Neighbors protest proposed 3rd Cary Publix

Publix announced plans last week to build a store on a 21-acre lot on the corner of Green Level Church Road and Carpenter Fire Station Road. The store would be the third Publix to serve Cary.

At a Monday night meeting, neighbors voiced concerns about plans and it seemed as though the closer they lived to the proposed project, the more they were against it.

Neighbors in the nearby Arlington Park Community said the new retail project would bring traffic, noise and crime for a supermarket they don’t need.

“It’s going to lead to a lot of construction, it’s going to lead to a lot of ideas that we’re going to have lights on later at night and with increased retail space, with increased commercial development is traffic and the possibility of crime potentially increasing,” said resident Ryan McCormick.

Existing zoning called for more homes on the land, but Tuesday night, the Planning and Zoning Board voted 7-to-1 to recommend a zoning change to the town council to allow the development to move forward. Developers responded to opposition about the change by adding medium density residential property within their commercial plans.

“We’ve relocated buildings, we’ve addressed street lights, we’ve done what we think is a pretty thorough job of trying to mitigate concerns with the commercial being adjacent to residential development,” said Glenda Toppe, a consultant for the developers.

Town staffers said there may be need for the grocery store in the area and seemed to favor the proposal.

The project must clear several more hurdles to become a reality.

The developer, The Sembler Company, said it appreciated the feedback of residents and wants to continue the "collaborative process we have implemented to ensure that this development will be an asset to surrounding communities."

"Throughout this process, we have learned that many homeowners and Town Council members agree that this is a much better use of this land than alternatives such as high density residential development," Sembler spokesman Mike Trainor said in a statement. "We are pleased with the Town of Cary Planning and Zoning Board’s 7-1 vote to send the comprehensive plan amendment to Town Council with a recommendation to approve. We look forward to continuing this process with local residents and government.”