Morrisville Town Center Plan - 2007

Chapter 3: Detailed Design

north. The First Baptist Church has indicated a desire to keep an open mind about future plans for its property, and so has requested that no new conceptual structures be displayed on it at this time. 5) New Supporting Residential District: This area encircles theCore of the TownCenter and provides a transition to surrounding uses outside of the project area. Here, additional residential development would help create a transition between the existing residential development on the outskirts of the Town Center, and the civic and commercial activities in the core area. The professional design consultant assisting with the Town Center project recommends a density of 8 – 12 units per acre to help provide housing opportunities in close proximity to the amenities of the Town Center and create a market for the commercial development such as outdoor dining that citizens said they would like to see included in the design. Design standards would help ensure that new development in this district is attractive and functions well for the neighborhood and the community.

6) Existing Commercial/Institutional Areas: These areas include Morrisville Square in the southwest quadrant of the project area, Keybridge in the southeast quadrant, and Morrisville Station and the new Greenwood Village in the north central part of the study area and the Office and Institutional uses along Aviation Parkway such as the Hindu Temple. This existing development provides about 140,000 square feet of retail services and offices in the Town Center area. 7) New Office/Institutional Area: Land along the south side of Aviation Parkway is identified as suitable for office and institutional uses. This use matches the existing land use plan designation and will help transition from residential development to the civic and commercial uses to the east. In addition, it will help keep potential new residential development out of the floodplain. Every effort should be made to preserve the mature tree canopy that exists here immediately along Aviation Parkway. 8) New Small-scale Commercial Area: There are several small parcels along Chapel Hill Road (NC 54) near the intersection with Sunset Avenue that lie next to existing commercial development and are currently zoned for General Business. These should be allowed to become small-scale commercial development if the property owners choose to pursue this use. 9) Existing and Proposed Parks: These areas provide important green space amenities in close proximity to a growing numberof residencesandbusinesses. Existing facilities include Cedar Fork District Park, the Morrisville Nature Park, and the Ruritan Park next to the Fire Station. The Town Center Design calls for adding two new community parks – a Civil War Battleground Park and a Rural Heritage Park – to protect important historic sites and natural areas, and provide much needed outdoor spaces for passive

The historic crossroads area of Morrisville is ringed by new development, such as these houses in the Savannah subdivision. (Photo: S. Galloway, Town of Morrisville)

30 │ Town Center Plan

January 2007