The Cary Town Council has tabled a vote that would allow the Raleigh Housing Authority to buy the Amberwood at Lochmere apartment complex and turn it into affordable housing.
On Thursday, the council decided to table the vote indefinitely after hearing from residents who spoke in opposition of the plan. Many residents expressed concerns over safety and increased crime in the area.
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Many council members stated they felt like there was not enough time to research the partnership with the Raleigh Housing Authority. The housing authority has failed to answer several questions council members feel they need to know before voting. Most of these are related to regulations and finance questions. It is unclear how Raleigh will govern the property in Cary town limits.
"If I am making a decision and I can't give the public enough information where they understand all of the details of it, then I shouldn't be defending that decision," said Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. "I realize we might be missing a grand opportunity, but in the future if you want to work with the Cary council, you have to work with the public first."
The hearing aimed to address giving the housing authority a tax-exempt status that would allow funding for the project. The vote to table the decision was 5-2.
"If we table this, it will effectively be a no-vote," said Weinbrecht.