Morrisville Land Use Plan 2009

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2007, the Town of Morrisville had tripled in population since its existing Land Use Plan was prepared and was rapidly growing toward its full build-out potential. About a quarter of the area inside the Town’s planning jurisdiction remained undeveloped, and there was no opportunity for outward expansion due to the shared boundaries with the Town of Cary and other jurisdictions (Research Triangle Park, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and Umstead State Park). In response to this challenge, from 2007 through 2009, the Town of Morrisville completed major updates of both the existing Land Use Plan (1999) and Trans- portation Plan (2002) for the Town. The two Plans were developed simultaneously because current land use, and anticipated future land use, are inextricably tied to how the transportation system connects the land and people of Morrisville together. Similarly, the way in which the transportation system develops significantly influences land development practices, property values, and how convenient it is to travel from one place to another using different modes of travel (car, bus, rail, walking, or bicycling). This Executive Summary describes how the Plans were de- veloped, the key recommendations, and where in the document to access additional information. Section Two (Background), Section Four (Policy Direction) and Section Seven (Action Items) are identical in both plans. Developing the Plans Extensive communication with the general public was a focal point through- out the planning process, both to provide basic inputs into the content and recommendations of the Plans, but also to provide opportunities for people to comprehend the meaning of the Plans and provide feedback on the recom- mendations. An extensive plans update website, three public workshops, seven Plan Advisory Committee (PAC) meetings, three focus group meetings, a paper and internet survey, and a phone hotline were important parts of the planning process. Every single comment submitted could not be included in the final Plans, but many of the common themes of the comments and how they were addressed by the Plans are included in Appendix C. Town staff worked with a team of consultants, who were charged with the dif- ficult task of balancing various interests and comments by the public and PAC members, then translating that information into a specific set of action items to effect change (Section Seven). The action items were developed in order to implement the vision, goals and policies of the Plans, which were derived from the Town Council, public comments, Plan Advisory Committee, and the 1999 Land Use Plan (Section Four). The Land Use Plan The 2009 Land Use Plan seeks to capitalize on the opportunities in Morrisville (strong popu- lation growth and interest in residential development, an advantageous location in the heart of the Triangle) while maintaining the Town’s historic roots and “small town feel.” Morrisville has experienced rapid development recently, with most major tracts of land available for residential development having been built for subdivisions (Section Three). A key to the Plan is the balance of the desire for low density residential development (single family detached houses) with the need for overall economic growth as well as nearby shopping and work opportunities for the Town’s residents. This balance is addressed in the Plan by recommending activity centers with a mix of commercial, office and (in some cases) higher density residential uses where there is greater access to transportation infra- structure (such as major intersections), and allowing much of the remainder of the Town to be developed for low density residential uses or master-planned to take advantage of large undeveloped areas and the Town Center (Section Five). Designating land uses in Morrisville is complicated by the RDU Airport Noise Overlay District, which covers 22% of the town’s planning jurisdiction including about 40% of the developable area, and restricts residential and other noise-sensitive uses.

A participant presents her small group’s ideas at the first public workshop, on October 29, 2007.

The Plan integrates transportation by linking land uses with appropriate transportation facilities that offer opportunities for walking, biking or driv- ing. The Plan also seeks to provide an opportunity for new lifestyle and development options by establishing a Transit Oriented Development floating district, which can be applied voluntarily by a property owner to take advantage of planned bus and rail routes through Morrisville. Section Six examines in more detail different Community Areas of Mor- risville and illustrates some of the land use and transportation recom- mendations. To complement the recommended future land uses, examples of good design are provided for each land use type. Specific action items in- clude the development of various ordinances to strengthen the envi- ronmental and quality of life elements of the Town, such as reducing stormwater runoff, encouraging higher-quality, sit-down style restau- rants, and continue and expand upon past efforts to preserve the his- toric character of important places like the Shiloh Community. The Transportation Plan Morrisville’s geographic position in the Triangle Region – surrounded by people who would like to get from their homes to major attractions like the employment centers of Research Triangle Park, Raleigh-Durham

Members of the Plan Advisory Committee discuss what they like and would like to change about Morrisville at the October 16, 2007 meeting.

International Airport, and the cities of Durham and Raleigh – create a situation in Morris- ville that demands consideration of high volumes of “through” traffic that seldom stops in Morrisville. This kind of traffic presents interesting technical issues for providing adequate vehicle capacity while maintaining the aforementioned small-town atmosphere. Simply widening roadways with no end in sight could temporarily alleviate traffic congestion, but

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