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SECTON 6 – MITIGATION FOR SECONDARY AND CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
6-19
The Town’s most recent Land Use Plan was adopted on March 24, 2009. The Land Use Plan
is administered by the Town’s Planning Department and a Town Planning Board. The
Planning Department administers the Land Use Plan and existing development policies and
regulations. The Planning Department also makes recommendations to advisory boards and
the Town Planning Board to promote long-range growth and development policies to
enhance the quality of life for those living and working in the community (The Louis Berger
Group, 2009). The Land Use Plan is enforced through Morrisville’s UDO. Specific land use
planning objectives relate to managing growth to prevent urban sprawl, protect natural
resources, and prevent environmental degradation. They include:
Preserve open space and conservation buffers.
Prevent the overcrowding of land.
Protect and preserve park lands, open space, floodplains, scenic areas, and historic sites.
Conserve fish and wildlife.
Promote forestry and grazing lands.
Provide natural buffers between different zoning districts.
Promote and preserve trees and urban forests during development.
Preserve and maintain water quality and resources by protecting natural stream
corridors and watersheds.
Effectively manage long-term growth through a comprehensive and proactive planning
process.
Support effective zoning, land use, and development regulations and enforcement.
To achieve these goals, Morrisville has developed its Land Use Plan and UDO to direct
growth within its boundaries in a manner that will protect streams, habitat, and other
natural resources. A town center zoning district is planned. Higher-density residential and
nonresidential development is focused in this preferred, already developed growth area. By
concentrating urban development and living into a central area near shopping districts, the
development of this town center will help protect local water resources as well as reduce air
quality impacts. Open space will be protected with conservation and buffer districts
throughout the southern portion of the Town.
Office/institutional and industrial development will be encouraged in the northeastern
portion of the Town, which is adjacent to the RDU International Airport. Mixed office and
institutional use will be encouraged in the north-central portion of the Town to serve as a
transitional land use between commercial and industrial uses in the northeast and the low-
density and agricultural uses in the northwestern areas of the Town. An historic crossroads
village zone is among the Town Center Districts. The mixed-use and low-density residential
areas are in close proximity to RTP. Commercial, residential, and agricultural mixed uses
are planned for the west-central and southwestern areas of the Town.
6.2.2.2 Small Area Land Use Plans
Specific small area plans further detail open space preservation plans. The Town Center
Plan, developed in 2007, creates a vision for the original center of the Town and identifies
more concentrated residential and mixed-use development in this Town Center District, and