Morrisville Land Use Plan 2021

Public Education Public education within Morrisville is primarily provided by the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) which serves all of Wake County and enrolls over 160,000 students annually. WCPSS is the largest school district in North Carolina and the 14th largest in the United States. Only twoWCPSS facilities, both elementary schools, are located within the Town of Morrisville itself, with a third elementary school just across the border in Research Triangle Park. As a result, the majority of students must travel outside the community each day for school. Growth projections anticipate that Morris- ville’s student-age population will continue to increase in the future and the desire for both middle school and high school facilities to be located within or in closer proximity to Morrisville has been identified. a detailed understanding of educational facilities and services. The district indicated a willingness to work collaboratively with the community and is dedicated to addressing educational needs in Morrisville. In general, WCPSS requires 25 acres for an elementary school, 35 acres for a middle school, and 75 acres for a high school. Within Morrisville, there are few sites that meet these basic size requirements; however, the County has taken an innovative approach to establishing new school facilities, including the adaptive reuse of existing buildings. WCPSS officials were engaged as part of the Morrisville Land Use Plan process to provide

Shared Infrastructure

Transportation Infrastructure

A proactive and forward-thinking approach will be essential to addressing public educa- tion needs in Morrisville. The Town should coordinate withWCPSS to plan for new schools as necessary. Since properties in Morrisville that meet district standards for acreage are scarce, the Town should work withWCPSS to explore unique alternatives like retrofitting existing properties for new schools. This could include parcel assemblage to create new school sites. The Town should also discuss withWCPSS their approach to development within the airport overlay and consider if available properties could meet necessary design standards. Key Considerations: ⊲ Work proactively withWCPSS to identify potential sites or opportunities for new schools in Morrisville, specifically middle school and high school facilities. ⊲ Collaborate withWCPSS to explore creative solutions for new educational facilities in Morrisville. This should include considerations for retrofitting existing buildings, repositioning available or underutilized properties, satellite facilities, and other creative approaches. ⊲ Collaborate withWCPSS and RDU to consider if available properties within the airport overlay could meet necessary design standards for district schools.

Understanding the relationship between transportation infrastructure and land use, the Town should continue to review how proposed projects and land use policy will impact transportation in Morrisville. This should include considerations for the timing of proposed transportation improvements and projects to ensure that growth and development does not outpace Morrisville’s transportation network. The Town should coordinate with NCDOT as a key partner in addressing transportation infrastructure. Key Considerations: ⊲ Ensure land use decisions around future transit stations serve to support ridership and overall system viability. ⊲ Work with neighboring jurisdictions to better anticipate transportation infra- structure impacts from their respective land use decisions. ⊲ Continue to review how proposed projects and land use policy will impact trans- portation infrastructure and mobility in Morrisville. ⊲ Coordinate the timing of proposed trans- portation improvements and projects to ensure that growth and development does not outpace Morrisville’s transportation network, coordinating with NCDOT as appropriate. ⊲ Coordinate with key partners, such as NCDOT, RDU, or key employers, to achieve a balance between continued development and necessary transportation infrastruc- ture projects that will ensure safe and efficient mobility in Morrisville.

Water and sewer services within Morrisville are provided by the Town of Cary through a shared-use agreement. As a result, the Town does not operate or maintain any water or sewer infrastructure facilities. While uncommon for a municipality of Morrisville’s size, this arrangement has proven a valuable resource, helping the community to grow without the need for major infrastructure investments. This underscores a need for continued coordination with the Town of Cary to ensure services are adequate and well maintained. Morrisville should also maintain cooperation with neighboring juris- dictions through the Triangle Water Supply Partnership, to ensure that necessary water resources are available for continued growth. Key Considerations: ⊲ Coordinate with the Town of Cary to plan for long-term infrastructure improve- ments, maintenance, or expansions that may be necessary to accommodate growth and development in Morrisville. ⊲ Continue to participate in the Triangle Water Supply Partnership to ensure that necessary water resources are available for continued growth. ⊲ Monitor the capacity and overall quality of water and sewer services to ensure the shared infrastructure agreement remains a valuable and effective method of providing these services in Morrisville. ⊲ Coordinate with the Town of Cary to partake in their ReclaimedWater program.

In general, transportation in Morrisville is addressed by the Town’s Comprehen- sive Transportation Plan, adopted in 2019. However, it is important to note that trans- portation and land use are intrinsically linked and regularly impact each other. For example, construction of a new residential subdivision will change traffic patterns as new residents move into the area. Similarly, new roadways, like the McCrimmon Parkway Extension, will facilitate development on land that was previously difficult to access. The expansion of transit options, detailed in the Wake County Transit Plan, will also impact development considerations for Morrisville. Carefully planning pedestri- an-friendly, mixed-use development around potential station locations will be instru- mental in supporting overall transit viability inWake County. Given that Morrisville is surrounded on all sides by larger, neighboring jurisdictions, land use decisions in areas outside of the Town’s boundaries will also have a significant impact on transportation infrastructure. Morrisville should seek continued coordination with neighboring jurisdictions to better accommo- date the increased infrastructure demands resulting from their respective land use decisions.

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