‘Street takeover’ prompts Cary law on ‘nuisance’ events after car show disrupted industrial area

The village of Cary has updated its ordinance to require 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 that happened on April 21 on the 700 block of Industrial Drive. The police closed down Industrial Drive until the crowd dispersed, according to village documents. Complaints ranged from dangerous driving to public urination, Chief of Police 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.

Cary Village Board members unanimously approved the ordinance amendment Tuesday. The village did not identify the business that hosted the April car event in any documents or at the meeting.

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.

Village Trustee Rick Dudek said car shows are good community events but agreed to have regulations in line and to have police involved to manage safety and traffic.

Permit fees are $50, and penalties for not following the ordinance can result in a $750 fine for each occurrence, according to the ordinance.

The 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 one-fourth mile radius and transportation departments for School Districts 26, 47 and 155.

Operators of the business that hosted the April event in question did not provide a comment.