Fuquay-Varina 2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan by City Explained, Inc.

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan Adopted June 5, 2017

By 2035, Fuquay-Varina will further evolve into a place with a clear identity, high quality-of-life, and a self-sustaining economy. It will be an attractive place to live, work, shop and play, with a clearly-defined sense of community and commitment to maintaining the attitudes that make Fuquay-Varina a dash more. Well-planned growth and a commitment to renewing, rebuilding and preserving older areas of Town will keep Fuquay-Varina as unique, attractive and authentic as the day new residents moved in.

Acknowledgements Town Board of Commissioners John W. Byrne, Mayor Blake Massengill, Mayor Pro Tem Charlie Adcock Marilyn Gardner Bill Harris Jason Wunsch

Town Planning Board Ed Ridpath, Chair Jim Chandler Barbara Marchioni Ron Nabors Bob Rowe Cindy Sheldon Ramey Beavers

Project Steering Committee Ed Ridpath Don Mizelle Jon Nance Lula Davis Sharon Peterson Rodney Swink Jim Earnhardt Tony Tate Tommy Fonville Steve Kenney Jordan Jones Michael Eubanks John Adcock

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Town Administration Adam Mitchell, Town Manager Mark Matthews, Assistant Town Manager Mike Sorensen, Planning Director Emeritus

Town Planning Department Samantha Smith, Planning Director Adam Culpepper, Planner II Heather Britt, Planner I Natalie McKinney, Support Specialist

Town Economic Development Jim Seymour, Director

Town Engineering Department Tracy Stephenson, Town Engineer

Consultant Team City Explained, Inc. Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. Nealon Planning, PLCC Zanetta Illustration TPUDC

Table of Contents Introduction

Public Outreach

Regional Context

Town History

Town Demographics

Community Character

Local Economy

Housing & Neighborhoods

Natural Environment

Transportation

Community Facilities

Arts & Culture

Guiding Principles

Growth Framework Map

Future Land Use & Conservation Map

Recommendations

Focus Area Concept Studies

Driving Success

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Introduction For years, Fuquay-Varina has been known to many as a “bedroom community,” an affordable suburb of Raleigh, Durham, Research Triangle Park and Fort Bragg where residents commute 20 to 60 minutes daily. Today, Fuquay-Varina’s residential population continues to grow at a rapid pace, and with this success comes the responsibility of the local leadership to provide quality services and amenities that meet and even exceed citizens’ expectations.

The Town recognizes that the current Land Use Plan is out of date and a new plan is necessary to address current and future development trends, as well as to manage the physical and fiscal components that form such a Plan. Building on past planning efforts, the 2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan (the “Land Use Plan”) seeks to implement a vision that preserves the character of Fuquay-Varina while addressing growth in a more explicit way that provides, protects and improves on a high quality-oflife for all citizens. This Land Use Plan focuses on sustainable development — measured by environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, and an equitable distribution of community resources — that reflects the community’s unique character and local values. As the population grows, commitment to sustainable development will be tested.

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The 2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan will be the official adopted statement for future growth and development in the Town of FuquayVarina. It will establish a long-term vision for the community, analyze existing conditions and emerging trends, set forth the framework for a future land use plan that invites investment and does not overburden the Town, and establish a strategy for wide-spread implementation. Recommendations in the document will be used to set public policy and provide a more predictable environment for public investment, private development, and returns on investment. The long-term horizon (20 years) keeps the document somewhat general. However, the broad range of development issues and Town services addressed in the Plan make it a true playbook for smart, sustainable growth ― always with a focus on the community’s stated priorities, values and attitudes that make Fuquay-Varina a dash more.

The Land Use Plan provides a vision and a policy framework from which the Land Development Ordinance, Capital Improvements Plan, and annual budget are guided. It also helps manage municipal service areas and influences other planning documents. It should be used by elected officials and appointed board members to evaluate development applications, amend ordinances, and plan future expenditures. Together, the Land Use Plan and its implementation tools ensure future decisionmaking regarding development that is consistent with the community’s vision and residents’ expectations for a higher quality of life. Ultimately, the Land Use Plan’s relevance will be measured by its use in every day decisionmaking. Monitoring the Plan’s implementation should be an open and ongoing process, summarized each year in a community report card that examines performance, measures achievement, and reflects change shaped by the Land Use Plan.

What Influences Growth? Different development patterns and intensities found in Southern Wake and Northern Harnett Counties are driven mostly by five general growth factors: market demand, available capital, a growth outlook, developer interests, and government policies and ordinances. The influence of each factor in relation to the others changes over time and often varies by location or land use category. Nonetheless, each factor is present to some degree when development occurs, or does not occur, in a community:

Market Demand The demand for different development types, patterns and intensities is established by future buyers or renters attracted to the area (and their purchasing power) that will fill new products or pay different price points.

Available Capital Banks and other institutions establish minimum lending criteria and set interest rates for borrowing money needed to fund new development.

Growth Outlook The local economy helps influence how quickly development occurs in an area, most often influenced by new employment opportunities and their ability to bring new residents (and other businesses) into the community and the larger region.

Developer Interests The private sector helps decide who builds, what they build, where they build, and why they build in a community, which is driven primarily by when a developer is confident about the other growth factors and decides to ‘take the chance’ to start a new project.

Government Policies Government policies and ordinances are used to promote (or restrict) development in line with a community vision established for the area, funds available for extending infrastructure, local politics, etc.

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The 2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan is sensitive to the five general growth factors, and tries to adopt a ‘playbook approach’ to guiding future growth and development in the community to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. Some parts of the document — things like the community vision, guiding principles, and Growth Framework Map — should remain constant and keep Fuquay-Varina on a focused path for success. Other parts of the document — things like the general recommendations, focus area study recommendations, Future Land Use and Conservation Map, and other supporting infrastructure maps — may need to evolve over time as conditions change that were not contemplated at the time this document was adopted. Any changes considered under the playbook mindset for the document should be evaluated against the community vision, guiding principles, and Growth Framework Map to determine if they are in the best longterm interests of the Town and its residents, businesses, and property owners. Patience may be needed for some aspects of the Land Use Plan to evolve, as it sets a long-term vision to guide growth over an extended period of time (20 years and beyond). Town officials should avoid ‘shortsighted’ decisions to modify the Land Use Plan as a playbook unless reasons to change it are supported by Town staff.

Why Plan? Every town has a finite amount of land. It is critical for citizens to understand how this

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land is occupied today and what could possibly happen with it in the future. Broken into five categories, land in the Fuquay-Varina planning area (town limits plus extraterritorial jurisdiction and urban service area) ranges from fully developed (39%) to completely preserved (4%). In both of these cases, change is unlikely to occur. However, nearly 42% of all land in the planning area is either undeveloped or under-developed (prime for redevelopment). This portion of the Town represents a critical opportunity to determine a new and exciting future. And while it often takes time for ‘under-utilized’ land to be fully capitalized, vacant land is subject to change at any moment. This leads to an important question:

What happens to all the undeveloped and underdeveloped land in the future?

Thinking Big Picture

Citizen as a Verb

The 2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan is part of a library of plans developed by the Town to guide future growth and development. It is intended to relate to all other Town plans, policies and ordinances in place or currently underway, and provide guidance to other government agencies preparing plans or programming projects that may affect the Town’s planning area.

A theme throughout the planning process was how to make sure the work would be acceptable to those who didn’t participate. Agreement was reached among participants that it is each citizens’ duty to participate and create a plan that they are happy with. Citizenship is an active, not passive, endeavor. Because the outreach process provided so many ways and opportunities for people to get involved, simply complaining about the Plan is not an option.

How to Use the Plan Be a champion of the Plan even if you don’t like ALL of the ideas. The Community Vision and Guiding Principles in the Land Use Plan reflect the ideas of members of the community and include different points of view — a bit of something for everyone. You don’t have to love everything in the Plan, but consider the big picture and whether the Plan as a whole takes Fuquay-Varina in the right direction.

Be a champion of the Plan even if all of your ideas aren’t included. The Land Use Plan is the culmination of an extensive and transparent community planning process. It is possible that not all ideas were included in this document because (A) there was disagreement on the topic and the decision was made to go with the consensus of the community, (B) the idea was tested and deemed to be unrealistic at this time, or (C) there was simply not enough room to include ALL of the good ideas. But remember, there is something in this Plan for everyone to be excited about!

Take responsibility and be a part of the implementation team. Although we all wish our tax dollars bought us unlimited Town services, the reality is that there is more work to be done than staff to do it. This is the reality of the new economy. All of these great ideas take time, money and capacity. For this Plan to become a reality, a large number of people must care enough to get involved and help execute it.

Understand the element of time. At first glance, the Land Use Plan can seem ambitious, daunting, and even a little frightening. Some big ideas are included that would bring about transformative change. Not everything in this Plan will happen at once, or perhaps at all. Some things will happen right away; other ideas will take years or decades to come to fruition. Ultimately, the success of this Plan will be measured by its implementation. Challenge yourselves and your elected officials to make this community vision a reality.

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Public Outreach Project Steering Committee The Land Use Plan Project Steering Committee was appointed to represent a variety of viewpoints in our community. Primary duties of the Committee included direct oversight of the planning process, review of draft materials, and coordination with key stakeholders, elected officials and local residents. Membership on the Committee included business owners, developers, design professionals, attorneys, interested citizens, and representatives of local boards, commissions and organizations. The Committee met four times over six months (September 2016 to March 2017) with each committee member dedicating 20 to 40 hours of their time to guide development of the Land Use Plan.

Stakeholder Interviews The project team for the Land Use Plan met with stakeholders on August 22 and 23 and September 7, 2016 to kick-off the planning process. The interviews were scheduled for the benefit of the project team, letting them listen and learn from long-time residents, business owners, elected officials and professional organizations about a variety of Town-related topics. Information captured in the interviews was shared with the Project Steering Committee and their partners to

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start developing the Town’s vision for future growth and development.

Community Ideas Exchange Workshop On October 4, 2017, the Town hosted a Community Ideas Exchange Workshop, providing an opportunity to educate the project team, and letting them listen and learn from residents, business owners, civic organizations, special interest groups, etc. about a variety of Town-related topics. Participants first placed dots on the map when they arrived at the workshop to indicate where they lived and worked in the study area. Then they voted with chips to help prioritize key themes and elements that should be emphasized in the Land Use Plan. Four stations at the workshop ― transportation, home choices, parks and nature, and land use and community design ― encouraged ‘hands on’ activities and more intimate conversations about what works ― and what doesn’t ― for developing the Land Use Plan. Information gathered from the workshop was shared with the Project Steering Committee and their partners to guide activities at the five-day design charrette.

FM2FV Concert Series The Follow Me 2 Fuquay-Varina Concert Series features music, dancing, food, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities, and other opportunities to come together as a community. Town staff visited these events throughout the year to display maps, hand out postcards, and ask questions of the community about how the Town should grow and develop in the future. Thoughts, ideas and comments collected from concert attendees were shared with the Project Steering Committee and their partners to guide activities at the five-day design charrette.

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Five-Day Design Charrette The community design charrette took place from October 31 to November 4, 2017, at the Fuquay-Varina Public Service Center. A six-member, multidisciplinary team of consultants ― representing community planning, landscape architecture, transportation, engineering, market analysis and urban design ― was assembled for the event to work with staff from several Town departments.

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The interactive engagement process provided an open forum for the public to work closely with Town staff and the consultants to identify big ideas and generate a vision that will drive policy decisions for the Town, while also building local capital and community-driven action. The team conducted round table meetings on topics important to Fuquay-Varina and related to key topics for the Land Use Plan: land use, community design, transportation, utilities, natural environment, parks and recreation, home choices, and economic vitality. All of the public meetings were wellattended. Meanwhile, members of the project team worked on draft guiding principles, an overall planning framework, and illustrative site plans that responded to community input, pulling ideas from the community workshop, citizen drop-ins, and the round table meetings. Public sessions each evening gave the project team a chance to present preliminary ideas and get valuable feedback. Residents, business owners, etc. filtered into the studio space at all hours of the day to speak with the project team members during the event. Simultaneously, team members entered production mode, synthesizing ideas, collaborating, discussing design challenges, preparing renderings, compiling precedent images, refining illustrative plans, and drafting different elements of the Land Use Plan. A final presentation took place on the last day of the event, at which time all work produced during the week was presented and explained. Overall, the five-day event was attended by 125 people.

