Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/774879
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Within its planning boundary, Cary has three Na onal Register Historic Districts, four individually-designated Na onal Register proper es, and seven local Historic Landmarks. A town-wide comprehensive historic resources survey was completed in 2014, resul ng in an inventory of approximately 350 proper es that contain one or more buildings at least fi y years old. As Cary approaches geographic build-out and there are fewer vacant tracts of land le to develop, there is increasing pressure to redevelop these proper es. Many of the pre-1940 historic buildings that have survived up un l now are the best and/or the rarest of Cary's remaining historic resources. Challenges for the Town are to encourage preserva on of these buildings as proper es redevelop, and to ensure transporta on and infrastructure projects respect and complement historic resources and landscapes. An emerging challenge for the Town is to recognize and take steps now to preserve the best of its mid-century (1940 to 1969) historic resources – those newly- historic buildings and structures that will help convey to future genera ons the sweeping cultural and technological changes of that era. To meet these challenges, the Town has the opportunity to take full advantage of state enabling legisla on that allows Cary, through the Historic Preserva on Commission, to build on its established local landmark program and also to implement new regulatory- and incen ve-based preserva on programs. Some programs recommended by the Historic Preserva on Master Plan for the next five years include a revolving fund program for the purchase and re-sale of historic proper es; a demoli on- delay ordinance; and local historic district overlay zoning for areas of town such as downtown and Carpenter. Cary has the founda on in place on which to build its program; now the challenge is to further develop and implement preserva on programs and policies that capitalize on the many cultural and economic benefits that historic preserva on can bring to Cary, such as: • Community character – historic proper es help Cary retain an authen c, quality community character and a sense of civic pride. • Economic and fiscal benefits – compared to new construc on, rehabilita on of historic buildings is usually more labor- intensive than materials-intensive. Consequently, more jobs are created; they are more likely to be filled by local ar sans; and more of the dollars earned stay in the local community. Also, there is legi mate financial value in the character of historic buildings, and smart developers understand this fact and capitalize on it. Cary's Na onal Register of Historic Districts. Detailed maps of historic structures are located in the Downtown, Historic Carpenter, and Green Level Special Planning Areas of Chapter 6: SHAPE. Protecting and Capitalizing on Cary's Historic Resources • Environmental sustainability – adap ve reuse of historic buildings recycles valuable building materials rather than sending them to landfills. Reusing buildings rather than demolishing them retains the embodied me and energy that was associated with acquiring the natural resources and producing the building in the first place. 67 COUNCIL FINAL PUBLIC MEETING DRAFT [JAN. 24, 2017]