Morrisville Town Center Plan - 2007

Chapter 3: Detailed Design

Street, and to maintain and enhance the longstanding commercial function of this area, the Town Center Design recommends extending small-scale commercial uses west on Franklin-Upchurch Street. To ensure compatibility with the traditional character of this neighborhood, any new structures would have to be consistent in scale, architecture, and site design with the historic buildings in this area. The intent is to promote small, locally-owned businesses in this location. An opportunity exists at the western terminus of Franklin-Upchurch Street for a small mixed use development in somewhat larger but still architecturally compatible structures, if parking, access, floodplain, and other site design issues can be resolved. To help ensure a high quality streetscape, buildings would need to be pulled close to the sidewalk to help frame the intersection of Morrisville- Carpenter Road and the future Crabtree Crossing Extension, with parking located to the side and behind of the structures. Church Street and Page Street: Two places where Morrisville’s historic character is particularly apparent are: 1) along the lower part of Church Street north and south of where it intersects with Ashe Street, and 2) around the Page House at the southern end of Page Street, south of Morrisville- Carpenter Road. In both locations, one has the sensation of stepping back in time. In the first spot, if one stands in front of the old Christian Church and looks north on Church Street, one can see the remains of what once was a rural country road, with its narrow width and rows of trees. On Page Street, the views of the Page House are framed by fields and forest, evoking the old plantation that once existed in this location. The Town Center Design calls for protecting the character of the Church Street and Page Street neighborhoods, while allowing for a somewhat broader range of uses, including professional and civic offices, as

well as residential uses. To support this goal, incentives should be established to promote the preservation of existing historic structures, and special standards should be developed to guide new construction in this area. Special effort should be made to keep historic structures in their original location to maintain the historic integrity of the neighborhood and preserve the longstanding relationship of the different buildings to one another, in keeping with the standards and guidelines established by the Secretary of the Interior for rehabilitating historic buildings. Small-scale infill development on vacant lots would be allowed if it is consistent with the scale and character of the neighborhood. Parking should be accommodated on each lot, primarily to the side and behind buildings. Special attention should be paid to maintaining existing trees and adding to this landscaping as appropriate with native species of vegetation that have traditionally grown in the Town Center area.

Despite all the growth in Morrisville, the lower part of Church Street still has the feel of a rural country road. (Photo: Ben Hitchings, Town of Morrisville)

2) New Core Residential District: This district includes the area extending north and west from Church Street to Town Hall Drive. The Town Center Design calls for using this area for new residential development of a slightly higher density than nearby to help

27 │ Town Center Plan

January 2007