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Regional Context a day. Convenient access to the new southeastern extension of NC 540 (with five nearby interchanges planned) will reduce travel times to anywhere in the Triangle area; including destinations such as RaleighDurham International Airport, Lake Jordan, and Downtown Raleigh.

The Town of Fuquay-Varina is located in southwestern Wake County, one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S. and the second-most populous county in North Carolina. The sub-region is home to Research Triangle Park, three top tier nationally ranked universities, and not far from Fort Bragg, the largest military base in the U.S.

Duke University

NC State University

Southwest Wake County North Carolina

FORT BRAGG 11

RTP

Jordan Lake

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NC 540

Raleigh

Originally, a rural agriculture community, Fuquay-Varina now has 24,366 citizens living in Town limits and 34,200 people living in the extended service area (i.e., extraterritorial jurisdiction and urban service area combined). It was known to many as a “bedroom community”, an affordable suburb of Raleigh and the Research Triangle Park where residents commute 20 to 40 minutes

Umstead Park University of North Carolina

RDU Airport

Looking forward, Fuquay-Varina competes in the global marketplace as a maturing town, having recently been challenged by an economic downturn, and is moving away from a century long dependence on textiles, tobacco, trade and agriculture. While many communities are struggling to rebound during this period of extraordinary change, FuquayVarina has outperformed many communities of similar size and stature and continues to thrive.

Downtown Durham

Downtown Chapel Hill

Research Triangle RDU Airport

Downtown Raleigh

Jordan Lake

Fort Bragg

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Town History The Spring While plowing a field, circa 1858, Stephen Fuquay uncovered a mineral spring that appeared to have medicinal qualities. "Taking the waters" became an attraction for people with all types of physical ailments, leading to annual celebrations at the spring on Easter Monday and the Fourth of July. Conveniently, the early timber rail provided a ready means of transportation, while hotels catering to long term visitors, surrounded the spring. Fuquay Springs became the official community name in 1902, and the Town was incorporated in 1909. By the 1920s, with paved roads and more automobiles traveling on them, it became easier to travel to nearby beaches, and Fuquay’s popularity declined.

Signed, Varina During the Civil War, a young soldier named Ballentine, born just south of the spring, received morale-boosting letters signed from a woman with the pen name "Varina." He later looked up the Fayetteville lady, married her, and brought her to live at his home place. Continuing to call her Varina, he named his post office and mercantile establishment across from the mineral spring for her. When two timber rail lines crossed nearby, "Varina Station" was born.

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In the early 1900's tobacco farmers, fleeing the “Granville wilt” devastating their crops, began migrating into Southern Wake County. Their "golden weed" fostered a large commercial tobacco market. Railroads flourished and traffic flowed along Main Street in Fuquay Springs and around the Broad Street station, known simply as Varina. Varina joined the neighboring community of Fuquay in 1963 to become a single municipality.

Education & Worship Ballentine School (circa 1875) was an early private school overlooking the mineral spring. The two-room building, now a local museum, currently hosts tours of local children and houses artifacts from the area’s early schools. The Oakwood School and the First Cardenas School were other prominent private schools. The present Fuquay-Varina High School campus opened in 1975. The former campus, built in 1925, has since been used as Fuquay-Varina Middle School. Prior to racial integration in 1969, the all-white school at this location was called Fuquay Springs High School. The name change was made at the time of the merger with the allblack Fuquay Consolidated High School. A second high school, Willow Spring High School, is scheduled to be built at the intersection of Old Honeycutt Road and Kennebec Road. The anticipated completion date is 2019.

Historic Photo of the Fuquay Spring

A strong faith and dedication to service underlined the early churches and citizens belonging to them â&#x20AC;&#x2022; a tradition that continues today. The oldest churches in the community are Piney Grove Baptist Church, organized in 1820, and Wake Chapel Christian Church organized in 1856. New Providence Baptist Church was founded by slaves in 1860. The congregation still worships today at the same location on Hilltop Needmore Road. In 1866, black members of Piney Grove Baptist Church organized a new church, known today as Bazzel Creek Church. The Fuquay Springs Missionary Baptist Church was organized in 1902.

Protective Measures Today, Fuquay-Varina is home to historic residential and commercial buildings that strengthen the community's sense of place and resilience, and serve as a foundation for the future of the Town. Preservation of historic, architectural, and archaeological resources will serve to maintain the local history, enhance economic development, create opportunities, and engender a sense of local pride, allowing future generations to better understand the roots of the Town's culture.

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It is evident that adapting, reusing, and enhancing the Town's historic buildings and structures, thereby maintaining the historical story of Fuquay-Varina, is a primary priority for citizens, staff, and elected officials as the “playbook” of the Town evolves. Protecting these structures and overcoming the financial barriers that stand in the way of honoring the town's built heritage will be one of the town's greatest challenges in the years to come.

Historic Preservation Fuquay and Varina each have a unique character, in large part due to the separate history and development of the two communities. The railroad and tourists visiting the mineral spring and the establishment of the Varina community created a need for hotels, retail, and restaurants to provide services for residents and visitors alike. These downtown commercial areas are a primary focus of the Town’s preservation efforts. The Fuquay Springs Historic District is a national historic district encompassing 36 contributing buildings and one contributing site. The predominantly residential district developed between about 1899 and 1946, and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and Bungalow/American Craftsman architecture. Located in the district are the separately listed Ben-Wiley Hotel and Fuquay Mineral Spring. Other notable buildings include the Varina Mercantile Building (1899), Barham Hotel (1908), Ballentine-Spence House (1910 and 1927), Barbour-Perkins House (1928), Proctor House (1925), and Harold Johnson House (1938). It was listed on the National

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Register of Historic Places in 1996, with a boundary increase in 2014. The Varina Commercial Historic District is a national historic district encompassing 12 contributing buildings in the central business district. The district developed between about 1899 and 1926, and includes notable examples of early-20th century commercial architecture. Notable buildings include the Union Station (1910), Varina Hotel (1925), Bank of Varina (1914), Varina Garage and Machine Company Building (1918), Drug Store (1917), and Bank of Varina (1926). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. In addition to the two national historic districts, there are also many significant historic structures within and outside of the downtown area that have been designated and added to local registers by both Wake County and Fuquay-Varina, including schools, churches and residential buildings.

Town Center (Downtown) Plan The Town Board of Commissioners endorsed the concept of a Town Center Plan in 2011 and subsequently adopted the Town Center Plan and Zoning Districts in 2012. The plan designated two phases. Phase One focused primarily on Main Street in Fuquay and Broad Street in Varina. Both areas had been a mix of residential, retail, industrial, and office zoning designations that were not well planned, resulting in a patchwork of different types of uses. The Town Center Plan eliminated all the existing zoning districts and combined the properties in Phase One into two zoning districts: Downtown Center-1 and Downtown Center-2. Each district has its

own set of form-based standards to encourage mixed-use residential and nonresidential uses as part of the Town Center Plan vision. While the architectural standards are meant to help with the preservation of Fuquay-Varina's architectural and historic resources, they are written with flexibility of design in mind.

Historic Photo of the Fuquay Fire

Phase Two of the plan was fulfilled with the introduction of the Town Center Residential zoning district with adoption of the Land Development Ordinance in 2016. This voluntary zoning district primarily provides a variety of residential housing types on smaller lots to encourage infill development that supports commercial and retail establishments.

Local Baseball Team Photo

Historic Photo of Local Storefront

Early Settlers in Fuquay-Varina

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Town Demographics Fuquay-Varina remained a small, rural town between the years of the merger (1963) and the turn of the century (2000). Since that time, growth and expansion has been rapid throughout. Observed growth between 2000 and 2015 was 16,468, which represents an increase of nearly 209%. This pace of growth now makes Fuquay-Varina one of the fastest growing municipalities in North Carolina. New residents, and especially families, are attracted to the area because of affordable housing, quality schools, and a small-town charm. The average household size in Town is larger compared to Wake County and the State of North Carolina (2.74 in the Town vs. 2.62 in Wake County and 2.54 in North Carolina). Median household income ($66,325) for the Town is also greater when compared to Wake County and North Carolina statistics. The distribution of residents living in FuquayVarina is comprised largely of adults age 18 to 60 (60.2%) and their children age 0 to 17 (25.2%). Seniors over 61 (14.3%) represent the rest of the community, many of them choosing to live in Town to be with their children and grandchildren. The distribution of people among the three categories will influence how the Town prioritizes some of its priorities and future investments; especially in terms of parks, transportation and senior services.

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Attracting a more distributed demographic profile for the Town in terms of age, race, income, household size, material status, etc. will result in a more well-rounded community. Groups underrepresented in Fuquay-Varina will be attracted to new housing, neighborhood, shopping and entertainment options provided for in the Land Use Plan. Demographic data collected for the Town of Fuquay-Varina is presented throughout the document.

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Community Character

Fuquay-Varinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical characteristics reflect the time of its greatest change, when suburban development was a common and cherished practice. As a suburban town, its physical form is defined by separated uses with a heavy focus on detached single-family neighborhoods and commercial strip centers, with some remnants of the rural landscape remaining intact. Neighborhoods are typically built as quiet enclaves; streets have limited access and terminate into cul-de-sacs. The road network includes a combination of smaller, rural roads used primarily by local traffic as well as more suburban, heavily traveled roads that link to Raleigh, Durham, Research Triangle Park and Fort Bragg. There is a general sense among the community that, in areas heavy with commercial and industrial

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development, roadways become congested and unattractive in their appearance. Within the two distinct downtowns, there is a strong sense of Fuquay-Varinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s communityoriented spirit. Many older buildings remain in close proximity to the active railroad, which provides great opportunities for new restaurants, shops and breweries that will bring more people downtown. Older neighborhoods surrounding the two downtowns provide great opportunities for unique in-town living. Large tree stands, parks, farms and floodplains doted throughout the landscape help instill a sense that the built environment, though overwhelming suburban, possesses a quiet, rural character in some parts that is equally beloved by the community.

Town Core

Town Center Neighborhoods

While many municipalities lack even a single traditional downtown, Fuquay-Varina is fortunate to have two. Downtown Fuquay and Downtown Varina provide the core of the Town's original commercial center. It was formed around the railroad and the Town's history of tobacco farming and exporting. This development form created a selfsustaining Town at its origin but, as that industry dwindled, led to gaps in the urban fabric, specifically in terms of walkability. These gaps were further broadened over time due to fires and removal of blighted buildings. The area, however, retains a strong sense of history and place.

There is a network of traditional residential neighborhoods surrounding the Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core, with a grid-network street system. These neighborhoods are characteristically composed of single family homes and limited commercial buildings. They retain a great amount of character and history, and residents are both active in and proud of the community. As the town center neighborhoods and their grid-network street system developed, many streets were designed for future connection and development.

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Suburban Commercial

Suburban Single-Family Residential

Suburban commercial is characterized by diverse commercial developments arranged in long, narrow buildings that may house multiple tenants in varying size spaces. These developments also include mediumsized big box stores. They are typically oriented towards the Town’s highways or major thoroughfares and use this frontage for advertising. Surface parking lots are most often located between the road and the buildings. Though typically homogenized in design, this format does allow for convenient shopping and access to services via automobiles.

Much of the Town’s single-family residential development is suburban in nature, consisting of limited-access and low-intensity developments with lots ranging in size from two to six dwelling units per acre. Many of the older suburban developments have limited connections between neighborhoods, resulting in increased travel distances and congestion along the Town’s major thoroughfares. Where there are street connections, they tend to be indirect with disorienting geometries. Homes are primarily of a similar aesthetic, with a consistent shape, size, and design. Cul-de-sacs within the neighborhoods reduce connectivity and prevent non-local traffic.

