Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/791958
DOWNTOWN CARY SPECIAL PLANNING AREA 159 CEntral Chatham subarEa Context The Central Chatham Subarea is the "heart and soul" of Downtown Cary. It is the Town's historic core, and is centered on Chatham Street. Chatham Street is the primary commercial street in Downtown Cary, and this subarea links the four other subareas of downtown. The exis ng retail shops and restaurants along its length, coupled with strong local and regional transit connec ons lay a solid founda on for a thriving district. There are opportuni es to reinforce the corridor through infill development and redevelopment that use density and design to invite the pedestrian ac vity that is necessary for a successful downtown. Issues and Opportunities Chatham Street currently includes a variety of building pa erns, uses, and street configura ons. In recent years, redevelopment of commercial proper es has brought renewed interest into the heart of downtown. The provision of sufficient parking close to the businesses along Chatham Street is a cri cal issue, as it is needed to be er serve exis ng businesses and to support new development. The map on the next page, and the cap ons below iden fy several of the most significant planning issues and opportuni es for the Central Chatham subarea. 1 Chatham East of Harrison Avenue This sec on of Chatham has a rela vely consistent design character and is the loca on of the majority of downtown retail and dining establishments. Opportuni es exist to redevelop older commercial proper es and realign new development to create a more consistent street frontage, not including historic proper es. Due to the rela vely narrow width of Chatham Street itself, the height of future buildings should be compa ble with the context, and be suppor ve of the small-town "main street" character intended for this area. Lower land eleva ons in this sec on of the corridor might offer opportuni es for increased building heights without affec ng the consistent height of buildings across the corridor. Chatham West of Harrison Avenue This area poses design challenges in terms of the variety of building setbacks that currently exist along the street, coupled with the wider street width as compared to E. Chatham Street. However, the rela vely wider street may enable taller buildings to fit comfortably into the main street context than might be found on Chatham east of Harrison. Many lots in this sec on currently have front parking areas and buildings set back from the street. 2 4 Historic Proper es Notable historic proper es in Central Chatham include the Ma hews House, now used as an event space for weddings and social gatherings, and the remarkable Ivy Ellington House, listed on the Na onal Register of Historic Places. In addi on, there are several nearby bungalows and buildings of historic character. These sites should be protected, and adjacent redevelopment should be sensi ve to the historic character, massing of these structures, and setbacks of the homes to create a unified pa ern of development. Walker Street Extension The Town's comprehensive transporta on plan (see Chapter 7: Move) includes the extension of Walker Street north to Chapel Hill Road, going under the NC RR Corridor via a tunnel. The project calls for bicycle and pedestrian improvements along the corridor, and widening of the road at two intersec ons. Hunter Street Extension The former 2001 Town Center Area Plan iden fied that Hunter Street be extended northward to Cedar Street as a local street connec on. Future plans for this area should consider this improvement. 5 3