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Appendices
C
Public Involvement
Coordination With Regional Partner Organizations
The Town of Morrisville staff are committed to engaging neighboring jurisdictions and regional
planning groups as active participants in the planning process. Morrisville’s location in the heart
of the Triangle necessitates this kind of cooperation in order to plan effectively. The purpose
of multi-jurisdictional coordination is to inform the other groups of the Town’s intent regarding
future land use and transportation changes, coordinate plans for adjacent areas and road-
ways that run through more than one town, receive feedback on issues of interest to the other
groups, and collaborate on solutions to some of the more challenging aspects of planning in
Morrisville. As such, the Town planning staff and/or consultants have met with the following
groups during the planning process (October 2007 through May 2008) and made changes to
the plans as described below:
•
Town of Cary.
Met several times to discuss transportation issues related to roadways that
go through both jurisdictions, to ensure coordinated improvements. Resulted in changes
to the cross-section for NC 54 and Davis Drive, and bicycle/pedestrian improvements on
several other roadways. Discussed widening the causeway on Aviation Parkway, which is
controlled by NCDOT but within Cary’s jurisdiction, to provide bicycle/pedestrian access
from Morrisville to Lake Crabtree Park. Also received email comments on land use issues,
including the clarification of urban services areas. Representatives attended two of the
public workshops.
•
Research Triangle Park (RTP).
Discussed potentially extending Little Drive through undevel-
oped areas of RTP to meet Mason Farm Road in Morrisville. This connection would provide
an additional East-West route and connectivity. Discussions on making this connection are
ongoing.
•
North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR).
This organization controls the railroad right-of-
way through Morrisville. Planners met with NCRR staff to discuss grade crossings (reducing
at-grade crossings in favor of grade separations), hazardous waste transport through the
area, future land use policies in the areas around the railroad, and the status of the regional
rail study that is currently underway. The plans include an action item to further investigate
the hazardous waste issue and manage risk to the residents of Morrisville.
•
RDU Airport Authority.
Discussed the purpose of continuing the airport noise overlay zoning
in Morrisville, which prevents residential and other sensitive land uses from locating in areas
with greater than 65 db of airport noise. A representative of the Airport Authority made a
presentation and answered questions at a meeting of the Plan Advisory Committee (PAC)
and attended a public workshop. Discussions are ongoing regarding the possibility of allow-
ing residential development west of NC 54 even where the overlay exists.
•
Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO).
Discussed transportation priority
funding through the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Agreed on modifications to
some of the planned improvements, such as shifting the planned McCrimmon grade sepa-
ration north of the existing roadway.
•
Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG).
Collaborated on the route for the proposed
RDU-RTP circulator (curb-guided bus) to ensure that it follows a route least likely to impact
existing development in Morrisville.
•
C-Tran (Cary Transit).
Discussed the possibility of having C-Tran operate bus service to and
within the Town of Morrisville, with the Town’s financial support. Such a provision would cost
much less to Morrisville than initiating its own program. Discussed changes in planned C-Tran
route along Cary Parkway, changing the route to actually come through Morrisville along
NC 54, with stops within the town. Future transit routes through Morrisville (North-South along
NC 54 and East-West loop around Airport Boulevard, Aviation Parkway, Morrisville-Carpenter
Road and McCrimmon Parkway) were agreed upon from a preliminary standpoint. Partici-
pated as a speaker at the Transit focus group meeting.
•
Triangle Transit.
Discussed and agreed to make future plans to change the 301 bus route
that currently serves the Morrisville Outlet Mall to run down NC 54 and up Airport Boulevard
to the Outlet Mall. Such an altered route would provide additional access to regional transit
for Morrisville residents. Participated as a speaker at the Transit focus group meeting.
•
Wake Coordinated Transit.
Discussed a short-term expansion of transit service within Mor-
risville in order to provide more options to Morrisville residents. Participated as a speaker at
the Transit focus group meeting.
•
Wake County School Board.
Discussed new school search radii and how any potential
school sites in the town’s jurisdiction would be treated.
•
NCDOT.
A representative of the NCDOT Rail Division participated in the Church Street focus
group meeting, making a presentation and answering questions from citizens on railroad
crossing closures. The NCDOT Division Office was provided a copy of the plans and invited
to the meetings. They provided no comment.
•
North Carolina Turnpike Authority.
A representative of the NCDOT Rail Division participated
in the Church Street focus group meeting, making a presentation and answering questions
from citizens on Triangle Parkway.
•
Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA).
Met to discuss overall goals of the transportation
plan. Made suggestions regarding the importance of highlighting the Aviation Parkway and
Evans/McCrimmon intersection as a “feature intersection.”
The Town also invited all of these entities to all three of the public workshops held as part of the
planning process, and several representatives of the groups participated in those workshops.
Most of these groups received draft copies of the plans to facilitate their review. The Town has
also followed the adjacent communities’ updates of their plans. CAMPO, Raleigh, Cary, RTP,
and Triangle Transit are all updating their plans at this time. The Town staff also meet regularly
with the jurisdictions participating in the Center of the Region Enterprise (Cary, Durham City,
Durham County, Raleigh, Wake County) convened by TJCOG, and with staff from all the mu-
nicipalities and the county through the Wake Municipal Planners Group convened by Wake
County.
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