Big box stores are easily recognizable by their size and design - one-story with minimal architectural features. The most familiar of these developments incorporate large parking fields with hundreds of spaces to support high volumes of customers on the highest-volume days. Though this type of development is often difficult to restore after vacancies occur, their presence still plays a major factor in the Town’s economy.

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Suburban Multifamily Residential

Office Complex

Multi-family development in Town, most often apartment complexes, is designed for higherdensity development. Developments with more than one building include design around parking lots, with buildings scattered throughout the site. Most locations have shared parking areas and easy access from major thoroughfares. Apartment complexes vary greatly in quality and are often isolated from the fabric of the Town by landscaping, parking, and street design. Due to this design and separation, they are often not integrated into the Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pattern.

Office buildings within the Town are not normally found in complexes, but are scattered throughout the town center. These buildings range from single-story to multistory buildings along highways or major thoroughfares. Access is often limited to employees, and parking is arranged around the site, typically on two sides of the building. These buildings, while located in a variety of places, are physically separated from other uses such as homes and commercial development.

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Industrial Development

Civic & Institutional

An industrial park, in the traditional sense, is a single-use development dedicated to businesses that typically require larger building footprints and have a reliance on truck traffic. With new technologies, few of these industrial uses are noxious to adjacent properties. While the Town does have a limited number of industrial parks, much of the industrial development has happened outside of these areas. Many of the industrial developments, however, have located in proximity to one another, creating small industrial nodes throughout the Town.

Institutional and civic uses include educational, religious, health care, and civic uses. Parking is on-site in large surface lots. Older schools in Town were often incorporated into the surrounding neighborhoods. Newer schools are on larger campuses, almost exclusively requiring access via automobile. Many school locations include “partner” parks, creating activity on the campus both during and after traditional school hours. The main campus for Wake Technical Community College is located at the northern end of the Town’s jurisdiction. Bounded by a railroad corridor, US highway, and future State highway, the campus will need to embrace vertical development should future growth be warranted. Religious institutions of all denominations and sizes can be found throughout the community. Older institutions and those in the town core have a more urban design, while newer facilities – some even found in commercial centers – tend to be more generic and auto-dependent.

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Rural Living & Farms Rural residential areas are characterized by large lots, open space, and a high degree of separation between buildings. Homes and land actively used as working farms are scattered throughout the countryside and often integrated into the rural landscape. This type of development is predominately located in the outlying areas of the Town in the Urban Service Area (USA) and along both major thoroughfares and local roads. Farms carry proud family names that have been in Town for decades or longer. Rural residences further demonstrate the Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history of farming and family and are seen as an asset to be retained.

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Local Economy

The Town’s Economic Development Department works hard to 1) attract new business investment, 2) encourage the expansion of existing industries, and 3) align workforce education and readiness to support continued investment in FuquayVarina. In 2016, the Department was credited with helping secure:

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A planned expansion for the Bob Barker Corporation, a $4.7 million dollar investment, on Purfoy Road;

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A planned expansion of warehouse and distribution operations at the headquarters of Southbend; and

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An expansion and relocation of King Canopy’s U.S. administrative and distribution center on Purfoy Road.

Total non-residential investment in the Town for 2016 was estimated to be $60.86 million, represented in part by 36 new commercial businesses in Town. As southern Wake County’s fastest growing municipality, Fuquay-Varina competes in a global marketplace. Key industries for continued investments include: medical office and health care, high-end retail, and manufacturing/industrial (especially qualifying sites under North Carolina’s Site Certification Program).

Residential Outlook Fuquay-Varina continues to be a very attractive location for new single family neighborhoods and multifamily communities. Total residential investment in the Town for 2016 was estimated to be $140.87 million, represented in part by approximately1,400 new building permits (2015 & 2016 statistics combined). The current ratio of for-sale to rental housing in Town is 3:1, but this is likely to become more balanced over decades as demand for rental units increases because of changing demographics, lending conditions, and opportunities to build mixed-use activity centers in Town. The influx of new residents to Fuquay-Varina (and their above average household incomes) provides the Town with a great opportunity to attract high-end retail uses throughout the community. Developers working in the Town’s planning area see long-term potential for residential construction through 2035.

High-End Retail Outlook Fuquay-Varina’s neighboring communities experienced pre-recession ‘retail booms’ that quickly changed the landscape in these areas. Unfortunately, the national economic downturn and growth in ecommerce have had a significant impact on the retail sector, and many retailers are now looking for more creative approaches to identify their next investments in places like Fuquay-Varina. Current estimates for retail space show a high occupancy rate (97%) in the Town. Employment forecasts from Woods and

Poole equate to demands for up to 600,000 square feet of new retail space through 2035; especially in southern areas of Town and along major transportation corridors. Fuquay-Varina also has the opportunity to capture more spending from in-town residents (as well as the surrounding communities) visiting new retailers.

General Office Outlook The demand for general office space in and around Fuquay-Varina has been flat in recent years; however, opportunities to bring highwage office employees to Town should be identified in a competitive market. The Town’s fiber broadband projects will be an asset for attracting new office uses to the community. Employment forecasts from Woods and Poole equate to demands for up to 300,000 square feet of new office/medical office/healthcare/ social service space through 2035; especially along major transportation corridors. Some of the new office development is most likely to occur as part of mixed-use activity centers.

General Industrial Outlook There is a lot of reason to believe there will be increased demands for industrial and manufacturing development in and around Fuquay-Varina (evidenced by the three recent expansions in 2016). Employment forecasts from Woods and Poole equate to demands for up to 35,000 square feet of new manufacturing/ warehouse/distribution space through 2035;

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especially in the Purfoy Road area and along major transportation corridors.

Downtown Development Outlook The two downtown areas have seen remarkable change in the last 10 years with vacancy rates dropping dramatically. The Town and multiple community organizations are working very hard to organize events and re-brand the two downtowns, and their efforts are increasing the number and quality of live-work-play destinations that are unique to only the downtowns at this time. New businesses looking to invest in FuquayVarina are continuously looking at downtown location options, and this trend is assumed to continue through 2035 as downtowns across the U.S. become an important place for economic investment and community pride.

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Housing & Neighborhoods The demands (or markets) for different housing products and price points in a town changes among consumer groups represented, and is influenced greatly by residents’ income, age, household size and available financing. Historic residential growth patterns throughout the FuquayVarina have favored suburban, greenfield development where buyers are willing to ‘drive for value’ to afford bigger homes and larger lots while counting on low-cost gas and continuous road improvements to offset longer commutes to Raleigh, Durham, Research Triangle Park or Fort Bragg. In more urban areas, residential growth is following national trends toward more infill development and redevelopment, including a mix of for-sale and for-rent housing products integrated within a mixed-use, walkable environment. Baby Boomers (53 to 71 years old in 2017) and Millennials (20 to 36 years old in 2017) are expected to drive real estate preferences in the next decade. Boomers will be aging out of conventional single family homes and looking for lower-maintenance and lifestyle housing products. Many may choose to live in rental housing in more walkable and dynamic locations, which may offer greater flexibility to move freely in future years. Others may choose to ‘down-size’ into patio homes or townhomes (some with elevators), or live in two or more smaller homes in different parts of the US throughout the year.

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Millennials, especially single and newly married, will continue to drive rental and higher density housing products in urban, walkable communities. Millennials starting families may seek ‘near-in’ neighborhoods that emphasize safety, schools, privacy, convenience, and more space but are more walkable than the conventional FuquayVarina suburbs of the last two decades. Recent trends at all market levels ― national, state and local ― are favoring higher density housing products (some for-sale, but most for-rent) in either standalone communities or mixed-use environments. There has been cautious optimism in many cities and towns about the opportunity to diversify a housing portfolio that attracts new residents. However, some fear the general notion of new multifamily development (especially rental products) because of older, less desirable products in town; increased densities and their potential negative impacts; perceived harm to property values; etc. There are now examples all over the Triangle Region that demonstrate increased densities can be mitigated with high-quality building architecture and site design. Many multifamily homes in new mixed-use, walkable developments are selling at higher price points than nearby single family homes in auto-oriented neighborhoods.

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Natural Environment

Water Resources Water resources in Fuquay-Varina are limited to streams, small ponds, wetlands and floodplains. Collectively, these resources help control the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff and provide flood protection during significant storm events. Safeguarding these resources is essential to the Town’s sustainability, especially if decentralized growth continues and increases the amount of impervious surface in the planning area.

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The Town’s Urban Services Area drains into two different water basins: the Neuse River Basin and the Cape Fear River Basin. Significant streams in the Neuse River Basin include Terrible Creek, Basal Creek, Middle Creek and Mills Brank Creek. These streams are subject to a fifty foot riparian buffer (natural areas preserved as open space, measured back from the stream bank) that helps protect them from encroaching development. Significant streams in the Cape Fear River Basin include Kenneth Creek

and Black Creek. There are no riparian buffers currently enforced in the Cape Fear River Basin.

Land Development Ordinance), but it is often disjointed and cutoff from open space on adjacent lots or parcels.

Flood Hazard Soils

Protected lands provide significant economic, environmental and public health benefits to the community; however, the community benefits provided are often not well understood and many times under-valued in policy debates and funding decisions. In some cases, protected open space is simply considered non-productive and non-revenue producing.

Fuquay-Varina works with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to regulate and apply standards to areas of Town identified with flood hazard soils prone to regular flooding. The limitations of these soils nearly prohibit new building construction, and the US Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service recommendations these areas be protected from significant development. Town rules and ordinances prohibit subdivision lots in identified floodplains or areas with flood hazard soils, with the exception that lots may be platted less than 20,000 square feet in size if more than 50% of the land area is identified with flood hazard soils or other environmental features. A required flood study is supposed to minimize potential flooding to future home sites.

Protected Open Space Protected open space ― public parks, preserved farmland, and permanent conservation areas ― currently represents approximately 7% of the Town’s Urban Services Area (i.e., 4% for permanent conservation areas and 3% for public parks and preserved farmland). These properties are generally owned by Wake County, the Triangle Greenways Council, and the State of North Carolina. Additional land is being protected as open space in new residential neighborhoods (approved under the ‘open space neighborhood’ concept in the local

Protected lands are productive assets that generate significant economic value for the Town. They contribute to local economies and property values and provide ‘natural’ infrastructure to offset impacts associated with an ever-expanding development footprint (e.g., flood control, water filtration, air pollution removal, wildlife habitat, water supply provisions, etc.). Protected open space also benefits the character and “feel” of the Town ― making it a unique place to live, work and visit ― and attracts new residents and business investments attracted to this aspect for a high quality-of-life. In limited cases, lands are still being protected by county, state or federal governments. However, in many cases, land protection is now the responsibility of local governments and land conservation groups. The reliance on property tax revenue to fund local government facilities and services makes open space protection decisions very sensitive. Land conservation groups are often asked to demonstrate the economic value of protecting open space.

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Forested Areas

Agriculture Land

Undeveloped land in Fuquay-Varina generally includes a mixture of grasslands and tree stands. Older neighborhoods in Town have mature street trees and landscaping. Newer neighborhoods display very little tree canopy in aerial photography. GIS data for the planning area (national land cover data in 2016) estimates approximately 43% of the Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Urban Services Area is covered by tree canopy.

Fuquay-Varina has a long agricultural history, but there are very few farmers left, and many of those that are farming in Town are coming from Harnett County. Rising land values, encroaching development, and more traffic on rural roads are making it less attractive to continue farming long into the future. Old farms in Town have are being developed into new neighborhoods, office parks and shopping centers at a rapid rate.

Shade trees planted throughout the community provide simple and beautiful solutions to clean the air, prevent stream erosion, save energy, and cool streets and buildings. Tree planting and preservation programs, tree ordinances, conservation easements, and capital investments should all be explored as ways to increase the Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tree canopy.

Many farmers in Town say they are getting calls about selling their land. Non-residential investors are especially interested in the US 401 Corridor. Residential investors are interested everywhere in Fuquay-Varina. Location and proximity to Raleigh are very important when investors inquire about property.

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Transportation The Town of Fuquay-Varina Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) is a companion to the Land Use Plan. A full assessment of the Town’s transportation system ― automobile, transit, bicycle and pedestrian ― is provided in the CTP document. Findings and recommendations from both Plans were compared and optimized to support continued growth and development in the Town that could be served by a complete and sustainable transportation system. Transportation themes important to future growth and development decisions in the Town are summarized below.

