Morrisville Land Use Plan 2009

5.3 Future Land Use Categories, cont’d 3. SOUTHERN ACTIVITY CENTER (SAC) A. Function

i. Provide community-wide employment, retail, education, health care, entertainment or mixed use destinations at key intersections of major transportation corridors in Town. ii. Provide improved access to jobs and daily institutional and service needs, a compat- ible mix of uses and access to a variety of transportation options. B. Preferred Uses i. Land uses should include a mix of uses, such as of office and institutional (including medical, senior, and child care related institutional uses), entertainment, retail and ma- jor commercial land uses. Low, medium, and high density residential uses should be balanced with existing residential uses both within and near the SAC. New residen- tial uses on redeveloped parcels are discouraged from being stand-alone multifamily housing. ii. Commercial uses within the SAC should not include destination retail uses such as a building supply, nursery operation, or auto dealership that would require significant out- door display or storage. Outdoor display or storage associated with major retail or shop- ping centers is allowed. C. General Policies + Development Character i. The Southern Activity Center should be planned with the highest density and intensity of uses centered at the Park West Village Development, tapering to less dense and intense uses at the edges that are compatible with the adjacent neighborhoods. ii. Land uses within the SAC district should be mixed – including vertically and horizontally (i.e., among separate buildings, or within the same floor of a building or among floors in multi-story buildings) - to create a diverse center to live, work, play and shop. iii. The SAC district should contain a complementary mix of land uses that promote pleas- ant, safe and convenient access for pedestrians and bicyclists, and provide a strong orientation to existing or potential future transit service. iv. The SAC district should have an integrated and high-quality design, with consideration for the adjacent land uses and adjacent neighborhoods. v. Multi-modal transportation connections or easements should be provided to link sur- rounding uses to the SAC, and link the SAC to activity centers in adjacent areas. vi. Connections to undeveloped parcels should be designed and built to the property line and in a manner that can be continued. vii. The SAC should feature well-configured squares and greens and a traditional network of landscaped streets with pedestrian-friendly activities and frontages. Rectilinear pat- tern of small blocks and the location of civic buildings that act as landmarks and sym- bols of community identity are desired. viii.For the purpose of providing a transition from the SAC to surrounding areas, the district should be designed to center on a compact core where the development of high- est intensity/density should be located, with progressively lower-density and intensity spreading outwards. Where existing uses and built areas do not fit this pattern, it is in- tended that as redevelopment occurs over time this pattern should be encouraged. ix. Major land development proposals within the SAC area should consider the provision of a full complement of public facilities and services, the adequacy of roads and utilities, and the compliance of the proposal with the community-design policies and guide- lines of this Plan. x. Parking areas should be de-emphasized through location, landscaping, fencing, or other decorative elements to minimize visual impact from the public right of way. xi. Design elements should be integrated with wide sidewalks, street trees, pedestrian- scaled lighting, benches, and entrances to buildings at the edges of street rights-of-way. Bicycle facilities, on-street parking, and usable public spaces should be provided.

This rendering of Park West Village, currently under construction within the Southern Activity Center, illustrates its small-scale mixed use buildings and pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

encouraged discouraged

Pedestrian amenities should be continu- ous and appropriately sized to their setting. Where appropriate, they should incorporate transit facilities such as bus shelters.

Buildings should be incorporated into a site plan that includes gathering and open spaces, aesthetically pleasing design, and pedestrian connectivity between buildings.

Building storefronts should be well-de- signed, with adequate space for outdoor uses (such as café seating) to avoid block- ing the sidewalk.

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5 Recommendations