Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/791946
CHAPTER 2: LIVE In order to respond to the housing challenges and opportuni es facing Cary, including providing a variety of housing choices and mee ng new household needs while also maintaining high-quality established neighborhoods, the Town of Cary's housing policies are: Policy Direction Policy Policy Intent Policy 1: Maintain Neighborhood Character Recognize, preserve, and protect the quality and character of existing residential neighborhoods as they mature, and as new development occurs nearby. The intent of this policy is to preserve or improve the character, ambiance, property values, desirability, and cohesiveness of neighborhoods, as well as to proactively prevent neighborhood decline. This policy is primarily intended to be applied to neighborhoods that are either in decline, threatened with decline or at a "tipping point" between advance and decline. The policy is more likely therefore to be focused on older rather than newer neighborhoods, recognizing that over time the number of "older neighborhoods" will steadily increase. To assist in making the determination about the status of a neighborhood (stable, threatened with decline, at a tipping point between stable and decline, or in decline), several metrics can be analyzed by the Town to compare past and current conditions in a neighborhood. (These metrics can be developed as part of implementation of Strategy #2: Strong Neighborhoods Initiative.) • Number of nuisance complaints and code enforcement issues occurring in the neighborhood • Number of building permits being applied for • New visual impacts or property maintenance issues • Property valuation changes over time for the neighborhood in comparison to comparable neighborhoods, all similar property types in Town, or Town-wide averages This information, along with input from neighborhood residents and landowners, can be used to help identify the status of the neighborhood and the most appropriate approaches for stabilizing it. Policy objectives should be tailored to the particular needs of a neighborhood, and might include (for example) one or more of the following: (1) encouraging reinvestment in homes, including renovations, additions and landscaping; (2) strengthening the visual and amenity appeal of the neighborhood; (3) protecting the character of historic neighborhoods; (4) increasing the share of owner-occupied (versus renter-occupied) single family housing; and (5) encouraging and facilitating new development and redevelopment. A par cular problem facing older neighborhoods occurs when a thoroughfare fronted by older homes is widened to four or more lanes, threatening the fron ng homes and neighborhoods with decline. The impact of such widenings on homes can be mi gated through a variety of means, including retrofi ng the road with a median, skinnying lanes, retrofi ng front yards with low fences or walls, crea ng front yard grade eleva ons above road level, and others. Some towns also consider rezoning the fron ng proper es to allow redevelopment with townhomes, pa o homes, or small mul family. 22