Fenton Rezoning

Fenton, a proposed mixed-use development located in the Eastern Cary Gateway Special Planning Area, took some major steps forward during the second quarter. A public hearing was held on November 2 and November 16, and the project received a unanimous recommendation for approval from the Planning and Zoning Board on December 18.

The Fenton project is an approximately 92-acre site with proposed rezoning to mixed use district (MXD). The great news about Fenton is that the rezoning is not only anticipated to enhance the Shop opportunities in the Eastern Cary Gateway, it is also anticipated to be a major Live, Work, and Play location. The Fenton site is located on the north side of Cary Towne Boulevard between I-40 and Adams Elementary School.

The preliminary development plan (PDP) proposes vertically mixed uses designed around an “L-shaped” main street where residential and/or office uses are located on top of ground-floor retail tenants. The PDP provides a variety of pedestrian corridors. A total of eight parking decks are proposed, with many of the buildings wrapping around and screening the decks. Several office buildings and one or more hotels are proposed as part of the project. Six community gathering areas are also integrated into the development to provide both passive and active opportunities for residents and visitors.

IKEA Rezoning

The world-renowned Swedish home furnishings store IKEA took another step closer to coming to Cary. On October 26, Town Council approved the rezoning of approximately 20 acres of Cary Towne Center located at 1105 Walnut Street from General Commercial Conditional Use (GC-CU) to Mixed Use District (MXD). The new zoning included a Preliminary Development Plan (PDP), which proposed a new 380,000 square foot building for retail use with a maximum height of 60 feet. The new building would replace a portion of the existing building on the property, including the former Sears.

After the zoning was approved, the first development plan for IKEA was submitted in early December. This iterative review process, where staff works with IKEA’s development team to ensure that the plan meets the conditions of the rezoning as well as the Town’s Land Development Ordinance, will take a number of months to complete.

After development plan approval, detailed drawings of the building will be reviewed to ensure compliance with the North Carolina State Building Code. Both of these plans will then be used by Town inspectors and IKEA’s contractors to construct the store.

Small Business Proclamation/Saturday

The Town of Cary officially recognized Small Business Saturday with a proclamation for the past four years. Small Business Saturday was an initiative launched by American Express to encourage shopping locally in small businesses on the Saturday following what has traditionally been one of the strongest shopping days of the year: Black Friday. The national promotion entered its eighth year and has been successful in bringing both awareness and increased sales to small businesses across the country. Likewise, the Cary Chamber of Commerce is also a big supporter of the Small Business Saturday promotion. Council members Jack Smith, Jennifer Robinson, and Ken George presented the official Small Business Saturday Proclamation during their November “Rise and Shine” breakfast and prior to the start of the 2017 Business Expo.