Morrisville Land Use Plan 2021

Community Diversity Morrisville has an increasingly diverse population. Today, Morrisville is a majority minority community, meaning that the sum of all minority groups is greater than that of the majority. Approximately 48 percent of Morrisville’s residents identified as white in 2017, compared to 52 percent identifying as some other minority group. In the next five years this trend is anticipated to continue, with most groups remaining relatively stable, those identifying as white decreasing in percentage of the total population, and those identifying as Asian increasing. This community diversity has and will continue to impact the uses, development types, and services that are desired and best suited to the needs of Morrisville’s residents. As growth continues, the Town should be considerate of the needs of all residents and seek to understand how diversity will impact future land use decisions.

Town Center & Community Spaces Morrisville does not have many identifiable gathering places or focal points of activity. Without these spaces, many residents feel there are no destinations that truly define Morrisville, and the Town can feel like a collection of individual neighborhoods, commercial developments, and office parks. At the core of this concern is the lack of a Downtown or Town Center that could serve as a focal point for the community. Residents emphasized that a higher-density, mixed-use district is important to establishing a shared space and focal point for the community. Both Park West Village and Grace Park were iden- tified as existing districts that provide desired density, uses, and environments, but lack the activity to function as a true downtown for Morrisville. The Town should focus on creating commu- nity spaces and unique destinations that foster a sense of place and community pride. These should be inviting, active, and provide a foundation to promote the Town’s brand and convey a greater concept of what and where Morrisville is to residents and visi- tors. This should include new higher density, mixed-use activity centers as well as parks and open spaces that can act as gathering spaces and host community events. In addi- tion, the Town should look to bolster existing developments like Grace Park and Park West Village as destinations, along with key parks like Morrisville Community Park and Church Street Park.

Superfund Site The Koppers Co., Inc. Superfund site, located northeast of McCrimmon Parkway and Church Street, was home to several lumber companies between 1896 and 1975. Wood- treating operations contaminated the soil and local groundwater. In the 1990s, remediation was completed on a 33-acre portion of the site, but today 16 acres remain designated as a Superfund site. In the 2009 Land Use Plan, the site was targeted as a potential for transit-oriented development given its proximity toWake Tech Community College and planned transit options along the North Carolina Railroad and NC54. To support the creation of unique community spaces, the Town should actively seek development of the Superfund site as a transit-oriented development. This should include coordination with the property owners to review and address contamina- tion on the site as well as consider long-term development options. While transit-oriented development is appropriate, this should include placemaking components, such as community gathering spaces or public uses that will make it a destination in Morrisville. Key Considerations ⊲ Actively seek development of the Superfund site as a transit-oriented development. ⊲ Coordinate with the property owners to review and address mitigation of hazardous materials on the site and consider long-term development options.

For example, multigenerational living arrangements are more popular among Asian residents, who comprise 34 percent of the population. As this population continues to grow, this could place greater demand on alternative housing products like accessory dwelling units or multi-family developments. The Town should regularly engage these groups to understand their long-term needs and consider how this will impact land use in the community. Key Considerations ⊲ Strive to be considerate of the needs of all residents and seek to understand how diversity will impact future land use decisions. This should include regularly engaging residents and minority groups to understand and consider how their long-term needs will impact land use in the community. ⊲ Review and consider updates to the Town’s UDO to allow housing alternatives that may appeal to the Town’s diverse popu- lation, such as accessory dwelling units, duplexes, small-lot single family, or multi- family developments. ⊲ Explore new amenities, services, and programs that may grow in demand as the community continues to diversify. ⊲ Work with property owners and devel- opers to consider the Town’s growing diversity as part of the use, design, and construction of future projects.

Central to this effort should be continuation of the TownCenter project to establish a specified focal point in the community.While the Town Center project should be a priority, it should also be complemented by efforts to establish other vibrant activity centers elsewhere. This will create a variety of unique destinations and community spaces that together contribute to a greater sense of place inMorrisville. Key Considerations ⊲ Focus on creating community spaces and unique destinations that foster a sense of place and community pride. ⊲ Utilize existing and future community spaces as an opportunity to promote the Town’s brand and convey a greater concept of what and whereMorrisville is. ⊲ Bolster existing developments and repo- sition key parks and open spaces as prom- inent destinations. This should include efforts to foster a greater sense of place, increase activity, and attract residents to these areas on a regular basis. ⊲ Prioritize the Town Center project to estab- lish a specified focal point for theMorris - ville community, in accordance with the Town Center Subarea recommendations. ⊲ Encourage site design for future develop- ments that will help them as activity centers and destinations, such as higher density development, plazas, passive open spaces, pedestrian connections to adjacent areas, and a mix of uses. ⊲ Continue to require the incorporation of parks, open spaces, public plazas, and gathering spaces in future commercial and mixed-use development, in accordance with the Future Land Use map.

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