Commuter Traffic (Through Trips) Significant amounts of traffic on streets in Fuquay-Varina neither begin nor end anywhere in the Urban Services Area. ‘Through trips’ on the system contribute to congestion on several key transportation corridors, including US 401 and NC 55. Continued development in surrounding communities (including Harnett County) will increase through trips in Fuquay-Varina, which may increase dramatically when motorists access the new NC 540. The Town should continue to partner with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to help addressing rising congestion levels caused in large part by through trips.

A Little More TLC ― Transportation & Land Use Coordination The Land Use Plan advocates for a transportation system that safely and efficiently moves ‘people’ throughout the Urban Services Area. Equal emphasis on land use (demand), transportation (supply) and urban design (environment) should improve overall efficiency of the transportation system while promoting livability principles important to several new communities and centers identified on the Growth Framework Map and Future Land Use and Conservation Map (see pgs. 53 through 58 in the document). Supply-side solutions for the transportation system include: a complete and integrated grid street network for major roads and local streets, complete street principles, access management standards, minimum street spacing guidelines, special intersection treatments (including grade separated intersections at some locations), and different street design standards for suburban and urban development conditions. Demand-side solutions for improving the transportation system focus on land use, development density, and urban design principles that promote lower vehicle trip generation (internal capture), shorter travel distance, and the use of non-vehicular travel modes. Land use mix; development location, pattern and intensity; and site design

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elements depicted on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map and described in the Place Typology section of this document should help improve overall efficiency of the transportation system by lowering demand for long-distance, single-purpose vehicle trips. Street design standards for urban conditions serving new walkable communities and centers in the Urban Services Area will also bind together land use, transportation and urban design decisions.

Development Impacts Transportation capacity is expensive to replace, and new development should contribute a proportionate share to the costs (or improvements) identified to maintain adequate capacity in the system (the notion that growth helps offset the impacts of growth). It will be important that new development is reviewed for traffic impacts, street connectivity, etc. at the time of development application.

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Community Facilities

Water & Wastewater System The Public Utilities Department maintains the Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water and wastewater infrastructure and ensures compliance with state and federal guidelines regarding water quantity and quality. Fuquay-Varina purchases bulk water from the City of Raleigh, Harnett County, the Town of Holly Springs, and Johnston County. The water is tested monthly by the providers and Town staff to ensure a safe water supply.

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The Town currently has agreements in place to receive up to 5.25 million gallons per day (MGD) from its providers. Nearly 170 miles of water lines distribute water to residential, commercial, office and industrial uses throughout the Town. A water distribution boost station and three water storage facilities maintain system pressure. Water for firefighting is generally provided by public fire hydrants.

The Town is continuously monitoring water lines, pump stations and storage facilities in the system and programming improvements to increase reliability and capacity, as needed, to serve existing and new customers. The Town treats wastewater collected in the community using three plant facilities. The Terrible Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and Brighton Forest Wastewater Treatment Plant treat waste and discharge effluent into the Neuse River basin. The Town also sends wastewater to the North Harnett Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment and discharge into the Cape Fear River basin. The combined capacity of the three facility system is 3.77 million gallons per day (MGD). The Town continually monitors and tests wastewater effluent to ensure water quality standards are met. Approximately 140 miles of sewer lines collect waste from residential, commercial, office and industrial uses. Twenty-one pump stations supplement a gravity system for delivering wastewater to one of the three treatment facilities. The Town is continuously monitoring sewer lines, pump stations and treatment facilities in the system and programming improvements to increase reliability and capacity, as needed, to serve existing and new customers. An expansion of the Terrible Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant underway now will increase treatment capacity from 1.0 to 3.0 MGD, which is anticipated to meet the needs in the Neuse River Basin portion of Town until at least 2034.

The Town is also implementing improvements throughout the community to minimize ‘inflow and infiltration’ in sewer lines, which unnecessarily increases the amount of water treated at the wastewater treatment plans. Excessive groundwater during heavy rain events is the primary source of inflow and infiltration at this time.

Stormwater Management Impervious surfaces ― roads, parking lots, buildings, etc. ― interfere with the ability of rain water to soak into the ground. Stormwater runoff from a rain event travels quickly across impervious surfaces, picking up sediment and pollutants, and carrying them to nearby lakes and streams. The simultaneous increase in both water quantity and suspended sediments leads to stream erosion and degraded water quality. Federal mandates in the Clean Water Act require that cities obtain permits to meet National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements, including a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) Phase II Permit and strategies to address Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) occurrences. The Town’s current NPDES MS4 Phase II Permit was issued in 2011. The Town’s Stormwater Ordinance establishes minimum requirements and procedures to control increased postdevelopment stormwater runoff, nonpoint and point source pollution, and illegal discharges into the municipal stormwater system. All development and redevelopment applications are subject to the stormwater rules unless specifically exempt in Section 99053(5)(b) of the Ordinance.

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Parks and Recreation

Police Protection

Parks and recreation programs in FuquayVarina contribute to family living, a healthier lifestyle, and higher quality-of-life. A detailed assessment of the Town’s parks and recreation programs is summarized in the Parks, Recreation and Culture Resources 2014 Facility Master Plan. A summary of key data and recommendations from the document follows in the paragraphs below.

The Fuquay-Varina Police Department operates out of the headquarters building at 114 North Main Street. Forty-one sworn officers and six civilians serve the department in one of three divisions: administration, patrol services and special operations. The police department also sponsors several community programs in the planning area; including Coffee with a Cop, various education programs, a medical return drug collection program, Teen Day and ‘The Other Side’ video series among others.

The Town operates twenty-one parks and maintains more than 300 acres of land used for playgrounds, picnic shelters, dog parks and athletic fields. Recreation facilities in Town include thirty soccer fields, seven multipurpose fields, eleven baseball fields, a multipurpose gym, and community center. Youth and adult programs offered through the department range from recreation to dance to art to education. Previous investments by the Town were used to modernize existing parks and recreation facilities: expanded parking lots, lighting, walking trails, restrooms, and site amenities. Proposed projects in the Facility Master Plan include new athletic courts and fields, an amphitheater, splash pad, playgrounds and restrooms. Future year investments will also need to expand the park system to serve residents in new areas of Town, and prioritize the construction of greenways to connect residents and visitors with parks and recreation facilities via walking or bicycle.

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Resources of the police department were used to respond to 43,912 incident dispatches in 2016. Circumstances at the incidents resulted in 985 police reports. 502 arrests and 1,170 vehicle accidents were handled by the police department in 2016.

Fire Protection The Fuquay-Varina Fire Department provides fire protection, emergency medical and rescue services to the Town with resources from three facilities: Station One, Station Two and Station Three. Each station supports a “first run” engine company. Station One also supports a rescue truck, brush truck and command vehicle. Station Two also supports a tanker truck and service vehicle. Station Three also supports a rescue truck, tanker truck and service vehicle. Advanced emergency medical services are provided by Wake County EMS. Forty-three full-time, ten part-time, and twenty-one volunteers serve the fire department.

Resources of the fire department were used to respond to 1,642 fire protection and 2,445 emergency medical service calls in 2016.

Solid Waste & Recycling The Town of Fuquay-Varina provides solid waste collection and recycling services throughout the community. Residential curbside collection is provided on a weekly basis to approximately 9,000 customers. Twice a week collection service is provided to approximately 220 commercial customers.

All solid waste and recycling collected in the Town are sent to the South Wake Landfill. The facility accepts residential and commercial trash only. A multi-material recycling center and household hazardous waste drop off facility are located next to the landfill. Current estimates are the landfill will reach capacity by 2033. However, recycling programs are helping divert waste from the landfill and may extend the operating life of the facility.

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Arts & Culture

Fuquay-Varina has numerous year-round cultural venues and activities. The Town, Fuquay-Varina Arts Council, Chamber of Commerce, and the Fuquay-Varina Downtown Association (FVDA) collaborate on events, as the host or as partners, to provide a diverse selection of events and festivals for the advancement of arts and cultural enjoyment. In addition, the Town has purchased the old Belk building property at the corner of South Fuquay Avenue and Vance Street. The Town is renovating the structure to create a home for the Fuquay-Varina Arts Center, including a

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public theater and spaces for art and dance venues. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2018.

Celebrate Fuquay-Varina Originally started in 2000 as Celebrate the Outdoors, the event has grown in size and popularity and is now annually held in downtown Fuquay-Varina on South Main Street and extended into adjacent crossstreets. The downtown is turned into a crafts and music celebration with food, children's rides, and special interests events. The event

celebrates the home spirit, friendship, and vitality of the Fuquay-Varina community. A concert in downtown Varina kicks off the event each year.

Art After Dark These are monthly events held from March through September, and are sponsored by the Fuquay-Varina Arts Council. Activities include seminars, arts and crafts, and awareness of the abundant opportunities for engaging and participating in the arts. Art After Dark events are held at different locations throughout downtown Fuquay and Varina.

En Plein Air Paint-Off Artists from around the community and beyond participate in this is a two-day special event sponsored by the Fuquay-Varina Downtown Association. Each April, they set up their art shops on the streets of FuquayVarina, painting street landscapes, buildings, and any unique scenery that inspires the artist. The artwork is judged and prizes are awarded. In addition, some of the artwork prepared is displayed in downtown FuquayVarina on building façades, and artwork is auctioned to raise funds for the Association.

FM2FV Concerts These are held monthly in April, May, and June and again in September and October to bring citizens to the downtown for an evening celebration of music, craft beer, food, and socializing.

Dinner on Depot Depot Street is closed-off and turned into a dining extravaganza. This celebration unifies the downtown, highlighting its history, progress, and importance as a destination for the citizens of the Town and community. The event includes a three-course meal and the unveiling of the “Bengal Tigers,” the mascot for the local Fuquay-Varina High School. This Al Fresco dining experience combines delicious food, great company, entertainment, an auction, and dancing.

Growers Market Locally grown vegetables, canned goods, and other commodities are offered by vendors who come together from May through September, offering citizens the opportunity to purchase fresh vegetables and fruits as well as canned jellies and other favorites. The growers market operates every Saturday during the designated months.

Fuquay-Varina's Ice Cream Social This event dates back to the early times of the mineral spring when people would celebrate holidays and special events by providing free ice cream. In 2011, the Town reinstituted the ice cream social as a communitywide event, with activities centered around the mineral spring.

Independence Day Celebration The Independence Day celebration is a longstanding tradition going back to the days when the mineral spring was the centerpiece

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for social gatherings. Today Fuquay-Varina celebrates Independence Day on July 3 at South Park, a recreation complex, with music, rides, food, and fireworks.

Freedom Balloon Festival Held during the Memorial Day weekend this event is new to the Town and is sponsored by the WRAL Broadcasting Network in partnership with the Town of Fuquay-Varina to celebrate Memorial Day and our veterans. It is a three-day event packed with activities, rides, food, displays, and hot air balloons. The first event was held in 2016, with participation of 46 hot air balloons from different parts the country and an attendance of close to 80,000 visitors over the three-day event.

Other Events The Town of Fuquay-Varina offers many other cultural events annually that celebrate specific holidays and dates. Easter celebrations with the Town include an Easter Egg Hunt and Downtown Candy Hop. Halloween events include the Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Haunted Trail, and Fuquay-Varina Downtown Association sponsors the Downtown Scarecrow Competition and Trick-or-Treat in Downtown. For Christmas, the Town sponsors the Christmas Town Tree Lighting event and Downtown Sleigh Ride, the Fuquay-Varina Downtown Association sponsors Cash for Christmas, the Chamber of Commerce sponsors the Fuquay-Varina Christmas Parade, and the Fuquay-Varina Arts Council sponsors the Holiday Art Extravaganza.

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Guiding Principles The project team worked with plan participants to identify a set of enduring Guiding Principles critical to Fuquay-Varinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current and future quality-oflife and economic prosperity. The Principles embody the core philosophy and Common Vision expressed by the community. Though local context or specific approaches for achieving these Principles may change over time, the Principles themselves should endure for generations. Land Use Encourage a mix of land uses and intensities throughout the Town that promote economic development, sense of place, social interaction, community-building and the efficient use of Town facilities and services.

