Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/791958
EASTERN CARY GATEWAY SPECIAL PLANNING AREA 1 Mixed Use Center - Employment Based • Undeveloped lands in the central por on of Eastern Cary Gateway are appropriate loca ons for high density, intensive employment uses mixed with suppor ve commercial and residen al uses. • A new mixed use employment center should take advantage of addi onal road connec vity to the north and west and provide connec vity to adjacent neighborhoods and surrounding uses. • Site plans should protect Walnut Creek and greenways and incorporate them into the pedestrian fabric of the development. • Designs should focus on crea ng a fine-grained, ver cally mixed, urban environment to foster connec ons between uses. The connec ons may include public and private streets, bicycle and transit facili es, plazas, and wide pedestrian ways.. • A plaza could be a central design feature for orien ng the development and crea ng a vibrant public gathering space, poten ally surrounded by commercial dining establishments and related commercial support uses. • Encourage short walkable blocks and create new connec ons to adjacent proper es undergoing development and redevelopment. • Encourage a variety of residen al use types such as apartments, lo s, condominiums, garden apartments, townhomes, and other mul family uses - ideally designed to be ver cally mixed with other uses. • Mul ple connec ons should be made to other parts of Eastern Cary Gateway, especially to the Soccer Campus and future addi onal sports oriented uses to the North. • Where possible parking facili es should be easily accessible between this area and the Soccer Campus, including poten al partnerships for providing parking. • This area could also serve as the site for hoteliers and establishments serving business travelers and tourists coming to town for soccer games or other events. • Development in this area should serve as an a rac ve gateway into Cary. • This area should have limited surface parking. Parking decks are preferred and should be screened as much as possible to ensure they are a rac ve and are not defining visual elements. • Development in this area ideally will include a mix of uses with a guarantee of significant room for employment, yet flexible and responsive to the market. The following ranges provide a general guide for the mix of uses in this area: 40-60% Office, 20-40% Residen al, 20-40% Retail. • Building height is envisioned as predominantly 5-15 stories, but could go higher and allow some flexibility for lower height buildings (3-4 stories). Office space can frame suppor ng retail or associated hotel space as in CityCentre in Houston, TX, converted in 2007 from the Town & Country Mall built in 1983. 125