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Town Center Plan
January 2007
Chapter 2: Planning Process & Concept Design
The Process
To develop the Town Center Plan, the Town
of Morrisville conducted a year-long planning
process. This work was led by the Morrisville
Planning and Zoning Board, with staff support
from the Morrisville Planning Department.
The process began with a series of three
background meetings held in early 2006 to
review historic resources, transportation
facilities, greenways, and civic facilities in the
Town Center area. These meetings provided
an opportunity for the Planning Team to
share background information on the project,
and for residents and other stakeholders to
provide input and ideas for the future Town
Center. An average of 35 people attended
each background meeting. A summary of
these meetings and the input received is
included in Appendix 1 of this plan.
In late June, the Planning Team toured
Morrisville’s historic crossroads to learn some
of the history of the town and develop a better
understanding of the existing conditions in
the project area. The Town commissioned
local historian Ernest Dollar to lead the tours
and prepare a companion guide to some of
the historic structures as a resource for the
Planning Team and interested citizens. A
copy of the guide is included in Appendix 2.
In early July, the Planning Team visited
other town centers in the region to gather
ideas. Stops included two new town centers,
Meadowmont and Southern Village, and two
historic town centers, Apex and Cary. At each
stop, the Planning Team was met by local
experts who described how the Town Center
was created and developed. A summary of
the tour is included in Appendix 3.
In mid-July, the Planning Team hosted a
three-day design workshop with the help of
a professional design consultant, Raybould
Associates out of Raleigh. The purpose of
the design workshop was to gather additional
community input, work through major design
issues, and prepare a draft physical design for
the Town Center. A citizens committee helped
to organize and publicize the kick-off event.
More than 100 people attended the kick-off
workshop at the Fellowship Hall of the First
Baptist Church to provide their input. The
evening began with a barbecue dinner, live
music, and special appearances by Elvis and
McGruff the Crime Dog, which helped provide
a relaxing atmosphere and set the stage for
the group design exercise.
The consultants then cleared the tables,
divided participants into groups of 8 – 10
people each, and led them through a design
exercise using colored markers and poster-
Historian Ernest Dollar leads local residents and
members of the Planning & Zoning Board on a tour of
historic structures in the Town Center. (Photo: Ben
Hitchings, Town of Morrisville)
Residents, local business owners, and other participants
pack the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall to
participate in the Town Center Design Workshop in July
of 2006. (Photo: Raybould Associates for the Town of
Morrisville)