Morrisville Land Use Plan 2009

6.5 Morrisville East, cont’d

environment for pedestrians and cyclists on adjacent paths. • Higher densities of nonresidential uses would be needed to compensate for the substantial private investment needed to complete the street net- work and provide utilities in this undeveloped area. This Plan proposes to largely maintain the existing industrial uses and provide for limited expansion in this area, but this represents a departure from previous plans. There is also potential for redevelopment within the Morrisville East area, where low-density development may be replaced with more intense uses. In particu- lar, public comments noted that the area south of Aviation Parkway adjacent to Lake Crabtree may be appropriate for low-density residential development, with neighborhood retail closer to the intersection with Evans Road. This area is currently actively used for industrial and office uses, so any redevelopment in this location most likely would occur in the long-term. 6.6 Perimeter Park This northeast area of Morrisville covers the Perimeter Park office complex, the Airport Boulevard corridor, and properties with frontage on the northern portion of NC 54. The area is characterized by office complexes and retail uses at the I-40 interchange. Recent development includes additional office buildings, a large retail center, including a Wal-Mart, on the north side of the NC 540 interchange, and a hotel and small retail center at NC 54 and Carrington Mill Boulevard. Perimeter Park has an approved master plan to build more office buildings, which accounts for most of the re- maining undeveloped land in this area. Wake County Technical Community College has purchased land north of Watkins Road on the east side of NC 54 for a future community college campus. Since much of this area is covered by the Airport Noise Overlay District, which does not permit residential uses, having this area develop as the center of office and institutional uses in Morrisville, anchored by major retail at the interchanges, makes sense. Some vacant land exists along Slater Road outside the noise restriction area, which this Plan recommends for medium density residential use because of its proximity to em- ployment centers and existing transit service. To address traffic congestion on NC 54, the Transportation Plan recommends a four-lane roadway with possible later expansion to six lanes on one segment if approved by Town Council (Figure 6.5 provides an illustration). Grade separations (overpasses) are planned for NC 54 at Airport Boulevard, McCrimmon Parkway, Carrington Mill Boulevard and Morris- ville Parkway to facilitate traffic flow from east to west. Airport Boulevard will be improved with bike lanes, a planted median, and multi-use paths. Carrington Mill Boulevard will be extended northeast to Slater Road, and an extension of Marcom Drive is planned to con- nect to Watkins Road. Redevelopment possibilities in the area include the Morrisville Outlet Mall, some of the older one to two story office buildings, and some industrial facilities. An illustration of what a redevelopment of Morrisville Outlet Mall might look like is presented in Figure 6.6 on the following pages.

Local office building.

Figure 6.5 NC 54 Streetscape Illustration

This example shows the redevelopment potential along NC54 as it transforms into a four-lane roadway with bike lanes and sidewalks. Planted medians and street trees complement the new roadway environment and corridor commercial land uses fill in along both sides of the road to support increased pedestrian use.

Existing roadway

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6 Community Areas