About three weeks remain for the public to provide input on a road extension project planned in Cary that aims to improve mobility in the downtown area.

The Maplewood Access Road Extension is a project that aims to improve connectivity to and mobility in the downtown area and the Cary Metra station. The new road would be an extension of Industrial Drive, running from Cary Algonquin Road to High Road, parallel with Route 14 and south of the railroad tracks.

The village is nearing the end of phase one of three that covers the preliminary design and environmental analyses. Having started in 2022, the village conducted studies and surveys on traffic, utilities, topography, environmental impacts and drainage.

The second phase will prepare contractors and land purchases, and the third phase will be construction. If the village is able to stick with its timeline, construction could start as soon as 2027, according to village documents.

Village staff and engineers hosted their final public open house meeting last week, sharing their plan and findings on traffic and noise impacts. The first open house was held in Summer 2023.

Currently, the plan is to realign the roads at Industrial Drive and Cary Algonquin Road to be a 90-degree intersection with a stop light. A shared-use path for walking and biking is proposed to be placed installed along the west side of Cary Algonquin Road and south of the new access road.

During construction, the village will need to have a “temporary easement” into a portion of the backyards of homes on Norman Drive to install fencing, HDR transportation engineer Jeff Young said.

The new road is being planned in conjunction with a proposed multi-family development on the former Maplewood School property that faces criticism from neighboring residents.

Developers Cordogan Clark and JTE Real Estate Services, along with Eriksson Engineering and D2 Capital Advisors, updated their plans in June to include some owner-occupied single-family homes and a larger public park, with many nearby residents having been outspoken in advocating for single-family homes. However, residents’ concerns over density and building height remain.

The new plan now calls for 12 two-story, single-family homes; 16 two-story townhouses; 22 three-story townhomes; two five-story apartment buildings; and one four-story apartment building, totaling 228 apartment units.

Developers plan to have the road extension to serve as the only access point into the development. The village aims to have the road completed by the time renters are ready to move in, Village Administrator Erik Morimoto said.

Cary’s Zoning, Planning and Appeals Board is set to vote on the proposed development Nov. 13.

Residents, community members and local businesses can provide feedback to the village on the Maplewood Access Road project until Nov. 12 through the project website at maplewoodaccessroad.info or emailing the village at maplewoodaccess@caryillinois.com.