Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/707889
PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT [JULY 25, 2016] 9. ACT Plan Implementation The Cary Community Plan sets the stage for con nued advancement of our great Town. Cri cal to realizing the vision and values of this plan is implementa on of the ac on strategies supported by our community. This Chapter 9: Act, sets out a series of ini a ves that the Town of Cary will ini ate in the coming years. The Town and Council have evaluated these ini a ves and have defined priori es for implementa on. Amending the Plan From me to me, it will be necessary to update the Cary Community Plan to address condi ons that could not have been an cipated during the planning process. The Town's Land Development Ordinance sets out the specific procedures for amending the plan. This process includes a pre-applica on mee ng, submi al of the applica on, staff review of the applica on, and a a minimum of three public hearings with the Town Council and Planning and Zoning Board. Comprehensive Plan Amendment requests may be ini ated by the Town Council, Planning and Zoning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, any resident or owner of a legal or equitable interest in land within Cary or its extraterritorial jurisdic on. According to Cary's Land Development Ordinance, proposals to amend the Comprehensive Plan shall be evaluated based upon whether the amendment is necessary in order to address condi ons including, but not limited to, the following: (1) A change in projec ons or assump ons from those on which the Comprehensive Plan is based; (2) Iden fica on of new issues, needs, or opportuni es that are not adequately addressed in the Comprehensive Plan; (3) A change in the policies, objec ves, principles, or standards governing the physical development of the Town or any other geographic areas addressed by the Comprehensive Plan; or (4) Iden fica on of errors or omissions in the Comprehensive Plan. In the past, the Town of Cary maintained a Future Land Use map that was consistent with zoning. What this means is that if a developer requested a rezoning category that was in conflict with the Future Land Use map, it would trigger an amendment to the Land Use Plan prior to approval of the rezoning. While generally speaking, the Town adhered to the vision set out in the plan, over me the plan became outdated and needed upda ng. Development opportuni es arose that were deemed appropriate that did not conform to the Land Use Plan. The old Land Use Plan used a tradi onal format that separated uses in all categories except for mixed use ac vity centers. One of the benefits of the Future Growth Framework in this update to the Cary Community Plan is that it provides guidance about the general character of development and allows for a variety of uses in most categories. This will hopefully serve to provide a flexible land development framework that will support redevelopment efforts, while also providing clear direc on regarding the vision for different areas of the Town. This flexible approach will likely result in fewer comprehensive plan amendments, reducing me spent on making minor adjustments to the plan. Application of Plan Policies and the Future Growth Framework Map One of the reasons for undertaking a new comprehensive plan is to update the guidance for future land use and character that helps guide development decisions. The Future Growth Framework map and the policies included in this plan should be used by Town Staff, Town Advisory Boards, and the Town Council when making decisions about land development, capital investments, and community programs. One of the primary roles of the Town's comprehensive plan is to guide decisions regarding rezoning applica ons. As a landowner wishes to develop their property, they o en need to request a new zoning designa on for the site. The Town's evalua on of the rezoning applica ons begins with the guidance provided in this comprehensive plan. The former Cary Land Use Plan included a Future Land Use Map that was used as the primary guidance for rezoning cases. The intent of this Plan is to use not only the Future Growth Framework Map to guide land development decisions, but just as important, the policies included within this plan should be considered. Shi ing from a greenfield to a redevelopment and infill development context requires flexibility, and the broad categories iden fied on the Future Growth Framework map, coupled with the specific policies included in the Cary Community Plan are our Town's guidance for making ra onale planning decisions.