McCrimmon Parkway Extension Development Guide

A public review draft of the McCrimmon Parkway Extension Development Guide is now available for viewing and download at the following location:  http://www.townofmorrisville.org/DocumentCenter/View/5812

The Planning & Zoning Board discussed the report on September 13, 2012.  Subsequent Town Council briefings and a public hearing are scheduled in October for action anticipated at the Town Council meeting on November 27, 2012.

This purpose of the Development Guide is to set forth a framework of land uses and development standards for the approx. 400 acres area that McCrimmon Parkway will be extended through Morrisville. The guidance will be used by the Town’s consultant preparing the new UDO to enable the types of development desired by landowners, neighbors and Town leaders, and balance new development with conservation of resources that are important to the Town. The guidance was developed through a series of 5 public meetings held between February and August 2012. The process was designed to:

•      Identify and clarify issues,

•      Provide additional information on areas of concern and clarify issues related to the UDO

•      Refine the list of issues to group together similar issues and identify key theme

•      Translate major UDO-related issues into guidance for the Town’s consultant

The stakeholders participating in the project used the Town of Morrisville’s 2009 Land Use Plan as a starting point for discussions. Some of the major issues raised during stakeholder discussion were:

1.     Ensure each standard includes a clear statement on the purpose and need.

2.     Describe a process to ensure “as built” development matches approved plans.

3.     Encourage a linked network of conserved wetlands, waterways and riparian buffers.

4.     Include standards for grading/tree-cutting on sites relative to size of development.

5.     Include standards for wetlands and riparian buffers to enable wildlife corridors to remain intact.

6.     Incorporate incentives to provide much needed “green” infrastructure (i.e., greenways and trails).

7.     Pay careful attention to transition between different uses (i.e., residential and retail).

8.     Address airport noise requirements related to any residential use in the area.

9.     Include standards to allow for more compact, walkable, mixed use, transit oriented development.

10.  Include a voluntary process to allow multiple land owners to develop a master plan showing how individual projects would meet development standards.

11.  Encourage safe interconnectivity between development projects for both people and vehicles.

12.  Provide funding support for the construction of McCrimmon Parkway Extension.

13.  Determine the precise alignment and cross-section of McCrimmon Parkway Extension

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Brad West (bwest@townofmorrisville.org)