August 2020

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The Town of Cary is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic in conjunction with Wake County and North Carolina officials, and will adjust or extend cancelations and closures as needed. Remember, though, your Town Government is not closed! Many essential services continue including police, fire, solid waste collection, water distribution, wastewater, inspections, and 911 and 311 services. You can find up-to-date information about the Town's operations at www.townofcary.org/covid-19 or call us at 311. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through these unprecedented times together. We look forward to seeing you again, soon. Until then, please stay safe and well, and continue to look out for one another.

This Month's Headlines:

Looking Back & Ahead
Greenway Usage
Hometown Spirit Nominees Wanted!
Utility Rate Decrease
Conservation Corner
Be Prepared
Share With Us

Looking Back & Ahead

While life's pace is a little slower for some right now, we want you to know the Town of Cary continues to move forward, safely, with budgeted projects and plans that make Cary a great place to work, play, and live. This year, with citizen input, we've enjoyed great success in a number of park and greenway, sidewalk and street, and facility projects. Recent accomplishments include completion of the 0.4 mile section of the White Oak Creek Greenway between MacArthur Drive and Davis Drive installation of additional bleachers at the Cary Tennis Park, and improvements to Walker Street near Downtown Cary.

Other Project Updates

Downtown Park
The final design of the seven-acre park is nearly done and the team is developing the construction documents for Phase 2. The existing Town Square is approximately one acre in size. This next phase will add six acres that will be home to performance places, market spaces, public art, food and beverage facilities, a children’s play area, interactive water features, a dog play area, and walkways for strolling and relaxing. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2021 with an opening date of 2023.

Carpenter Fire Station Road Neighborhood Park
Design for this 21-acre neighborhood park is well underway with a construction start date of 2022. The master plan for this neighborhood park creates a vibrant and lively space within a wooded setting, offering play opportunities for everyone--families, teens, young adults, and senior citizens.

McCrimmon Parkway Neighborhood Park
Design for this 20-acre neighborhood park is in progress, with construction to begin in 2022. The park’s rolling topography, mature tree canopy, and existing creeks provide the opportunity to integrate park features within this natural setting. The park will be home to tennis and pickleball courts, a community garden, a playground, and public art.

And, of course, we will continue to maintain our existing facilities to enrich the lives of our citizens. Find complete information about all projects at www.townofcary.org/projectupdates.

Greenway Usage

Ever wonder just how many people walk or bike along Cary's miles and miles of greenways? We've got the stats! Black Creek Greenway saw one of its highest readings in June, with almost 1,500 users on June 21. Likewise, Symphony Lake had over 1,000 users on June 29.
How do we know? Cary has counting devices at two locations on Black Creek Greenway, on the Louis Stephens Drive street-side trail, and on Lake Pine Drive. Two additional units are periodically circulated throughout the greenway system.
How do they work? The counter technology includes a PYRO box which tallies the number of runners, bikers and walkers using infrared technology. These counts can be separated to capture the number of cyclists and pedestrians, 24 hours a day.
Why do we count? The data helps us evaluate bicycling and walking usage, monitor commuting patterns and recreational trips, identify trends, prioritize infrastructure projects, support grant applications, and help plan for future facilities.

Keep trekking!

Hometown Spirit Nominees Wanted!

Do you know a Cary resident who embodies traditional small-town community values and traits? Let us know! We are accepting nominations for our Hometown Spirit Award from August 26 through September 23. Nominees must be age 21 or older and should demonstrate qualities such as helping neighbors, showing hospitality, promoting a sense of community, and displaying patriotism. A panel will select the award winner after the nomination period ends. All nominees will be recognized at a reception and the Hometown Spirit award winner will be announced in November. See www.townofcary.org/spirit to enter your nominee online or call for information at (919) 469-4011.

Utility Rate Decrease

In June, the Cary Town Council adopted the new fiscal year (2021) budget, which includes a recommendation to reduce utility rates by four (4) percent. These new volumetric rates will be effective on your August bill. To see full budget details, visit www.townofcary.org/budget.

Conservation Corner

Storm Debris

To ensure collection, please prepare all yard waste, including storm-related debris, according to our curbside collection guidelines. This includes cutting limbs to less than four (4) feet long and four (4) inches in diameter. For more, search “Yard Waste” in the Waste Wizard feature of Cary Collects. www.townofcary.org/collects

Proper Disposal

Be sure to dispose of pesticides, solvents, and other household hazardous waste (HHW) at a Wake County HHW collection site or Chatham County collection event. These items should never be placed in the trash or dumped in any drain, including a storm drain. Find disposal options using the Waste Wizard at www.townofcary.org/collects.

Labor Day Collection Changes

Curbside collection of garbage, yard waste, and recycling will be one day later the week of September 6-12. The Citizen’s Convenience Center will be closed on September 7 in observance of Labor Day. Stay up to date on your collection schedule at www.townofcary.org/carycollects or download the free app for your mobile device.

Be Prepared!

September is National Preparedness Month! Take action now to keep you and your family safe and healthy throughout the year, in case of a community disaster or emergency.

Be Informed

Visit www.readync.org and download the free smart phone app to learn what hazards we are susceptible to here in NC. Find suggestions for what to include in your emergency supply kit, get weather and road conditions, or find the number to report power outages.

Make a Plan

Where would you go if an evacuation order was made and how would you contact family members? Make contingency plans to care for your pets.

Build an Emergency Kit

Visit www.readync.org for suggestions on how to build an emergency kit for your family. The kit should be portable and able to sustain your family for 72 hours.

Get Involved

Consider taking a free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class through the Cary Fire Department to learn how to not only ready your family, but to assist your neighbors as well. Please call (919) 460-4958 for more information and for class schedules.

The more prepared you are, the better off you will be during an emergency situation.

Share With Us

Citizens and businesses are encouraged to share their budget priorities with the Town at any point in the year, and we’ll share what we hear with Town Council through quarterly reporting. The Town’s budget runs from July 1 through June 30. Let us hear from you! www.townofcary.org/budget.

Email: budgetinput@townofcary.org
Phone: (919) 469-4307
Twitter: @TownofCary with #TOCbudget
Facebook: facebook.com/TownofCaryNC
Public Speaks Out: Speak out at a Town Council meeting