Morrisville Land Use Plan 2021

Housing Affordability

Unified Development Ordinance

Key Considerations ⊲ Utilize the 2019 Affordable Housing Plan to guide policies, projects, and decision making related to affordable housing and residential development. ⊲ Pursue the three key actions for affordable housing identified in the 2019 Affordable Housing Plan. ⊲ Encourage and incentivize the develop- ment of affordable housing in Morrisville, with emphasis on workforce housing and options that appeal to the full spectrum of residents. ⊲ Encourage and incentivize the develop- ment of ‘missing middle’ housing. ⊲ Seek the development of a balanced housing stock that provides a diverse range of housing types, price points, and styles. ⊲ Coordinate with regional partners to track trends related to housing affordability and identify best practices to increasing affordable options in Morrisville. ⊲ Coordinate with major employers, both in Morrisville and neighboring communities, to survey employers on preferred housing types and options that may attract them to Morrisville.

Key Considerations ⊲ Review and update the Town’s UDO and various development controls to align with the Morrisville Land Use Plan . ⊲ Review and update the Town’s zoning map in accordance with the Morrisville Land Use Plan and specifically the Future Land Use Map. ⊲ Ensure future rezonings reflect the community’s desire to have development west of NC-54 remain largely single-family detached residential. ⊲ Regularly review the UDO to ensure it is consistent with the Town’s vision for development. In addition, maintain a list of potential amendments and changes over time to reflect the community’s vision for land use as it evolves and address new and unforeseen issues as they arise. ⊲ Closely review development applications and proposed rezonings with Land Use Plan recommendations in mind.

Overall housing affordability is directly addressed by the Affordable Housing Plan adopted in 2019. This document should be the Town’s primary guiding policy to address housing affordability and should help inform decisions related to residential development moving forward. The Affordable Housing Plan outlines three key actions to address affordability in Morrisville: ⊲ Establish a community servant housing choice program ⊲ Create an affordability partnerships toolkit ⊲ Pay into a regional housing trust fund The Town should encourage development of affordable housing, guided by the Affordable Housing Plan. This should include updates to regulations and policies to incentivize affordable and attainable housing as part of future development. Emphasis should be placed on workforce housing and options that appeal to the full spectrum of Morrisville residents. This should include considerations for ‘missing middle’ housing, or housing types that provide options between single-family detached homes and multi-story multi-family buildings. Missing middle housing includes options such as rowhomes, duplexes and courtyard buildings. Providing missing middle housing helps accommodate multi-genera- tional housing needs and can help improve affordability, particularly among moderate income households. Ultimately, the Town should seek to develop a balance of housing that provides a diverse range of housing types, price points, and styles.

The affordability of housing within Morris- ville is important to the community. Rents and home values in the Town are some of the highest in the region, but these are comple- mented by high incomes. This indicates that the majority of households in Morrisville can comfortably afford housing within the community, with only a small percentage of existing households paying more than they can afford. Generally, Morrisville lacks housing that is affordable to renter households making less than $50,000 and owner households making less than $100,000. However, many more affordable options are located just outside Morrisville. This indicates that although there are fewer affordable options in Morrisville for households making lower incomes, the demand is offset by homes in the surrounding area. This could prevent households making lower incomes frommoving to or staying in the community, limiting the Town’s ability to attract and retain them.

The Land Use Plan and Morrisville’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) must work in concert to create the type of development the community envisions. The Land Use Plan and its designations serve as a formal policy statement for development. The Plan is an expression of desired development types, but it is not a regulatory document. The UDO, on the other hand, includes the legally binding regulations that dictate how properties can be used and defines the permitted character of development. In this way, the UDO acts as the ‘teeth’ to implement the Land Use Plan . When aligned, the Morrisville Land Use Plan and the UDOwill work together to guide land use and promote development that reflects the community’s vision. Adoption of the Morrisville Land Use Plan should be followed by a review and update of the Town’s various development controls, including the UDO. The future land use designations should inform regulations regarding appropriate uses, green space and tree protection, built form and standards for height, bulk, and intensity. Accordingly, as the vision for the community evolves and the Land Use Plan is amended to address changing dynamics, priorities, or issues, the UDO should be revisited to ensure it assists in implementing that vision over time.

41 Morrisville Land Use Plan | Chapter 5 – Land Use Considerations