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Town Center Plan
January 2007
with woodlands protecting the water quality
of the stream that flows through the park.
Other key sites from the Civil War period
could be marked with interpretive signage
or kiosks that share thematic links. The
Page-Ferrell House and its large lot could be
similarly protected as community amenities
in the form of a rural heritage park. These
sites would be further connected to other
local and regional parks, such as soccer fields
and Lake Crabtree, by greenway trails.
The network of greenways should be clearly
marked and mapped at key locations so that
users can see how sites of interest in the
study area – including the outdoor plaza,
with its farmers’ markets and children’s play
area, the visitor’s center, and other locations
– may be connected to the broader regional
network of paths and public places, including
the American Tobacco Trail, the Cary
greenway, and Umstead State Park. Visual
gateways and transition zones (marked with
a special symbol on the Concept Design)
would be locations where, entering the study
area on foot or by car, one senses the change
from suburbia to historic rural village. The
change could be enhanced and managed by
visual protections that require architectural
compatibility and careful site design within
key sections of the study area. All these
elements – parks, trails, signage, community
visual character protections, and historic
sites – taken together work to strengthen the
community’s sense of identity and history,
which was another key concept receiving
very strong support from the public.
Boundary Area:
The periphery of the study area is occupied
mostly by a mix of housing types, somewhat
higher than the surrounding densities
but not out of scale with the area. While
floodplains and public land may be used for
parks, upland sites would be well suited for
townhouses, small-lot detached houses, and
conventional single-family residences, either
as new development or redevelopment. The
market for housing in the vicinity is expected
to be strong, as the central regional location
with nearby amenities is highly desirable.
These surrounding residential areas would
be connected to the rural crossroads village,
area parks, and the civic and community
heart of Morrisville by abundant sidewalks
and greenway paths, making the whole area
a well-loved destination for families, young
people and those of retirement age, and
further enhancing the market advantage
enjoyed by properties in proximity to the
historic village core.
Chapter 2: Planning Process & Concept Design
In the Design Workshop, residents expressed a desire
to tie together points of interest in the Town Center with
sidewalks and greenways, such as the Indian Creek
Greenway pictured above. (Graphic: Site Solutions
for the Town of Morrisville)
Coordinated signage like this in downtown Raleigh can
help enhance the visual identity of the Town Center and
enable visitors to find key points of interest. (Photo:
Ben Hitchings, Town of Morrisville)