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67 <br /> o Connectivity and adjacency to larger natural areas(e.g.,Jordan Lake, Lake Crabtree, <br /> Umstead State Park, etc.) <br /> o Connectivity and adjacency to existing parks and greenway corridors <br /> • Under GOAL 2,where Cary specifically addresses greenways,the plan emphasizes the need to <br /> provide"wildlife habitat along corridors in design and vegetation." <br /> The implementation of these policies and actions could create a network of wildlife habitats and protected <br /> natural resources throughout Cary. <br /> LAND USE& DEVELOPMENT <br /> Cary has policies related to how land is developed in order to protect natural areas. <br /> In the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Master Plan (2012)under Goal 1,to have a diverse park <br /> system,the town aims to: <br /> • Evaluate zoning within open space priority areas (e.g.,land within the National Register Historic <br /> District that is zoned as commercial could be rezoned to residential or another designation to <br /> reduce property tax burden). <br /> • Continue to work with developers to set aside important open space that provides trail <br /> connectivity,wildlife habitat corridors, and water quality protection. <br /> Similarly, in the town's Land Development Ordinance, Cary provides natural resources protection <br /> measures in the following zoning classifications: <br /> • RR: Resource/Recreation District <br /> • The Conservation Residential Overlay District,which has the stated goal of"creat[ing] a <br /> contiguous network of open spaces by linking the open space areas within the residential <br /> development to open space on adjoining land wherever possible." <br /> o This overlay requires a 50-foot buffer on the American Tobacco Trail and provides a <br /> density bonus for larger natural area set-asides. <br /> Under Article 8, Standards for Subdivisions and Uses Requiring Site Plans, "All subdivision development <br /> proposals must identify significant natural features on the sketch plan and prioritize them for <br /> conservation, including wildlife corridors." <br /> Open space must be configured to be contiguous within and beyond the project area,to the maximum <br /> extent feasible. <br /> PLANNING &COLLABORATION <br /> Cary encourages collaboration with other entities in its parks planning. In the Parks, Recreation & <br /> Cultural Resources Master Plan (2003)within Goal 7,the town plans to"work in partnership with Wake <br /> County and adjacent municipalities to identify lands that can provide open space linkages to connect open <br /> space systems and to contribute to the overall County Open Space Plan."In the Parks, Recreation and <br /> Cultural Resources Master Plan (2012), an action under Goal 1 is to pursue partnership opportunities <br /> (e.g.,grant writing, acquisition, and stewardship activities)with Triangle Land Conservancy,Wake Soil <br /> and Water Conservation District, and other conservation organizations. <br /> TRANSPORTATION <br /> The Cary Community Plan recognizes the role that greenways play in the transportation network but does <br /> not address the impacts that roads have on wildlife corridors and habitats. <br /> 54 A Landscape Plan for Wildlife Habitat Connectivity <br />