A car show held in the spring led to the village of Cary updating its public nuisance ordinance to require permits for events in the manufacturing district.
Courtesy of the village of Cary
The village of Cary has updated an ordinance requiring event permits with regulations for some gatherings, after a car show brought hundreds of attendees to a manufacturing area and took police off guard.
The Cary Police Department responded to “several complaints” related to an event April 21 on the 700 block of Industrial Drive. Police closed down Industrial Drive until the crowd dispersed, according to village documents. Complaints ranged from dangerous driving to public urination, Police Chief Patrick Finlon told village board members.
“We were not aware this event was occurring, and it’s really not the type of event that is well suited for a limited manufacturing district as the current configuration of that street has no sidewalks,” he said.
Finlon described some attendees engaging in “unsafe driving” that resulted in tire marks on the road. Village Trustee Ellen McAlpine called it “drag racing.”
“I will tell you straight up, this was a street takeover,” Finlon said.
Village board members unanimously approved the ordinance amendment on Tuesday. The village did not identify the business that hosted the April car event.
The updated ordinance now deems any gathering that results in unlawful activities or unlawful uses of a road as a public nuisance. Unlawful uses include reckless driving, squealing and screeching of tires, street racing and street sideshows.
“Municipalities have the ability to identify and define nuisances and establish ordinances that abate such nuisances,” city staff said in a village document.
Events in the manufacturing district that intend to have over 50 attendees will now need to submit a permit application with traffic and parking plans to the village 10 days before the event. No public gatherings will be allowed on weekdays at any time or on the weekends between the hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
“We’re not prohibiting it. We’re just making them go through the process so that we can be properly staffed and set up to have an effective event if they want to do something,” McAlpine said.
Permit fees are $50, and penalties for not following the ordinance include a fine of up to $750 for each occurrence, according to the ordinance.
Permit applications will be reviewed by the village’s community development department, fire protection district and police department. Event organizers will also need to notify neighboring businesses within a ⅟₄-mile radius and transportation departments for school districts 26, 47 and 155.