Morrisville Land Use Plan 2009

5.3 Future Land Use Categories, cont’d 5. CORRIDOR COMMERCIAL A. Function i. Provide commercial areas located along transportation corridors to meet local and regional needs for sale of goods and services. ii. Ensure that streets, buildings, structures and sites located along the primary transporta- tion corridors and gateways to Morrisville present a positive visual image of the com- munity and support Morrisville’s small town character. B. Preferred Uses i. Land uses should include retail uses, office and service uses, small scale business park uses (light industrial, office), institutional uses, cultural/public uses, entertainment, and residential (if located outside the Airport Overlay district). ii. Retail buildings offering residential or office uses on upper floors are encouraged. C. General Policies + Development Character i. Design standards and signage requirements for this district should be consistent with those in the Town Center area. ii. Within this district, new development, re-development, infill development and structural additions to existing development should be sensitively designed to reflect a positive image of the community as expressed through architectural guidelines and appear- ance standards for development and redevelopment. iii. Retail development within this designation should establish and maintain a pedestrian scale, walkable shopping experience offering such features as entrances immediately adjacent to sidewalks, pedestrian amenities, outdoor eating areas, screened parking, on street parking (where feasible), plazas and open spaces, and a variety of small retail shops and services. iv. New development should avoid large expanses of blank walls, should provide frequent street level entries, and should provide sidewalk amenities such as street furniture, seat- ing areas, trash cans, and lighting that enhance pedestrian use. v. Building entrances should be placed close to the street, with ground floor windows, articulated façades, appropriately scaled signs and lighting, and awnings or other weather protection to encourage pedestrian activity. vi. Parking and vehicle drives should be located away from building entrances, and not located between a building entrance and the street. Surface parking should be ori- ented behind or to the side of a building, accessed from an alley when possible, and not on street corners. vii. Development should be oriented away from sensitive natural resources, such as flood- plains and ponds to minimize the environmental impacts of new development and provide green space. viii.Parking lots should be screened from adjacent street frontages and residential uses. ix. Vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian links should extend into the surrounding develop- ment.

This mixed-use project features local and national stores and restaurants, office space, housing, public open space, and public parking, along a formerly declining commercial corridor.

This Morrisville example incorporates some of the policies and development character featured in the proposed district, but could better accommodate parking behind the buildings and additional landscaping to support Morrisville’s small town character.

encouraged discouraged

In pedestrian-oriented areas, lighting should be scaled to the pedestrian (not the automobile,) and oriented towards the sidewalk and the roadway to help maintain safety and visibility. Scale, intensity, and fixture design vary between areas of different densities and uses. Orna- mental light posts and fixtures help to create an attractive streetscape and should be consistent with the architectural character of the immedi- ate area.

Signs that are sensitive to nearby uses, respect the scale and proportion of buildings, and contribute to the sense of place can help secure and maintain a healthy economic climate. Facade- mounted and street level signage is preferred to tall, isolated signs that create visual clutter and distract motor- ists.

Transparent building façades generate interest for the pedestrian and improve security through enhanced visibility. Storefront windows and doors help create an inviting environment for pedestrians by breaking up monotony of a street wall and welcoming pedestrians along the sidewalk. Awnings, typically used to high- light entryways or windows, appear out of place when not part of a window or door.

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5 Recommendations