Transportation Provide a safe, reliable transportation system that balances all modes of travel; including walking, biking, public transit, rail and cars. Consider land use and infrastructure investments together, promoting a network of complete, connected and walkable streets that emphasize the quality and character of both the street design and surrounding development pattern (whether rural, suburban or urban in nature).

Community Facilities & Services Continue to improve quality-of-life for all residents of Fuquay-Varina by maintaining and expanding Town services while ensuring elected officials are good stewards in allocating finances toward those services that promote a high quality-of-life.

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Home Choices Promote distinct, safe and vibrant neighborhoods with greater access to a diverse range of housing types and price points for current and future residents, including young adults, families, retirees and seniors.

Natural Environment Promote and preserve Fuquay-Varina’s green advantage, including ponds, wetlands, agricultural lands, tree canopy and the services they provide. Create an interconnected network of green space that conserves critical natural areas, provides recreation linkages, protects water quality and quantity (stormwater), and contributes to the identity and sense-of-place within the community.

Parks & Recreation Promote and expand opportunities where people can be more involved in an active community lifestyle represented, in part, by the presence of high-quality parks and recreation facilities located near where residents live and work, and the bicycle and pedestrian connections between them.

Economic Vitality Promote a healthy and sustainable business environment by 1) investing actively in infrastructure; 2) providing favorable incentives; and 3) building a community that is attractive to businesses and their employees. Future investment and recruitment initiatives should realize “triple bottom line” fiscal benefits for Town residents by seeking to improve the tax base, promote economic development and investment, and increase access to diversified employment opportunities in Town.

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Community Design Celebrate a distinct brand and sense of place that is uniquely FuquayVarina, while still tapping into the talent and creativity of the people that shape it â&#x20AC;&#x2022; residents, business owners, property owners, developers, planning and design professionals, etc. â&#x20AC;&#x2022; to keep things relevant and authentic.

Performance The Town will establish a list of performance measures that define a desired, promised, minimum or aspirational set of directives to support more-informed decision-making processes. Targets will be met through the implementation of specific projects, plans and initiatives recommended in the 2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan and other companion Town documents. Performance measures for the Town are intended to serve as benchmarks to demonstrate that the 2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan is accomplishing the intended principles.

Communication Plan for, finance and develop an efficient system of facilities and services that accommodate future growth and stimulate economic development. Do this while continuing to expand on efforts that promote open governance, collaborative partnerships throughout the community and region, and more resource-sharing. Communication efforts should promote effective coordination between Town Departments, elected officials, and the general public to implement principles of the Land Use Plan and ensure the Town is acting as an advocate for itself.

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Growth Framework Map Town officials understand that purposeful, pro-active planning for growth and development will result in a stronger local economy, greater fiscal sustainability, and a better quality of life for current and future residents. This section of the Land Use Plan describes the Town’s Growth Framework Map, which should guide growth decisions, infrastructure investments, redevelopment initiatives, open space protection, and Town policy revisions. The Growth Framework Map provides a means to quickly organize and illustrate a hierarchy of growth and conservation priorities for Town officials to start implementing immediately. Commitment to the Town’s Growth Framework Map will 1) bring public and private decision-making processes closer together, 2) leverage Town resources with other public and private investment dollars, 3) manage the amount and timing of new infrastructure required to support future development, 4) implement a regional strategy for identifying and securing protected open space, and 5) increase the Town’s influence in future development decisions that directly impact quality of life for everyone living in the area. The Growth Framework Map should remain constant, and keep Fuquay-Varina on a focused path for success. Important policy and physical initiatives depicted on the Growth Framework Map include:

Extraterritorial Jurisdiction The State of North Carolina grants cities and towns extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) for areas outside corporate limits that are expected to be within corporate limits in the near future. It is intended to allow for smoother transitions from County to Town services, and makes areas of the County subject to the Town’s development rules and regulations. All cities and towns in North Carolina may exercise extra-territorial jurisdiction for a distance of one mile from corporate limits (the area shaded in blue on the map). With Wake County approval, the ETJ may be expanded up to two miles if the population is greater than 10,000 (the area shaded in green on the map); or up to three miles if the population is greater than 25,000 (the area shaded in grey on the map). The population numbers used to determine eligibility are the most recent state-certified statistics at the time ETJ expansion is requested. The certified population of Fuquay-Varina is currently 22,864 (July 2015 published data). However, local population estimates prepared by the Town approximate more than 25,000 residents live in the jurisdiction today. Wake County must approve any request for expanded ETJ because it enforces its own zoning and subdivisions ordinances in any potential area of ETJ expansion for Fuquay-

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A large-scale, printable version of the Growth Framework Map is available from the Town’s Planning Department.

Corporate Limits

Rural Planning Area

Great Opportunity Area

Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (One-Mile Area)

Fuquay & Varina Downtowns

Commercial Village

Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (Two-Mile Area)

Infill Development Focus Area

NC 540 Freeway Facility

Floodprone Area

Employment Village

Local Streets

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Varina. In the application for ETJ expansion, the Town must demonstrate it can provide services and commit to comprehensive planning and growth management principles for the areas under consideration. Expanding extraterritorial jurisdiction in Fuquay-Varina accomplishes four goals: 1) it reduces the need to extend costly water and sewer infrastructure into rural areas ahead of development as a way to enforce Town rules and policies; 2) it limits widespread use of sewer treatment package plants in unincorporated areas that are often maintained by homeowners’ associations; 3) it enriches the location, type, pattern and intensity of future development in unincorporated areas of the County compared to current districts enforced by Wake County (Residential, R-30 and Highway District); and 4) it provides ETJ residents with opportunities to serve on the Town’s Planning Board and Board of Adjustment to have a voice in future growth and development decisions. Town officials should immediately expand the current ETJ area to two miles based on current population, and expand to three miles after reaching a state-certified population of 25,000.

Floodplain Areas Floodplains represent the area of land near a lake or stream that regularly floods during a significant rain event. Permanently protecting these areas from development offers a great opportunity to implement a complete and continuous system of green infrastructure throughout the Town. The new, interconnected system of open space (a

‘green links’ system) should be accessible to the public via new greenways (whether paved or natural), which helps support a more active community and less reliability on the automobile for shorter trips between nearby destinations. Individual development applications before the Town should be reviewed with the intent of providing a continuous, connected system of green infrastructure in Town using floodplains (where present) as a primary area for open space preservation. Connecting floodplain preservation areas should be treated in the same manner Town officials try to build/connect new major streets that traverse several properties; using a ‘stub out policy’ for preserving future open space connectivity with adjacent undeveloped parcels.

Downtowns Fuquay & Varina Town officials are committed to promoting their historic downtowns as the physical, civic and iconic centers of the community. Plans, programs, and projects identified for the two areas should be consistent with the Town Center Plan and Zoning Districts adopted in 2012 (or as amended), and encourage mixed-use, walkable development for in-town living and provide ample public space for the community to come together for major events, evenings out, etc.

Infill Development Area The infill development area generally includes land inside Judd Parkway, which is targeted for a mix of moderate- to high-density housing options in close proximity to the two downtowns. One or more new high-density,

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mixed-use centers located inside the infill development area would provide walk-to or bike-to destinations that meet some of the residents’ daily needs. Infrastructure investments in the focus area should encourage active living with a complete and comprehensive network of walkable streets in a general grid pattern.

Employment Villages There is a finite amount of land in FuquayVarina that is primed for economic development (either now or in the future). The areas generally include properties of a certain size with in-place zoning, convenient access to the transportation system, available water and sewer service, access to rail, or site-readiness (defined by either available development pads or vacant buildings). Unfortunately, many areas of Town attractive for key industries are also under pressure to become new low-density, single-family neighborhoods. Losing strategic sites for economic development (now or in the future) is detrimental to the Town’s future financial well-being. Town officials should resist any future land use changes or zoning map amendment requests to residential development for any of the employment villages noted on the Growth Framework Map.

Commercial Villages Commercial villages identified on the Growth Framework Map try to locate retail destinations closer to residential neighborhoods throughout the Town. Each village is expected to be ‘neighborhood-

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serving’ and meet several daily needs for nearby residents. Their proximity to neighborhoods requires that operations be low-intensity, unobtrusive and at a scale and design compatible with nearby residential development. The design of commercial villages should transition effectively between residential and nonresidential uses, and include safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle access for nearby residents. Sites should also effectively minimize the impact of cut-through traffic on nearby neighborhood streets by orienting vehicle access, circulation, etc. away from residential neighborhoods. Access between residential neighborhoods and adjacent commercial uses may be limited to pedestrian facilities. Town officials should resist any future land use changes or rezoning requests to residential development for any of the commercial villages noted on the Growth Framework Map.

Great Opportunity Areas Two areas on the Growth Framework Map are identified as ‘great opportunities’ for the Town. Both locations offer large, contiguous land areas for development; close proximity to regional destinations via US 401, NC 42 and the future NC 540; and close proximity to water, sewer and transportation infrastructure. These characteristics make both areas ideal for high-profile, high-impact economic development targets. The Town’s Economic Development Department should study the two locations in

more detail, make recommendations for their highest-and-best use, and market the sites to prospective clients. Town officials should be ready to rezone the properties, if needed, to support the intended uses and intensities. Town officials should also resist any future land use changes or rezoning requests to residential development for either of the identified great opportunity areas.

Rural Planning Areas Rural areas in the Town’s Urban Services Area (the green cross-hatched areas on the map) generally support low-density residential neighborhoods developed under Wake County zoning, working farms, and natural areas. Participants living and visiting this area voiced a strong desire to ‘keep it rural’ during the planning process used to develop the Land Use Plan. The area is currently unserved or underserved by Town water and sewer utilities, and it will be expensive to expand in this direction because of topography issues and the investments needed to convey water or wastewater to nearby plant facilities (requiring a series of booster or pump stations to lift water or wastewater over ridge lines). For all these reasons, it is appropriate to maintain a rural-setting in this area of the Town’s Urban Services Area at this time. Town officials may need to reconsider this decision after construction of NC 540, which is planned to provide direct access to the rural area via an interchange at Old Stage Road.

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Future Land Use & Conservation Map The Future Land Use and Conservation Map refines the intent and focus of the Growth Framework Map and organizes the community into different place types; prioritized for varying degrees of land conservation and growth that supports a series of existing and proposed mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods and centers that vary in scale and character. Existing suburban residential and non-residential areas continue to exist around the planned activity centers. A number of these concepts are illustrated in detail in the next section of the document to show possibilities for how development might occur that reflects some of the principles and recommendations included in the Land Use Plan. The assignment of place types in the Future Land Use and Conservation Map provides a framework to more effectively realize the vision and principles for the community and increase both economic potential and quality of life goals. By organizing the Town according to conservation and growth areas, intentional and informed decisions can be made about how to most efficiently spend municipal dollars on infrastructure improvements that will support the Land Use Plan. This approach reaffirms the notion that development should grow primarily outward from the downtowns and new centers to make the most efficient use of Town services and resources.

Fuquay-Varina, NC

The Future Land Use and Conservation Map is not a zoning map. It is intended to show, in a general sense, the desired types, locations, patterns and intensities of future development. The Map should guide nearterm revisions to the Town’s Land Development Ordinance (as needed) to ensure rules and regulations are consistent with the vision set forth in the Land Use Plan. Specific descriptions for each place type category represented on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map follow on subsequent pages.

