Morrisville Land Use Plan 2009

Appendices

A ppendix E. T he F uture L and U se M apping P rocess

The core of the Land Use Plan is the Future Land Use Map (Figure 5.1), which details the vision of staff and the public for what Morrisville should look like in the future. The map, together with the associated category descriptions, can guide the planning staff, Planning and Zoning Board, and Town Council in their consideration of proposed develop- ments. This appendix presents more detail on the process used to reach that ultimate map, so that readers can bet- ter appreciate the underlying reasons for the designations. The future land use mapping process primarily involved the Plan Advisory Committee (PAC), the public through public workshops and the public survey, Town staff, and consul- tants. December 4, 2007 PACMeeting. The PAC requested to see a map dividing the town’s planning jurisdiction into three categories: vacant, committed land unlikely to change, and land that is likely to redevelop. Such a map would give the PAC an idea of the amount of land that is “in-play” within the Town, which is useful since the overall amount of available land for development is dwindling. The PAC also discussed the impact of the noise overlay district, which re- stricts residential development in the eastern portion of the town. January 15, 2008 PAC Meeting. Consultants presented the “3-category map” requested by the PAC at the pre- vious meeting (see Figure E.1) and discussed the relative amounts of land in each category in restricted and unre- stricted areas (Figure E.2). For the purposes of this map, the three categories are defined as follows: Committed Land Use: Parcels that are developed and are likely to stay in their current use for the time period covered by the Land Use Plan, or parcels that are currently un- developed but whose use has already been de- termined or are undevelopable for other reasons: Parcels built 1996 or later Town, State or Federally owned developed parcels

Parcels within subdivisions that are as-yet un- built and parcels designated for open space within subdivisions Parcels recently approved for development, even if construction has not begun

Figure E.2 Percentage of Land in Development Categories (Restricted and Unrestricted) Development Category Restricted* Unrestricted* Committed Land Use 5% 51% Redevelopment Potential 8% 13% Vacant/Undeveloped 9% 14% * Restricted category includes land in the Airport Noise Overlay District east of NC 54. Unrestricted includes land in the Airport Noise Overlay District west of NC 54 and all land outside the noise overlay.

Vacant/Undeveloped: Zero building tax value, verified by visual inspection of 2007 aerial photos to en- sure no buildings present Includes town-owned parcels that are undeveloped and have no currently planned/anticipated use The majority of land in the town’s planning jurisdiction (56%) is classified as “committed”, with 21% classified as “redevelopment potential” and 23% classified as vacant. Slightly less than half of the land in the vacant and redevelopment potential categories is re- stricted, which means that noise sensitive land uses (e.g. residential, schools, etc.) are not allowed. In addition to the three categories, there was an additional map where staff and consul- tants had divided the “redevelopment potential” category into low, medium and high potential for redevelopment, indicating the relative potential of each parcel to redevel- op. The high, medium and low categories may also be thought of in terms of short term (5 years), mid term (10-15 years), and long term (15-20 years) redevelopment. In general, parcels closer to major transportation with older buildings that underutilize the location (such as a 1950s era single family home along NC 54) were classified with a high potential for redevelopment. Somewhat newer development or parcels farther from major trans- portation routes were classified with a lower potential for redevelopment. PAC members also received maps of development restrictions, such as streams, flood- plains and wetlands (similar to Figure 2.4); existing land use (Figure 3.1); and planned trans- Redevelopment Potential: Parcels that are developed but are underutilized for their location. Suf- ficient value exists in the location that developers may benefit from purchasing the parcel and redeveloping it for a different or more in- tensive use. Parcels with older/smaller buildings that are near or adjacent to major roadways or new development (examples: 50-year-old single family home along NC 54, or 20-year-old 1-story office buildings adjacent to newer 4-story office buildings)

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E Future Land Use Mapping