Services & Publications » Plans, Publications & Reports

Engage: Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources System Plan

Print
Font Size: + -
RSS

Current Status

Fall 2026 Update: Council adopted the plan at its August 27, 2026 Council Meeting. This fall staff will be updating webpages and cleaning up information now that the project is complete.

Spring & Summer 2026 Update: Based on the feedback, staff have submitted final documentation to the Town Council for final approval. This will include information on Land Development Ordinance Updates related to ACT 37 & ACT 38. Information can be found on this webpage, including specific details and steps.

Winter 2025 Update: The PRCR System Plan was approved on December 12, 2024. We are now collecting feedback to update the Imagine Cary Community Plan - Engage & Move chapters. Community feedback is being collected until January 30, 2026.

The approval and adoption process for the PRCR System Plan will occur in two steps to meet the CAPRA accreditation deadline and gather public input before finalizing a comprehensive amendment to the ENGAGE chapter of the Imagine Cary Community Plan.

  1. The first step is for the Council to approve the PRCR System Plan by January 15, 2025, to satisfy the CAPRA accreditation requirement. This step is completed.
  2. The second step was to hold an Open House to review the plan with the community. This was scheduled for Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Two sessions were held at the Cary Senior Center Ballroom. We created a two-minute video to summarize the plan. Here are the handouts from the meeting.

After these sharing sessions, the staff will prepare the System Plan for incorporation into the ENGAGE chapter of the Imagine Cary Community Plan through a comprehensive plan amendment, to be adopted by the Council.

Overview

In the fall of 2022, Cary began updating the 2012 Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Master Plan. The 2024 Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources (PRCR) System Plan provides a long-term vision for Cary’s parks, greenways, facilities, and programs over the next 20 years. This plan builds on previous efforts, addressing the community’s evolving needs and setting new goals. The Council is being asked to approve the PRCR System Plan by January 15, 2025, to meet CAPRA accreditation requirements. Staff held public input sessions in early 2025 before returning to the Council for a Public Hearing to integrate the plan into the Imagine Cary Community Plan in 2026. 

Background

Cary’s nationally accredited Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department was established through dedicated planning. Its extensive greenway system, parks, cultural opportunities, and recreational programs attract residents and visitors alike. The 2024 PRCR System Plan updates the 2012 Master Plan and will be integrated into the ENGAGE chapter of the Imagine Cary Community Plan. This plan aims to assess Cary’s parks and recreational resources and to address current and future community needs to guide the development of the PRCR system.

Project Phasing

The PRCR System Plan project kicked off in the fall of 2022. This planning effort builds on current and past plans. The project was broken into phases with multiple input opportunities:

  1. The initial phase, Analysis & Understanding, focused on data collection, review of relevant planning documents, and analysis of existing park and open space resources.
  2. The second phase focused on the Needs + Gaps Assessment, which reviewed how Cary’s parks, recreation, and cultural resources system meets the current and future needs of Cary residents. This phase included a random-sample survey and a convenience-sample survey, stakeholder meetings, and gathering input at Spring Daze 2023.
  3. During the Vision & Action phase, high-level goals and objectives to guide the Plan's recommendations were reviewed with the community at public meetings, through an online questionnaire, and at Lazy Daze 2023. Visioning sessions were also conducted with the PRCR Advisory Board, the Athletic Committee, the Cultural Arts Committee, the Greenway Committee, and multi-department staff working groups. Updated goals, objectives, and actions were reviewed with the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Advisory Board over the summer of 2024.
  4. Additional engagement from parallel planning processes, such as Count Me in, Cary!; public input meetings for Mills Park and Sports and Recreation Community Centers; the Open Space Plan; the Cary Bike Plan; and the Greenway Safety Campaign, also informed the plan and contributed to the overall engagement process.

Approval, Public Input Opportunities, and Adoption

The approval and adoption process for the PRCR System Plan will occur in two steps to meet the CAPRA accreditation deadline and gather public input before finalizing a comprehensive amendment to the ENGAGE chapter of the Imagine Cary Community Plan.