If ( ), Then ( ), Else ( ) From time to time, revisions to the Future Land Use and Conservation Map may be needed to reflect new realities (acknowledging the playbook intent of the Land Use Plan document). Any changes considered to the Map should be evaluated against the community vision, guiding principles, and Growth Framework Map to determine if they are in the best long-term interests of the Town and its residents, businesses, and property owners. Town officials should also adopt an ‘if-thenelse’ approach when making changes to the Land Use Plan, meaning the ripple effects of any change should trigger study and revisions (if appropriate) to all other portions

A large-scale, printable version of the Growth Framework Map is available from the Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Planning Department. Open Space

Suburban Multifamily Living

Suburban Employment Centers

Urban Neighborhood (Form-Based)

Open Space

Townhome Community

Suburban Office

Town Center Residential

Suburban Single Family Living

Multifamily Residential

Regional Employment Center

Mixed-Use Neighborhood

Rural Residential

Suburban Commercial Centers

Light Industrial

Urban Centers (Form-Based)

Large-Lot Residential

Small-Scale Commercial

Heavy Industrial

Commercial Village

Small-Lot Residential

Highway Commercial

Civic & Institutional

Employment Village

Mixed-Density Residential

Regional Commercial Center

Identified Historic Property

Downtown

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

of the document impacted. For example, place types assigned on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map may need revision if the Town decides to extend water or sewer service to a specific area, or if a regional or state transportation agency programs improvements not anticipated at the time this Plan was created. Keeping assigned place types consistent with proximity to infrastructure will keep things more predictable for the Town, the developer, and the community-at-large.

Place Type Categories Fuquay-Varina is comprised of areas that have unique and discernible characteristics and intensity of development. To help understand the elements that make up these areas, the Town is organized into Place Types, which are the building blocks for complete neighborhoods, centers and corridors.

Rural Living Categories Rural Residential – Rural residential areas are characterized by large lots, abundant open space, and a high degree of separation between buildings. Homes and land actively used for cultivated farmland, timber harvest and livestock (working farms) are scattered throughout the countryside and often integrated into the rural landscape. The lot size and distance between dwelling units decreases with greater development densities. Buildings are generally oriented toward roadways and have direct access via private driveways. One or more out-buildings on a property may support farm activities. Typical densities in a rural residential area accommodate up to three acre home sites (i.e., 0.33 dwelling units per acre). Many rural residential areas accommodate much larger home sites, including working farm subdivisions.

Open Space Categories

Suburban Neighborhood Categories

Open Space – Land generally dedicated for active and passive recreation or conservation purposes. Undisturbed land is reserved to protect natural beauty or serve environment and wildlife management purposes. Other land is developed to support active recreation or leisure uses, whether community- or commercial-purposed. In Fuquay-Varina, passive open space includes floodplains, permanent conservation areas, cemeteries and dedicated open space in residential neighborhoods. Active open space in the Town includes public or private park land, athletic courts and fields, community facilities, playgrounds, large athletic complexes or recreation trails.

Large-Lot Residential – Land typically formed as a neighborhood for single-family detached homes with uniform housing densities. Buildings are oriented interior to the site and typically buffered from surrounding development by transitional uses, topography, preserved open space, or landscape areas. Many neighborhoods borrow open space from adjacent rural or natural settings, which means adjacent trees, pastures, etc. in view from home sites may or may not develop into something else in the future. Homes are generally large and streets suburban in character. In some cases, the neighborhood is served by only one long culde-sac.

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Typical densities in a large-lot residential neighborhood accommodate lots up to one half acre in size (i.e., 2.0 dwelling units per acre). Small-Lot Residential – Land typically formed as a neighborhood for single-family detached homes with uniform housing densities. Buildings are oriented interior to the site and typically buffered from surrounding development by transitional uses, topography, preserved open space, or landscape areas. Typical densities in a small-lot residential neighborhood range between 2.0 and 6.0 dwelling units per acre. Locations with higher densities (greater than 3.0 dwelling units per acre) incorporate a comprehensive network of open space throughout to accommodate small parks, gathering places and community gardens; preserve tree stands; and help reduce stormwater runoff. Townhome Community – Land typically formed as a neighborhood for single-family attached homes with uniform housing densities. They provide pockets of greater residential density in a suburban landscape, often in locations that transition from commercial and office land uses to large-lot and small-lot residential land uses. Homes in a townhome community typically include small footprints, shared walls, and multiple stories. Surface parking lots and garages are common in more suburban-settings, while on-street parking is also prevalent in more urban-settings. Typical densities in a townhome community range between 6.0 and 10.0 dwelling units per acre.

Multifamily Residential – Land formed as a complex or community, with a relatively uniform housing type and density throughout. They support the highest residential density in a suburban landscape and may contain one of the following housing types: condominiums, apartments or senior housing (either standalone units for independent living, assisted living group quarters, or both on one site). Buildings are oriented interior to the site and generally buffered from surrounding development by transitional uses, topography, preserved open space, or landscape areas. Large surface parking lots and low street connectivity are common in multifamily residential areas. Typical densities in a multifamily residential neighborhood range between 10.0 and 16.0 dwelling units per acre. Mixed-Density Residential – Land formed as a neighborhood for a mix of housing types and densities. Homes are oriented interior to the site and typically buffered from surrounding development by transitional uses, topography, preserved open space, or landscaped areas. Lots along the perimeter of a new neighborhood should be sensitive to the density observed along the perimeter of an adjacent neighborhood in terms of size by providing a transition. Small blocks and a modified grid of streets support a cohesive, well-connected community. Typical densities in a mixed-density residential neighborhood range between 4.0 and 8.0 dwelling units per acre. All neighborhoods incorporate a comprehensive network of open space throughout to

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

accommodate small parks, gathering places and community gardens; preserve tree stands; and help reduce stormwater runoff.

Suburban Commercial Center Categories Small-Scale Commercial Center – Land that supports small-scale, commercial centers provide goods and services to surrounding neighborhoods. Their proximity to neighborhoods requires that operations be low-intensity, unobtrusive and at a scale and design compatible with nearby residential development. The design of neighborhood commercial centers transitions effectively between residential and non-residential uses, and includes safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle access for nearby residents. While this is primarily a commercial category, some neighborhood commercial centers may include upper story residential. Sites also effectively minimize the impact of cut-through traffic on nearby neighborhood streets by orienting vehicle access, circulation, etc. away from residential neighborhoods. Access between residential neighborhoods and adjacent commercial uses may be limited to pedestrian facilities. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) for development in a neighborhood commercial center is 0.30 for a one-story building and 0.40 for a two-story building. Highway Commercial – Land that serves the daily commercial needs of surrounding residential neighborhoods. They typically locate near high-volume roads and key intersections, and are designed to be accessible primarily by automobile. Some

Fuquay-Varina, NC

highway commercial sites include provisions for a regional bus park-and-ride facility. Buildings are set back from the road behind surface parking lots. Cross-access between adjacent highway commercial destinations is provided via service roads; with provisions for pedestrian access between buildings that support a park-once mentality. Common types of highway commercial centers in Fuquay-Varina include multi-tenant strip centers, big box stores and shopping center out-parcels. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) for highway commercial development is 0.25 for a one-story building. Regional Commercial Center – Land that serves regional commercial needs (emphasizing retail, dining, entertainment, hotel and leisure components) and draws visitors from both Fuquay-Varina and its surrounding areas. Multiple buildings, an internal system of walkable streets, pocket parks or public plazas, and iconic architecture are all planned and developed together using unified project development standards. Each regional commercial center must include at least one identifiable central gathering space. Centers typically locate near high-volume roads and key intersections, and are designed to be accessible primarily by automobile. They may also include provisions for a regional bus park-and-ride facility. All sites include provisions for pedestrian access between buildings that support a park-once mentality. Street connections external to the site should

support ‘walk-to’ convenience from nearby office and residential uses. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) for development in a regional commercial center is 0.40 for a one-story building plus 0.10 for each additional story up to three stories.

Suburban Employment Center Categories Light Industrial – Land supporting opportunities to concentrate employment in the Town on normal workdays. Each area generally supports manufacturing and production uses, including warehousing, distribution, light manufacturing, medical research, and assembly operations. These areas are found in close proximity to major transportation corridors (i.e., highway or rail) and are generally buffered from surrounding development by transitional uses or landscaped areas that shield the view of structures, loading docks, or outdoor storage from adjacent properties. Clusters of uses that support or serve one another are often encouraged to locate in the same light industrial center. Cross-access between adjacent light industrial destinations is provided via service roads. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) for light industrial development is 0.30 for a one-story building plus 0.10 for each additional story up to three stories. Heavy Industrial – Land that supports largescale manufacturing and production uses, including assembly and processing, regional warehousing and distribution, bulk storage, and utilities. These areas are found in close proximity to major transportation corridors (e.g., highways or rail) and are generally

buffered from surrounding development by transitional uses or landscaped areas that increase in size as development intensity increases. Heavy industrial centers may require larger sites because activities are not confined entirely to buildings. Conveyer belts, holding tanks, industrial machines, heavy manufacturing equipment, or outdoor storage all may be present in a heavy industrial center. Clusters of uses that support or serve heavy industrial centers generally locate in close proximity. Cross-access between adjacent heavy industrial destinations is provided via service roads. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) for heavy industrial development is 0.30 for a one-story building. Suburban Office – Land that supports opportunities to concentrate employment in the Town on normal workdays. They include both large-scale isolated buildings with numerous employees as well as areas containing multiple businesses that support and serve one another. They are typically buffered from surrounding development by transitional uses or landscaped areas and are often located in close proximity to major highways or thoroughfares. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) for development in an office center is 0.30 for a one-story building plus 0.10 for each additional story up to four stories. Regional Employment Center – Places that draw people from throughout the region for employment activities. Development is typically large-scale, including a hierarchy of streets, large sites for a building or group of buildings, supporting amenities, and

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

dedicated open space. Centers tend to locate near major transportation corridors, and often at the intersection of two major highways or a freeway exit. Uses in a regional employment center vary greatly; however, most complement each other in some manner for increased learning, production, or other economies-of-scale. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) for development in a regional employment center is 0.30 for a one-story building plus 0.10 for each additional story up to four stories.

Urban Neighborhood Categories (Form-Based Zoning) Town Center Residential â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Land used to support a mix of moderate- to high-density housing options in close proximity to the two downtowns (land generally inside Judd Parkway). Neighborhoods are relatively compact and may contain one or more of the following housing types: small lot, single family detached homes (e.g., row home, cottage home or duplex), townhomes, accessory apartments or live-work units. The design and scale of development in the town center residential area encourages active living with a complete and comprehensive network of walkable streets in a grid pattern. Specific items discouraged in the area include disconnected private driveways, security gates, berms, dense landscaping and other features that separate development from its surroundings. Typical densities in the town center residential area range between 6.0 and 16.0 dwelling units per acre.

Fuquay-Varina, NCÂ

Mixed-Use Neighborhood â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Land developed to offer residents the opportunity to live, work, shop and play in one community. These neighborhoods include a mixture of housing types and residential densities, integrated with goods and services in a walkable center that residents visit on a daily basis. Uses and buildings in the center are located on small blocks with streets designed to encourage pedestrian activity. Buildings in the center may stand three or more stories tall with residential units or office space above storefronts. Parking is satisfied using on-street parking, structured parking, or shared rear-lot parking strategies. An interconnected network of walkable streets connects one or more surrounding neighborhoods to the center. All neighborhoods incorporate a comprehensive network of open space throughout to accommodate small parks, gathering places and community gardens; preserve tree stands; and help reduce stormwater runoff. The general mix of uses envisioned for a mixed-use neighborhood (measured as the percentage of total acres in the development boundary indicated on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map) includes 75% residential and 25% commercial or office (non-residential); however, no specific mix of uses should be required for an individual parcel part of a larger development. The scale, character, and intensity of development in a mixed-use neighborhood should be compatible with, and transition to, adjacent land uses. Typical densities in a mixed-use neighborhood range between 4.0 and 80.0 dwelling units per acre. Average floor area

ratio (FAR) for non-residential development is 0.40 for a one-story building plus 0.10 for each additional story up to five stories.

