what we think should happen with the town hall campus. One thing for sure, with an acre going for $1 million downtown, it would be foolish not to explore all our options.”).
  • A complaint that the library parking deck is not covered.

Next Week

Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a SkillPointe/NACCE Announcement event, TBJ Space Awards, and a meeting of the North Carolina Metro Mayors.

Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, February 18th, 2024. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts those are not the best means of communication with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@townofcary.org and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.