Morrisville Town Center Plan - 2007

Appendix 4

they were found primarily along Aviation Parkway closer to RTP.

The overall payroll of these businesses was almost $1.0 billion in 2004, up by 187 million or 23.9% from 1998. The average wage increased at a somewhat slower rate of 15.6% in current dollars over this period, from $42,100 in 1998 to $48,660 by 2004. Morrisville-area wages are significantly higher than those in Wake County as a whole, which averaged $36,480 in 2004 or 75% of those in Morrisville. But, Wake County wages are rising slightly faster than those in Morrisville. Site Analysis The following summarizes key findings from a SiteAnalysis conducted to assess the existing inventory and overall factors impacting on the marketability of the Town Center Study Area, surrounding the intersection of Chapel Hill Road (NC54) & Morrisville-Carpenter Road / Aviation Parkway. Existing Inventory The following summarizes an inventory of existing uses within the Town Center study area as well as of areas on the periphery of the town center. A more detailed inventory is provided in the Appendix of this memorandum. • Town Center . Within the town center, there are residential and civic functions, but only a few business uses. As such, the area is not definable as a “business district” in the traditional sense of a commercial town center. The town center also lacks identity and presence because of the lack of building massing and any sense of scale. Key uses include: o Residential. Existing houses were inventoried in the town center area, most of which are clustered in two residential neighborhoods located south of NC54 on either side of Morrisville- Carpenter Road. The houses offer significant historic and vintage architectural value but are in various stages of maintenance. There is also an 80-unit townhouse community (Church Street Townes) under construction in the north-western portion of the study area. o Retail & Service. There is only one retail business located in the historic core of the town center, Ben’s Bargain Barn, initially built as the Red & White Food Store (adjacent to the former Jones’ Hardware Store). There is also a small auto repair shop (Bill’s Auto Body), located off of NC54. o Office. There are two private office uses in the town center, Yard-Nique, a landscaping design and installation company, and The Orchid Trail, an orchid nursery. Yard-Nique occupies three of the most visible historic (ca 1901) buildings in the town center, with a total of almost 5,000 square feet of office and related business space along NC54. o Civic. The town center has a strong presence of civic buildings, including a fire station, town hall, police station, church, and chamber of commerce. Other than the fire station, however, the presence of these buildings is not felt because they are mostly located off of the main roads. A small park (Ruritan Park) is barely definable as a public space from NC54. • Peripheral Areas. Just outside of the town center area to the east, south, and west are newly- developing residential, retail, and office projects, all of which compete to some extent for market share with the town center. These are detailed in the Appendix and summarized below: o Within a short (5-minute) walk: • South/East – Portion of Weston with (new) strip shopping center & restaurants, offices,

79 │ Town Center Plan

January 2007