Urban Center Categories (Form-Based Zoning) Downtown â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Land inside the historic commercial districts for Downtowns Fuquay and Varina that supports mixed-use development, architectural continuity, civic spaces, and social interaction. Uses and buildings are located on small blocks with streets designed to extend the grid network and encourage pedestrian activity. Buildings typically stand two or more stories tall with residential units above storefronts. The compact, walkable environment and mix of residential and non-residential uses in downtown support multiple modes of transportation. Typical densities in the downtown range between 10.0 and 80.0 dwelling units per acre. Average floor area ratio (FAR) for nonresidential development is 0.40 for a onestory building plus 0.10 for each additional story up to five stories. Employment Village â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Land that supports opportunities to concentrate employment opportunities in the Town on normal workdays. Each center generally supports office and light industrial uses, including professional office, research and development, higher education, artisan space, light manufacturing, medical research, and assembly operations. Residential uses, including a mixture of housing types and residential densities, surround an employment center.

An interconnected network of walkable streets connects one or more surrounding neighborhoods to the employment center. All neighborhoods incorporate a comprehensive network of open space throughout to accommodate small parks, gathering places and community gardens; preserve tree stands; and help reduce stormwater runoff. The general mix of uses envisioned for an employment village (measured as the percentage of total acres in the development boundary indicated on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map) includes 25% residential or hotel, 65% office or industrial, and 10% commercial; however, no specific mix of uses should be required for an individual parcel part of a larger development. The scale, character, and intensity of development in an employment village should be compatible with, and transition to, adjacent land uses. Typical densities in an employment village range between 8.0 and 30.0 dwelling units per acre. Average floor area ratio (FAR) for non-residential development is 0.30 for a one-story building plus 0.10 for each additional story up to five stories. Commercial Village â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Land that supports opportunities to concentrate commercial activities in the Town. Each center generally supports commercial and office uses, including general retail, supermarkets, sitdown restaurants, banks, drug stores, professional office, etc. Residential uses, including a mixture of housing types and residential densities, surround a commercial center.

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

An interconnected network of walkable streets connects one or more surrounding neighborhoods to the commercial center. All neighborhoods incorporate a comprehensive network of open space throughout to accommodate small parks, gathering places and community gardens; preserve tree stands; and help reduce stormwater runoff. The general mix of uses envisioned for a commercial village (measured as the percentage of total acres in the development boundary indicated on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map) includes 25% residential or hotel and 75% commercial or office (nonresidential); however, no specific mix of uses should be required for an individual parcel part of a larger development. The scale, character, and intensity of development in a commercial village should be compatible with, and transition to, adjacent land uses. Typical densities in a commercial village range between 8.0 and 30.0 dwelling units per acre. Average floor area ratio (FAR) for non-residential development is 0.30 for a one-story building plus 0.10 for each additional story up to five stories.

Community Facilities & Service Categories Civic & Institutional – Land developed to support a building or complex of buildings that serve public purpose, including a library, school, police station, fire station, public services complex, town government, etc. Visual qualities of the building(s) and its surrounding grounds often make civic and institutional facilities a landmark within the town.

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Supporting Infrastructure The Town’s vision for growth and conservation in the Land Use Plan requires that community infrastructure be in place concurrent with the magnitude, timing and location of new development. Town officials also recognize growth will continue well beyond the 2035 planning horizon year, and programmed residential and non-residential development potential in the Future Land Use and Conservation Map assumes the ultimate build-out of FuquayVarina. Excess capacity reflected on the map allows for unanticipated growth, changing market conditions, and economic development opportunities not anticipated at the time the Land Use Plan was adopted. Areas on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map may not develop within the planning horizon because of many factors, including: private property owner interests, market trends, lending conditions, demographics, or the location and timing of new capital investments. The table on page 66 summarizes conditions for the current year (2016), future year planning horizon (2035), and full build-out of the Future Land Use and Conservation Map (date uncertain). These numbers could change if Town service standards or service areas change over time. Recommendations for the Land Use Plan focus on conditions assumed through 2035. Demand projections to serve future year population and employment increases focus on the Town’s key public service areas: transportation, water supply and delivery needs, sewer treatment and collection

Summary of Impacts to Community Facilities & Services Associated with the Future Land Use & Conservation Map Inside Town Limits Current Conditions (2016)

Planning Horizon (2035)

Full Build-Out Potential

Demographic Characteristics Population

(people)

23,907

52,501

85,352

Employees

(people)

8,377

16,754

63,126

(ratio)

1.91:1

3.13:1

1.35:1

(officers)

143

Park Land

(acres)

300

658

1,070

Water Demand

(MGD)

2.10

4.34

8.50

Sewer Demand

(MGD)

2.10

3.88

8.22

Population to Employee Ratio

Anticipated Impacts to Town Facilities & Services Police Officers

Outside Town Limits Current Conditions (2016)

Planning Horizon (2035)

Full Build-Out Potential

Demographic Characteristics Population

(people)

30,942

44,507

196,858

Employees

(people)

12,497

18,745

108,840

(ratio)

2.48:1

2.37:1

1.81:1

(officers)

N/A

Park Land

(acres)

N/A

Water Demand

(MGD)

N/A

Sewer Demand

(MGD)

N/A

Population to Employee Ratio

Anticipated Impacts to Town Facilities & Services Police Officers

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

demands, additional open space needs, and public safety personal. Impacts to the transportation system are considered in the Town of Fuquay-Varina Comprehensive Transportation Plan. It should be recognized that the impact calculations are based on current and anticipated trends moving forward, and a wide range of variance is possible in future years because of changed conditions not anticipated at the time the Land Use Plan was adopted (e.g., widespread implementation of autonomous vehicles or a major new employer coming to Town). As a result, the impact calculations presented herein should be reviewed and adjusted annually.

Utility Service Expansion The Town should limit infrastructure expansion beyond those areas already planned as part of the Town’s 2015 Transportation, Sewer and Water Bond Package (namely expansion outside the currently identified service areas). This will make the best use of limited resources and encourage infill development and redevelopment where capacity already exists (promoting In-Town Living principles as responsible stewardship of Town government finances). Key areas inside current service areas to focus future utility investments include in and around the two downtowns, identified focus areas on the Growth Framework Map, and major transportation corridors inside or adjacent to Town limits (especially US 401, NC 55, NC 42 and Hilltop Needmore Road).

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Emphasis on ‘in-town infrastructure investments’ (within currently identified service areas) will equate generally to the land area identified on the Town’s previous Preferred Growth Areas Map ― with the exception of the Town’s core, which should also be a high-priority area for investment. The maps and recommendations in the Land Use Plan should replace the Preferred Growth Areas Map when making future year infrastructure decisions.

Recommendations Recommendations in the Land Use Plan provide guidelines, targets and priorities for shaping future growth and development patterns, and they should be used in this context to evaluate future development applications in the Town’s planning area. From time-to-time, a development application may bring into conflict one or more of the Recommendations presented in this Plan, and both the Planning Board and Board of Commissioners will need to balance competing interests and make choices that maximize intended outcomes stated in the Land Use Plan to the best of their abilities. The primary intention of the Land Use Plan is always to promote and protect the health, safety, welfare and positive image of the community. Recommendations in the Land Use Plan are not a substitute for specific rules and requirements contained in the Fuquay-Varina Land Development Code.

Land Use

LU.1 ― Concentrate Development in Mixed-Use Communities

LU.2 ― Place Government Uses in Downtown (or at least growth activity centers)

The Town’s General Growth Framework Map advocates for multiple high-density, mixeduse communities located throughout FuquayVarina. They should be places where people can live, work, shop and play. Several communities located near one another ― connected via local bus circulator, bicycle lanes or sidewalks ― provide additional opportunities to meet daily needs inside Town without a vehicle.

Too often, we see government centers, post offices, and individual departments moving out of downtowns to remote locations where they can affordably expand or consolidate services. That’s unfortunate, since those government employees shop and eat at local places, and if they can walk to a variety of options they will. Keeping these functions downtown (preferably) or at major growth nodes (second choice) is recommended.

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Land Use

LU.3 ― Encourage Transitional Uses and Intensities in and Around Project Boundaries

LU.4 ― Encourage Infill Development & Redevelopment Inside Town Limits

Desirable growth and development patterns depicted on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map considered transitional and compatibility issues between adjacent properties when assigning place type categories. Performance criteria established for the mixed-use place type categories also considered internal transitional and compatibility issues ― land use allocation, maximum density, maximum intensity, minimum street connectivity and other site design issues ― for developing complementary blocks or phases on the same property or properties.

Town officials should advocate for and, if possible, incentivize infill development and redevelopment projects inside Town limits as a way to reinvest in existing downtowns and the emerging centers and neighborhoods identified on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map. Doing so will shorten vehicle trip lengths (both in distance and time), minimize expensive infrastructure expansion investments, and avoid the loss of farmland and rural areas for future development far outside Town limits. It will also simultaneously increase land values, sales values and potential tax revenues (without an increase in tax rates) inside Town limits.

Nonetheless, most of the development and building design details that ensure proper compatibility within and between properties are addressed in the Town’s Land Development Ordinance (LDO). Town officials should review current rules and design controls and amend them (if necessary) to improve use, visual and spatial compatibility ― especially when construction on two adjacent properties may be separated by years or decades. Key topics for the LDO review include: proximity of specific land uses; complementary density or intensity standards; site and building orientation requirements; building height transitions; minimum setbacks; transitional street design standards; appropriate land features, buffering or landscaping; and lighting design considerations.

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Land Use

Transportation

LU.5 â&#x20AC;&#x2022; Revise the LDOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Town Center Residential Zoning District to Support Recommendations in the Land Use Plan

T.1 â&#x20AC;&#x2022; Improve Street Connectivity

The Land Use Plan recommends increased densities for the Town Center Residential place type category (between 6.0 and 16.0 dwelling units per acre) compared to the Town Center Residential zoning district in the Land Development Ordinance. New design and development standards included in the Ordinance should help alleviate concerns with increased densities for the place type category. Key topics for study and recommendations include: smaller block sizes; rear loaded parking (where possible); front yard build-to lines vs. front yard setbacks; reduced side and rear yard setbacks (where appropriate); and parallel on-street parking.

Streets should be connected to another street unless there are topographic or ecological constraints prohibiting it. The street network provides a multitude of routing alternatives to and from all destinations in a neighborhood, dispersing traffic and limiting congestion. Having a street network with a high degree of connectivity also enables individual streets to become narrower, which slows traffic and increases vehicular and pedestrian safety. High connectivity also allows emergency service vehicles many options to get to the site of an emergency call. Connectivity standards in Fuquay-Varina should not be limited to streets and automobiles. Encouraging a network of connected sidewalks, side paths, and pedestrian passages makes walking more convenient and enjoyable, and increases pedestrian access throughout the community. Finally, by increasing the number of routes through the community, pedestrians are provided more interesting walking and jogging alternatives, access to a variety of neighborhoods and destinations, and more opportunity for social interaction.

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Transportation

T.2 ― Protect Mobility Corridors

T.3 ― Urban Over Suburban Street Design Standards

Much of the Town’s growth (residential, commercial and industrial) occurs along and within proximity to a handful of mobility corridors ― Judd Parkway, US 401, NC 55 and NC 42 ― or along with radial routes including Sunset Lake Road and Hilltop Needmore Road. The existing mobility corridors are essential to providing access and mobility throughout the community and need to be protected and in some cases enhanced. As growth and development pressure increases, it will be important to protect these corridors through access management and better development design standards (ingress/egress, circulation, stub-outs, cross access, connectivity, etc.). Not having enough access to a property may inadvertently limit its use or attractiveness; too much may cause spillback effects on the surrounding road network. The development review process should consider development frontage and how it interacts with the corridor. Specific centerline setbacks identified by roadway classification should be identified and referenced during the Town’s site plan review process.

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Suburban street design standards emphasize the function of vehicle movement over the creation of place for a street (National Association of City Transportation Officials, Urban Street Design Guide, 2012). Growing trends toward more urban, walkable and mixed-use development patterns necessitate a change in conventional street design standards to: 1) balance the needs of vehicle, bus, bicycle and pedestrian within the rightof-way; 2) reduce travel lane width; 3) match design speed to posted speed limit; 4) control the number, location and spacing of driveways; 5) complement adjacent development; and 6) design intersections for multi-modal turning/route conflicts. Together, these changes will help move people (vs. only vehicles) and create memorable places that are great for the community, great for business, and great for creating safer environments for everyone.

