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Background
2.4 Development Constraints
Understanding Morrisville’s development constraints prior to beginning the planning
process can avoid unnecessary negative impacts on the environment and capital-
ize on the assets of the community.
Water Features
Lake Crabtree, a major man-made lake, is located just east of Morrisville (Figure 2.4).
A County Park on the north side of the lake provides boating and recreation access
(see photo at right). Crabtree Creek flows east into Lake Crabtree, crossing through
the southern portion of Morrisville. Topography in Morrisville gently slopes down to
Crabtree Creek, with few steep slopes. The tributary streams of Indian Creek and
Sawmill Creek feed Crabtree from the north, forming broad floodplains and wetlands
along the eastern and southern portions of the Town. Wake County has preserved
much of the wetland and floodplain land northwest and southwest of Lake Crabtree
as part of a wetland mitigation project, restricting it from any future development.
Two smaller lakes, one near the Airport Boulevard interchange at I-40 and one adja-
cent to the Preston Golf Course, are also owned by Wake County.
Crabtree Creek has been identified by the North Carolina Department of Natural Re-
sources (NCDENR) as a 303(d) impaired stream, which means that the water quality
does not meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water quality standards. As a re-
sult, NCDENR has created a specific management plan for this stream in order to improve
the water quality. This management plan may affect how much and where development
can occur near Crabtree Creek.
Airport Noise Overlay
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is located adjacent to Morrisville’s eastern
boundary, on the opposite side of Interstate 40. Several of the airport’s flight patterns cross
over Morrisville, creating substantial noise. To avoid negative impacts, RDU has been work-
ing with neighboring jurisdictions for years to restrict sensitive land uses in noise impacted
areas. These restrictions are in acknowledgement of the fact that excessive noise has
been shown to cause hearing and other physical problems over a long period of expo-
sure. In addition to protecting its citizens, Morrisville’s implementation of the Airport Noise
Overlay District protects it from legal liability for allowing substantial negative impacts to
occur. Generally speaking, residences, schools and other sensitive uses like daycares,
should not be located in areas with greater than 65 decibels of airport noise (shown by
yellow diagonal lines in Figure 2.4). For Morrisville, this area covers approximately 26% of
the town, much of which remains undeveloped. Nonresidential uses, such as offices, retail
and industrial facilities are allowed in these areas. Hotels are permitted if soundproofing
is installed. The Town Council has recently changed the Town’s ordinance to permit resi-
dential uses within the 65 decibel areas west of NC 54 if soundproofing is installed and the
right to overflight is granted.
Railroad Corridor
The railroad through the center of Morrisville, as described earlier, has been an integral
part of the town’s history and success. The tracks currently separate the town into two
halves, with limited crossings restricting automobile, pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The
North Carolina Railroad Company owns the rail corridor and has taken the position that
there can be no expansion of auto traffic crossing the railroad at-grade (without an over-
pass), and that no sidewalks or greenways may cross at-grade. Thus, east-west connectiv-
ity is limited in the town until funds can be secured to build additional overpasses.
Areas of Historical Significance
Morrisville has two areas of historical significance, neither of which has yet been given a
formal designation, such as inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The Shiloh
area near the north end of town is a historically black community dating from the 1820s,
with a church and other historical buildings. The Shiloh Heritage Preservation Area was es-
tablished by the town through the adoption of the North Morrisville-Shiloh Small Area Plan
on January 6, 2003.
In addition, there are numerous historic buildings in the Town Center area, the preservation
of which have been addressed in more detail in the Town Center Plan, adopted in 2007.
Superfund Site
Just south of the Shiloh area, on the northwest corner of McCrimmon Parkway and NC 54
is the former Koppers Co., Inc. plant. The plant, which dates to 1896, processed and treat-
ed wood products, releasing contaminants into the soil, groundwater and surface water.
Contamination at the site was discovered by the EPA in 1980, and cleanup was performed
from 1990 to 1997. Cleanup involved removal of contaminated soil; bioremediation, car-
bon adsorption and filtration to treat water onsite; and revegetation. The property is being
actively monitored by EPA before it can be formally removed from the Superfund list, but
there is currently no environmental hazard at the site. The site is currently owned by two
companies, with part of the site actively operating as a wood laminating facility, while the
other is vacant. Now that the site has been cleaned up, it represents an opportunity to
find a more appropriate community-oriented use.
Lake Crabtree, from Lake
Crabtree County Park.
Crabtree Creek, just east of
the crossing with NC 54.
Development Restrictions
Floodway
: Undevelopable
100-year Floodplain
: 1% chance of flooding in any
given year. Development is acceptable if building
is located at least 2 feet above base flood elevation
(FEMA elevation certificate is required).
NationalWetlands Inventory
: Require permits from
state agencies for any major development, such
as subdivisions or commercial development. May
require developers to mitigate wetland losses.