The State of Morrisville

The Sept 19th Triangle Business Journal event was.... informative. Interesting. And right there at the end - downright depressing.

Overall, we're in better shape than many areas of the country. No surprise there. Mayor Faulkner talked about how "blessed" we were. Are. Marvin Waldo, President, Retail Strategies of NC, offered updates on Grace Park. Andrew Kelton, EVP Duke Realty, should have had more microphone time. His encouraging update on Economic Development was one worth hearing, a reminder that Morrisville is a much desired location. In his 90 seconds he offered this fascinating accolade: Out of 47 facilities, and with a Misery Index of only 10, RDU is the 10th least miserable airport. Take that, LAX!

The developer of Park West Regional Activity Center also used the word "blessed" when describing the approval PWV received from Morrisville's elected officials. Though his project is "well funded and capitalized," those looking to live/work/play at the corner of NC54 & Cary Pkwy are being asked for "patience." He also noted that "significant change is in the mix," and that professional and/or medical services might fill some "short term vacancies" in Morrisville.

Ok, now the depressing part. When asked what the state plans to do to address worsening traffic on NC54, especially in light of $4MM Morrisville tax dollars spent at the intersection of NC54/Aviation Pkwy, Joey Hopkins, Deputy Division 5 Engineer, NCDOT had this to say:


"Nothing."

The mayor concurred. The answer is: Nothing. The town of Morrisville has not made NC54 a priority, it's not on the FY 2009-2015 CAMPO MTIP list, so the state has no reason to include the roadway on it's list of priorities.

Our work-in-progress Transportation Plan calls for NC54 to be a Six-Lane Blvd (think US 15/501) for a stretch, narrowing to a Four-Lane Roadway north bound at Henrico Ln, then back to a Six-Lane Blvd at Perimeter Park Dr. Our consultant has noted that even those 6 lanes of asphalt might not be enough to relieve traffic congestion.

Alrighty then. We need a whole bunch of pavement to support existing, approved and planned development. But we haven't yet told the state that their road is in need of repair? I'm good at math. Not half bad at budgeting. But there's no way to turn NC54 into US 15/501 on an annual town budget of $20MM. Even with triple coupons and new calculator batteries it's not possible. The 19% tax increase proposed earlier this summer? Times ten? Still not in the ballpark.

With another nod to that 60s sitcom sage Ricky Ricardo - somebody's got some 'splainin' to do.

The Home of Higher Standards

First came the unrecognized ATM charge from an out of town merchant, followed by, shall we say, a less than satisfying conversation with a bank representative. Then came the realization, once again, that though the ADA has helped widen doorways, it hasn't and can't address attitudinal barriers. Red tape is no less sticky than in pre 1990 days.

What looked to be an identity theft wasn't. It was nothing more than an honest mistake, a couple of numbers transposed. It happens. But situations that are bumps in the road for some can be trying for folks with developmental disabilities.

Fortunately....thankfully...... the Morrisville police officers who paid us a visit got it right. With common sense and sensitivity, professionalism and comforting small talk, they got it right. To them go our sincere thanks.

Just the Facts Ma'am, Part II

Save the Dates:

Monday, Sept 8 from 6:30-8:30 PM
Morrisville Chamber of Commerce
260 Town Hall Dr
Joint Meeting between the Morrisville Planning and Zoning Board and Town Council. Though not specified on the agenda, a discussion on the ever important Land Use and Transportation Plans may occur. Of interest: an increase in the size of the Park West Village Regional Activity from 95 acres to roughly 300 acres, Crabtree Crossing Pkwy extension, and a 6 lane/4 lane vision for NC54.

Tuesday, Sept 9 6:30 PM
Morrisville Town Hall
100 Town Hall Dr
Town council briefing session, with discussion on policy for downtown land purchase. Meeting will conclude after a closed session to discuss specific land acquisition. Should be an interesting discussion coming so soon after June's budget fiasco. NOTE: Town website calendar lists meeting place as Cedar Fork Community Center. That's a typo.

Thursday, Sept 11 from 5-6 PM and 6 - until
Morrisville Town Hall
100 Town Hall Dr
P&ZB open house on the Kit Creek Rd Connection study followed by a public comment opportunity on the extension.

No Time to Say Hello, Goodbye or Just the Facts, Ma'am

Credit Morrisville Action:

Kit Creek Connector: Study and Public Comment Opportunity

The much anticipated Kit Creek Connector Study, commissioned by the Town of Morrisville and carried out by the Louis Berger Consulting Group, is now available online. The study concludes that in 2035, Kit Creek Rd will carry 21,817 cars daily. Not surprisingly, the intersection of Church St and Kit Creek Rd is expected to perform poorly regardless of whether or not Kit Creek Rd is extended. The consultant recommends a southbound right turn lane and signal at the T intersection, but notes that those changes will "improve operations minimally." Because the intersection is constrained by the RR and existing structures, the feasibility of adding additional lanes is poor.

Don't miss this opportunity to share your thoughts! An open house is scheduled to discuss the study:
Thursday, Sept 11 from 5-6 PM
Morrisville Town Hall, 100 Town Hall Dr
The open house will be followed immediately by a Planning and Zoning Board meeting and opportunity for public comment.

Can't make the meeting? Contact:
PlanningBoard@ci.morrisville.nc.us - Your volunteer planning and zoning board
cc: bhitchings@ci.morrisville.nc.us - Planning Director Ben Hitchings
cc: towncouncil@ci.morrisville.nc.us - Your elected town council

No soup for you!

Ok, it wasn't that blatant. Likely just a poor choice of venue with no intent to skirt the public meetings law intent. But last night's Land Use and Transportation Plan workshop should have taken place at town hall chambers as originally posted on the TOM website. With no microphones for participants and little room for the public inside the conference room, the meeting should have been moved from the Public Safety/Inspections/Planning building to accommodate the interested public.

As per UNC School of Government David Lawrence's Q&A on open meetings:

Q: Does the open meetings law say anything about meeting rooms? If the room is too small for the audience, has there been a violation of the law?

A: The law says nothing about the size of meeting rooms. As long as a public body does not consistently meet in a room too small to hold all who wish to attend, there should be no violation of the law if occasionally an unexpectedly large crowd causes the room to be too small. Of course, if such an occasion arises, the public body should attempt as best it can to accommodate citizens. This sort of approach won the support of the Georgia, New Mexico, and Wisconsin courts in comparable cases.

The LUTP process has been a flawed one. Volunteer PAC members had their roles changed early in the process from influential to well, bobble head dolls. The resultant documents were not approved nor even endorsed by the volunteer committee originally tasked with helping create them. There is unease with both the process and the product. Holding an important LUTP workshop in a sardine can didn't help.

My suggestion for the next PZB/Town Council meeting on Monday, Sept 8th: hold it in a venue that meets the intent of the NC open meetings law.*

* SS143-318.9 - Whereas the public bodies that administer the legislative, policy-making, quasi-judicial, administrative, and advisory functions of North Carolina and its political subdivisions exist solely to conduct the people's business, it is the public policy of North Carolina that the hearings, deliberations, and actions of these bodies be conducted openly.