The Cary Report

Good people of Cary,

We went from 90 degrees to legitimate fall weather seemingly overnight. I thought I was ready, but man, these mornings are brutal!

There are lots of new (well, new-to-Cary) businesses coming into town. TESO Life, a Japanese and East Asian merch/beauty store is coming near crossroads, a couple local businesses are expanding into Waverly Place, and Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant looks to be almost complete in west Cary.

Early voting also started last week. I have lots more information on this in the featured article inside this report. If you can, try to vote early and avoid the crowds!

All of this, and more, below.

Thank you for continuing to support local,
James

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a substantial change to the way some properties can be redeveloped in Cary. We’re now starting to see that new law in practice.

North Carolina Regulatory Reform Act of 2026 requires Cary, Raleigh, and Charlotte to allow residential uses on qualifying commercial, business, and light industrial properties without going through a rezoning.

Basically, prior to this new law, if you wanted to turn an office building into apartments, you had to go through a rezoning process. That involved getting approval from the town and meeting with local residents. Now, they can skip that entire process.

Mayor Harold wrote on this blog that hundreds of parcels around town are potentially subject to the new law, and listed four rezoning cases. Interestingly, one of those rezoning cases is 24-REZ-06 Regency Multifamily, which is the example I used in the previous report.

24-REZ-06 is a fantastic example of how this law will change the way these things are done. This was a 245-unit proposal at 12010 Regency Parkway that entered Cary’s rezoning process in 2024.

It went through a neighborhood meeting and a Town Council public hearing, where residents spoke against the proposal. More than two years after the application was filed, the Town Council neither approved nor rejected it, and it remained in limbo.

Now, that multi-year process does not need to happen in similar cases, and according to the mayor’s notes, this particular case no longer needs a rezoning to proceed with the next steps.

I’m not a lawyer, but my original impression was that this property wouldn’t qualify, as the new law specifically excludes vacant parcels that have never been developed. There was an office development planned for this site, but it was never built. However, Cary specifically identified this project as one of the ones taking advantage of this new provision, so I’ll take it at face value for now and let you know if I find out more info about why it qualifies, assuming it actually does.

Early voting for the November 3 general election started last Thursday, October 15, and it runs through Saturday, October 31. If you are registered anywhere in Wake County, you can vote at any early voting site in the county. There are 18 of them this year, including two right here in Cary.

The Cary sites are the Herbert C. Young Community Center (101 Wilkinson Avenue, by Town Hall) and the Cary Senior Center (120 Maury Odell Place, in Bond Park). Every site keeps the same hours: 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sundays. On the last day, Saturday, October 31, every site closes at 3 p.m., so do not cut that one close.

Bring a photo ID. A driver’s license or passport works, and there is a full list of accepted IDs on the State Board of Elections site. If you are not registered yet, you can still register and vote on the same trip during early voting, as long as you bring proof of where you live (a utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck with your current address). That same-day option goes away on Election Day, when you also have to vote at your assigned polling place.

As for what you are actually voting on: along with the candidate races, there are three proposed amendments to the state constitution on your ballot this fall, plus Wake County school and Wake Tech bond questions. I built a plain-English guide to the three amendments, and it is on the site if you want to read up before you go.

Turnout is running well ahead of the last midterm so far, which is all the more reason to go early, pick an off hour, and walk straight in.

If your mental map of Cary parks starts and ends with the downtown park, North Cary Park is the reminder that the north side has a heavyweight of its own. It sits off Norwell Boulevard, and it packs a lot into one property.

There is a soccer field, basketball courts, and four sand volleyball courts if you are feeling competitive. There is a playground and a big picnic shelter if you are not. The signature piece is the climbing boulder, which kids treat like a mountain expedition. The shaded trails are the best part this time of year. They wind through the woods, cross the creek on a wooden footbridge, and connect into the Black Creek Greenway, so a short stroll can turn into a few miles before you notice.

Peak color is still about two weeks away here, and the trails at North Cary Park are one of the best seats in town for watching the leaves turn. The park is open sunrise to sunset, and on a crisp fall morning, with the color starting to come in over the trails, it is about as good as Cary gets. Bring a coffee and take the long way around.