23 / 125
23
│
Town Center Plan
January 2007
Overview
The Detailed Design presented in this chapter
builds on the Concept Design outlined in
Chapter 2. It adds another level of detail to
translate the conceptual vision into a more
specific physical design for the Town Center.
In the process, it addresses a number of
additional planning considerations, such as
the location of parking required to support the
different uses proposed, and the connections
needed between existing sidewalks in order
to create a linked pedestrian network.
The resulting Detailed Design includes three
key components: the planned land use,
transportation network, and public spaces/
historic sites in the Town Center area. Each
of these components is described in more
detail in this chapter.
Detailed Design
The overall physical design for the Town
Center reflects Morrisville’s origins as a
rural crossroads community and depot
village. The development pattern is more
spread out than what one might often see
in a newly created Town Center (see Map 5,
page 35). In contrast to a place that is built
from scratch on a cleared site, the Morrisville
Town Center is an authentic place. This plan
tries to respect the history of the place and
weave it into the physical design for the
area to maintain and enhance the distinctive
character of the community.
Section 1: Land Use
The land uses outlined in the Town Center
Plan vary across the project area. The plan
includes nine districts, each with somewhat
different characteristics. These are depicted
on Map 6, page 37, and described below.
1) Historic Crossroads Village:
This
district includes the area along Church
Street, Page Street, Franklin-Upchurch
Street, and the area extending north and
south along Chapel Hill Road (NC 54) from
the intersection with Morrisville-Carpenter
Road. This is the historic village that grew
up around the original crossroads and train
depot. Its character is defined by historic
structures, a tight pattern of narrow streets,
mature trees, and the railroad tracks. About
20 structures in this area are considered
historically significant. These include the
oldest standing home in Morrisville (the Page
House), several structures from the post-
Civil War economic renaissance (including
the Pugh House, the Page-Hamilton House,
and the Weston-Edwards House), a number
of buildings from the turn of the century
(including the Page Cottage, Ellis Rooming
House, First Baptist Church, and Christian
Church), and a handful of mill houses built in
association with Samuel Horne’s knitting mill
in the early twentieth century (see Guide to
Historic Morrisville in Appendix 2 for more
information about these places).
Intersection of Chapel Hill Road and
Morrisville-Carpenter Road:
The most
visible location in the historic village area is the
intersection of Chapel Hill Road (NC 54) and
Morrisville-Carpenter Road/Aviation Parkway.
A prominent structure in this location is the
Chapter 3: Detailed Design
Built around 1870 for Morrisville merchant and
postmaster James M. Pugh, the Italianate structure
pictured here at the corner of Chapel Hill Road and
Aviation Parkway is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. Today, it helps to mark the gateway
into the Town Center area. (Photo: Ben Hitchings,
Town of Morrisville)