  1. The first step is for the Council to approve the PRCR System Plan by January 15, 2025, to satisfy the CAPRA accreditation requirement.
  2. The second step will include holding public input sessions to review the plan with the community in early 2025.
  3. Updates related to ACT 37 & ACT 38 and the Land Development Ordinance. Information can be found on this webpage, including specific details and steps.

After these input sessions, the staff will prepare the System Plan for incorporation into the ENGAGE chapter of the Imagine Cary Community Plan through a comprehensive plan amendment, to be adopted by the Council.

Overview of the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources System Plan

The plan begins with a Preamble that emphasizes its aspirational nature and adaptability to evolving community needs. The Introduction outlines the plan’s purpose and contextualizes it within recent and historical planning efforts. The section on Community and Staff Input highlights the extensive engagement process, including surveys, focus groups, workshops, and feedback from various stakeholders. The plan then evaluates Cary’s Existing Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources System, inventorying facilities and identifying gaps in access, particularly within a 10-minute walkable range. The Needs Assessment identifies new amenities, programs, and facilities required to serve Cary’s growing population, informed by community feedback and analysis. Finally, the plan’s Path Forward and Implementation sections outline goals, objectives, and actions to enhance the system, supported by funding strategies, an implementation matrix, and a timeline for achieving these improvements. A composite map is also provided.

The Needs Assessment and Path Forward are organized around six key principles that emerged during the planning process. Each principle establishes a set of goals, objectives, and actions to achieve the plan's vision. The six principles include:

  1. Cary Invests and Grows: Develop parks, facilities, and programs to maintain a balanced system, supported by a strong network of staff, volunteers, and partners as the community grows.
  2. Cary Reinvests and Evolves: Invest in Cary's oldest facilities and ensure access for everyone by continually evolving services to meet community needs and emerging trends.
  3. Cary Connects: Connect users to destinations across Cary while enhancing the greenway system experience and promoting greenways as a key element of Cary’s outdoor recreation economy.
  4. Cary Stewards: Care for natural resources and inspire the next generation through education and awareness.
  5. Cary Creates: Celebrate Cary's vibrant culture and history through the arts by expanding resources, facilities, and programs, and by hosting unique events and festivals.
  6. Cary Innovates: Continue to deliver exceptional facilities and operations by implementing innovative and inclusive solutions.

Past Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Plans

Cary’s first Parks Master Plan was approved in 1998, when Cary had a population of more than 88,000; it included 10 miles of greenway and 13 developed parks. Currently, Like past plans that were developed and intended to last 10-20 years, the current planning effort will set the vision for the future.

The Cary Community Plan was adopted in 2017 and consolidated past plans. As part of this project, we will update the ENGAGE chapter in the Imagine Cary Community Plan.

This plan will build upon the following existing plans, some of which are currently being worked on or updated:

Public Input Opportunities

Cary is finalizing two plans for adoption into Imagine Cary. The Bike Plan and the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources System Plan are in the final stages after a couple of years of work and have overlapping components. 

Two sessions were held at the Cary Senior Center Ballroom. These were open house sessions from 1:30-3 p.m. or 5:30-7 p.m. We have also created a two-minute video to summarize the plan. Here are the handouts from the meeting.

To date, a variety of ways to participate during the planning process have been developed to hear about and provide feedback on the project. This included community workshops & pop-up outreach at existing events, project website updates, and online and scientific surveys. Outreach opportunities began in January 2023. We also held stakeholder meetings, had booths at Spring Daze, Great Trails Day, and Lazy Daze, and offered several public meetings at the end of August 2023.

Master Plan Consulting Team

  • Agency Landscape + Planning
  • Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands
  • Heritage Strategies
  • Cary Staff Contact: Paul Kuhn

Contact

Phone: Dial 311 within town limits or (919) 469-4000 outside of Cary
Email: 311@carync.gov
Online: services.carync.gov
Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Requests made by email may take up to one business day to receive a response.