Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/791958
DOWNTOWN CARY SPECIAL PLANNING AREA East Chatham GatEway subarEa Context The East Chatham Gateway is located on the eastern edge of downtown. It is the downtown gateway for travelers entering from Raleigh and I-40. The area includes offices, industry, commercial buildings, and residen al neighborhoods. Major east-west connec ng corridors include Chapel Hill Road and East Chatham Street. The East Chatham Street roundabout is located on the western edge of the subarea. The area is also bisected east-to-west by the North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) corridor, which includes both Norfolk Southern and CSX railroad lines. Issues and Opportunities The East Chatham Subarea is a prime opportunity for redevelopment and investment in Downtown Cary. Future transporta on enhancements planned for this area will likely increase the marketability of sites and create an environment for private investment and redevelopment. One of the challenges to redevelopment in this subarea is the significant number of small, individual proper es and owners that may make it difficult to acquire appropriately-sized tracts for redevelopment. The map on the following page, and the cap ons below iden fy several of the most significant planning issues and opportuni es for the East Chatham Gateway, and par cularly the planned transporta on improvements that will most directly influence this subarea's future. 1 2 3 4 Poten al Bus Rapid Transit Service The 2016 Wake Transit Plan iden fies a conceptual east-west corridor (likely Chapel Hill Road or Chatham Street) for providing future Bus Rapid Transit between downtown Raleigh and downtown Cary. This includes a bus rapid transit (BRT) sta on that could be located in this general area that would open up opportuni es for future transit-oriented development. Widening of Chapel Hill Road Chapel Hill Road is planned to be widened to four lanes with a landscaped median to accommodate long-term projec ons for traffic. While East Chatham Street is the primary "main street" corridor in this subarea, Chapel Hill Road carries a higher traffic volume, and its future widening will have significant character impacts on the northern parts of the subarea. Poten al Regional Commuter Rail Corridor The Wake Transit Plan includes recommenda ons for regional commuter rail service in the NCRR corridor. 5 Future Sidewalk Projects Plans have been made to develop sidewalks on the north side of East Chatham Street to fill in exis ng sidewalk gaps. Railroad Bridge To address railroad crossing challenges, the 2016 Raleigh-Cary Rail Corridor Study recommends that someday Maynard Road should pass under the NC Railroad Corridor, via a tunnel. This would poten ally necessitate shi ing the Maynard Road and Chatham Street intersec on about 200 feet south from the rail corridor. 149