ZPA recommends planned development for District 26 bus facility at 3373 3 Oaks Road

The Village of Cary Zoning, Planning and Appeals recommended that the Village Board approve a planned development for Cary Community Consolidated School District 26 to relocate its bus transportation center to a 7-acre property at 3373 3 Oaks Road.

Brian Simmons, director of Community Development, told the ZPA the project would create three lots: Lot 1 for the relocated bus facility on the north side of the property near the railroad, and Lots 2 and 3 as future commercial outlots fronting 3 Oaks Road. "The petitioners are seeking to create a three-lot subdivision," Simmons said, adding the planned development triggers because the site exceeds two acres. The petitioner requested three departures from the Unified Development Ordinance: increasing a fence height for outdoor bus storage from 8 feet to 10 feet and modifications to landscape requirements along the north and west property lines.

Dr. Brandon White, representing Cary District 26, said the facility is intended to serve current needs and future growth. "This is a transportation facility that will not only meet the needs of the district today, but it's also being built for future growth," White said, noting the design includes space for additional buses if the fleet expands. White told the ZPA the district plans approximately 41 bus parking spaces in the build-out; he said the district currently operates about 25 buses.

Design materials show the bus maintenance building would be precast construction with two maintenance bays, a wash bay and administrative offices and training rooms. The site plan includes an internal loop road that will tie into the signal at 3 Oaks and Georgetown and provide cross access to the adjacent Aldi shopping center; part of the existing parallel driveway will be temporarily closed and then reconfigured when Lot 3 redevelops to move the decision point away from the intersection.

On landscaping departures, staff noted the northern property line adjoins a railroad right-of-way and an existing stand of trees roughly 110 feet from the property line; petitioners proposed counting some existing vegetation toward screening and limiting new plantings near the northwest Highway curb. For the west property edge, staff said the code allows one-level departures under some circumstances, which would reduce a 15-foot setback to 10 feet for a type B screening; petitioners proposed relying on existing tree stands rather than planting new material.

Simmons said stormwater management for the three lots would be provided centrally and that fuel infrastructure (a fuel island) is proposed in the northwest corner; fire department review will occur during permitting. Simmons told the ZPA staff received no public feedback on the petition and that the commercial Lots 2 and 3 are owned by the school district per the intergovernmental agreement.

The ZPA voted to recommend approval of the planned development and departures, subject to conditions in the staff report. The chair advised the petitioner to coordinate with staff about next steps; the matter is expected to proceed to the Village Board, possibly on the July 1 agenda.