Residents of Cary expressed significant concerns regarding the communication and transparency surrounding the proposed Piney Plains multifamily development during a recent government meeting. Issues were raised about the lack of coordination with the town, as well as inadequate notice for neighborhood meetings, which were often marred by errors and unclear visuals.

One resident highlighted that the notice for the second neighborhood meeting was issued with less than two weeks' notice and contained typos that caused confusion. Additionally, the applicant took over a month to distribute notes from the meeting, despite repeated requests from residents for updates. A traffic study, which had been a point of discussion in previous meetings, was not made available until March 27, 2024, despite being completed in May 2022.

Phil Welch, a member of the Western Region CAC Affordable Housing Action Group, addressed the council as a concerned citizen regarding the rezoning proposal. He emphasized the critical need for affordable housing in Cary, particularly for essential workers. Welch presented data showing that many essential workers would struggle to afford average rents in the area without exceeding the recommended 30% of their income on housing.

While the developer has committed to making 5% of the 370 rental units affordable for households earning up to 80% of the area median income, Welch argued that this falls short of the 15% to 20% needed to adequately address the housing crisis for essential workers in Cary and neighboring towns. He urged the council to consider increasing the percentage of affordable units in new developments to better support the community's workforce.

The meeting underscored the ongoing dialogue about housing affordability and the importance of effective communication between developers, local government, and residents.