Transportation

T.4 ― Enhance Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities

T.5 ― Transportation System Strategies

A complete network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout Town ― bicycle lanes, bicycle routes, greenways, side paths, and sidewalks ― connects nearby destinations for meeting daily needs while also providing an extensive network for recreation purposes and improving community health. Most bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure should be included in street construction following ‘complete street’ principles. A network of greenways provides quick, convenient access to nature for communities and centers identified on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map.

The Future Land Use and Conservation Map advocates for a transportation system that safely and efficiently moves ‘people’ throughout the Town. Balancing land use (demand), transportation (supply) and urban design (environment) will improve overall efficiency of the transportation system while promoting livability principles important to new communities and centers identified on the General Growth Framework Map. Supply-side solutions for the transportation system include:1) a complete and integrated grid street network for major roads and local streets; 2) complete street principles; 3) access management standards; 4) minimum street spacing guidelines; 5) special intersection treatments (including grade separated intersections at some locations); and 6) different street design standards for suburban and urban conditions. Demand-side solutions for improving the transportation system focus on land use, development density and urban design principles that promote lower vehicle trip generation (internal capture), shorter travel distance, and non-vehicular travel modes. Land use mix, development locations, patterns and intensities depicted on the Map and described in the Place Typology section of the document will improve overall efficiency of the transportation system by lowering demand for long-distance vehicle trips. Street design standards for urban conditions serving new walkable communities or centers will also bind together land use, transportation and urban design decisions.

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Community Facilities & Services

Home Choices

CF.1 ― Invest in Existing Growth Areas

H.1 ― Provide Mixed Housing & Diversity

The Town is committed to urban service extensions (water and sewer utilities) along corridors that ensure the Town can manage future development patterns, as well as making sure tax benefits accrued by the Town will be supporting the services referenced. Accommodation of new residents and businesses should occur in those areas where there are existing or proposed services.

CF.2 ― Implement a Regional Stormwater Management Strategy Advocate for a Town-wide stormwater management strategy that spans the boundaries of individual parcels to collect and store stormwater in local lakes, ponds, streams and swales for groundwater infiltration.

CF.3 ― Safeguard Our Access to Quality Education Coordinate with the Wake County School District on the timing and location of new development influenced by the Land Use Plan, and strengthen its ties to the District's strategic plan and capital investment plan.

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Demographic diversity of people in age, income level, culture, and race provides a sense of interest and vitality within the most loved places in the world. In order to attract this type of diversity to a community, the physical form must be conducive to the varied lifestyles of these groups. A key component of creating an environment where diversity thrives is the provision of a mix of housing options. There should be many different types, sizes, and price points intermingled in close proximity, with a range of living experiences from rural to more dense, so that there is something for everyone. The variety of dwelling types should include: different sizes of detached single family houses, row homes, townhomes, multifamily condominium and apartment buildings, and live/work buildings. In addition, small ancillary buildings with a living space (above the garage, for instance) should be permitted within the rear yard of each principal building for extended family, tenants, or guests to stay or live. Residential units should be available either for leasing or for ownership. This allows young and old, singles and families, and residents having a range of income levels to find a dignified home that suits their preferences and lifestyles.

Home Choices

H.2 ― Grow in Downtowns

H.3 ― Don’t Lose Affordability

Downtowns have returned to the forefront of municipal selling points, and Fuquay-Varina has seen positive private investments establish a core of activity to attract Millennials and empty-nest adults. Action should be taken to keep this momentum going. Multifamily and even vertical mixeduse are in play, especially in the longer term, and contribute to the ongoing downtown renaissance. The creation of 18-hour municipalities is a goal for many places, and achievable in Fuquay-Varina as well.

Demand for more homes means prices will continue to rise for land and houses. While Fuquay-Varina is still an affordable housing market, that situation is changing as more people work lower-paying retail jobs and home prices rise. While multifamily creates the quantity that can address some of the issue, not all multifamily has to be apartments: small homes, townhomes, duplexes, cluster housing, row homes, and ancillary (“mother-in-law”) units should be part of the product mix.

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Natural Environment

NE.1 ― Create an Interconnected Network of Green Space

NE.2 ― Include New Rules and Standards in the Town’s LDO that Prohibit Development in the 100-Year Floodplain

Green space includes all of the parks, greenways, floodplains and forested areas now (or planned for) in Town, as well as other ‘protected’ open spaces. Together, they form a “big picture green print” that helps elected officials and their partners prioritize land acquisitions, infrastructure projects, and land dedications from future development applications. These areas should become gathering places for young families and single professionals, and be viable trade-offs for accepting higher densities and less private open space in residential or mixed-use living environments. Town officials should partner with State, regional or other nonprofit groups working in the area to mitigate the impacts of new development on existing natural systems. At a minimum, include new rules and standards in the Town’s LDO that incorporates open space as a meaningful component of new development, including tree preservation, stormwater retention, recreation, animal habitat protection, or preserving scenic views.

The 100-year floodplain represents the area of land near a water body (lake or stream) that has a one percent chance of flooding in any given year. Managing the type and intensity of development in the floodplain is widely accepted as good for the environment and financially-responsible for Town government and insurance providers (in terms of the cost to rebuild infrastructure, homes, businesses, etc. that may continually flood in major rain events). Protected floodplains also provide a continuous, natural infrastructure to offset some of the impacts associated with an expanding development footprint (e.g., flood control, water filtration, wildlife habitat, water supply provisions, etc.). The Town of Fuquay-Varina currently prohibits development in floodplains as a condition of approval for a planned unit development or an open space residential development. All other zoning conditions could allow development in a floodplain subject to certain engineering design considerations or building standards. Town officials should amend the local Land Development Ordinance to prohibit development in all 100-year floodplain areas, and explore opportunities to designate them as permanent open space and the spine of a regional green infrastructure initiative.

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Natural Environment

Parks & Recreation

NE.3 ― Increase Local Tree Canopy to 45% by 2035

PR.1 ― Build Parks & Preserve Open Space

The Land Use Plan advocates for significant increase in parks and open space compared to current conditions. Any increase in the number and type of parks would build on a relatively high-level of parks per capita. These areas should become gathering places for young families, retirees and single professionals, and be viable trade-offs for accepting higher densities and less private open space in residential or mixed-use living environments.

All place types represented on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map should include elements that promote greater tree canopy in Town.

Important design elements for new parks or plazas in Fuquay-Varina include: group activity areas, Wi-Fi access, athletic courts and fields, trails and exercise areas, and petfriendly areas. Preserving land in floodplains identified on the

Future Land Use and Conservation Map supports more compact development principles, stresses environment stewardship, and makes a more urban environment more attractive by providing quick, convenient access to nature.

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Parks & Recreation

Economic Vitality

PR.2 ― Be an Active Community

EV.1 ― Build a Community Attractive to Today’s Businesses and Their Employees

Lead a Town-wide initiative to encourage 'active living' in Fuquay-Varina, including plans and policies that promote more walkable development and programs that increase the frequency and level of daily physical activity for students, families, employees, and seniors.

In today’s idea-based economy, where creativity and innovation are often valued more than experience and seniority, a new type of business environment has taken shape. The internet and other technologies have minimized old ways of doing business based on the physical office, time spent at your desk, and a long commute. The new resource is creative people and finding ways to attract them with incentives such as flexible schedules and telecommuting. The office park of the 80’s and 90’s has been replaced with mixed-use corporate campuses and urban lofts and warehouses. Previously, municipalities competed to attract business with the tax breaks or Class A office space. Today, many companies will only locate in a community that is walkable, mixed-use, and diverse. The Town’s commitment to other principles of the Land Use Plan support economic vitality in a manner that is more difficult to quantify, but is not any less important. This is because the best employees will no longer settle for a suburban lifestyle and are seeking employment in vibrant communities with active street life and culture. To take advantage of this shift in culture and mindset, Fuquay-Varina should promote the creation of high quality built environments through smarter land use regulations and development incentives, and then tailor a marketing message to feature this aspect of the Town.

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Economic Vitality

EV.2 ― Promote Manufacturing and Build a Competitive Advantage within the State & Region

nationally and internationally and 2) protect them from pressures to be developed as something other than industrial or office uses.

Fuquay-Varina competes in a national market place challenged by a recent economic downturn, and is moving away from a century long dependence on textiles, tobacco trade, and agriculture. The Town now sets its sights on new (and expanding) manufacturing as an important economic driver. Officials believe expanding the Town’s manufacturing core is critical to its future.

EV.3 ― Position Fuquay-Varina for Place-Based Tourism

Mass-production manufacturing has moved considerably away from the Triangle Region, and more emphasis is being placed on research, development, and innovative technology manufacturing from the area’s academic institutions and corporations. Organizing and promoting a manufacturing cluster around these trends in Town should capitalize on its set of competitive advantages: in-place zoning, highway or rail access, utility availability, other major employers nearby, highly-skilled workforce, quality of life, etc. Rail access is specifically beneficial considering the possibility of future commuter rail service.

Place-based tourism is dependent on a highquality built environment that is interesting, authentic, beautiful, and useful. In contrast, the suburban places in which most people live today would never be visited by placebased tourists because suburban environments are everywhere and lack distinction. It is possible to create the type of place that may have never existed in the community before or to build on the historic character of a place. Communities can create the type of places where people will want to visit by placing high priority on the quality of the built environment. In Fuquay-Varina, it is possible to emphasize and build on the strong sense of history and community, and the two downtown areas as centers of activity that will appeal to both locals and tourists alike.

Bringing new manufacturing facilities to Fuquay-Varina will require a systematic approach, and simplifying the site selection process will be critical to landing the next firm. The Town should work with state, regional and private partners to identify industrial sites on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map with adequate infrastructure to attractive new manufacturing firms to the area and 1) promote them

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Economic Vitality

EV.4 â&#x20AC;&#x2022; Find Opportunities to Include Artisan Industrial Space in Identified Mixed-Use Activity Centers

EV.5 â&#x20AC;&#x2022; Identify Locations for Business Incubators & Co-Working Space

Fuquay-Varina has an opportunity to introduce a variety of new creative building types, increasing opportunities to attract different kinds of people to the Town. Artisan industrial space is often times low cost space that can accommodate entrepreneurs who are involved in making products. These kinds of businesses often occur in rehabilitated historic buildings, in no frills new construction, or within live/work units, which accommodate a workshop and living quarters in one building and with one mortgage. This allows creative entrepreneurs the means to affordably engage in smallscale artistic and light industrial pursuits. These buildings can also be used for artist studios and creative knowledge workers. Artisan industrial space can be set up with ground floor workshops facing onto streets, with large doors that can expose the passerby to the work happening inside. The process of encouraging new business development can be spurred by incentives for low cost incubator space as well as more permanent artisan industrial space, where land values are lower than those in the rest of Town.

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Local start-ups and new businesses form the foundation of a community because they generate both financial and social capital. Local businesses serve as a morale booster that help the local economy and create the entrepreneurial spirit and buzz that attracts other creative types. The process of encouraging new business development can be spurred by the provision of incubator space. For an incubator space to be successful, it needs to be reasonably priced to facilitate the start-up phase, with the understanding that the business will eventually move into a larger space once they are more established and their business begins to grow.

Economic Vitality

Community Design

EV.6 ― Attract New Retailers

CD.1 ―Establish a Discernible Neighborhood Structure

One of the strategies emphasized in the Town’s 2015-2025 Economic Development Strategy is to attract retailers that the Town currently lacks. Sit-down restaurants, niche and clothing retailers, and new/upgraded bigbox stores, as well as higher-end chain restaurants are all in demand by local residents. Fuquay-Varina sometimes has entry-tier versions of some chain outlets; upgrading them and acquiring new places should be on the menu. To get them, marketers don’t just count rooftops, but look for lifestyles or tapestry segments that support their brands. Mixed-use centers, younger audiences, and higher wages will help attract these places.

New neighborhoods in Fuquay-Varina should contain a discernible center and a clear edge. This is an organizational concept that provides an identity to the community. While it may be more difficult to have well-defined edges surrounding a neighborhood, it is imperative that its center be well-formed. The center of the neighborhood should include a civic open space such as a park, square, or plaza, depending on its location within the range of contexts from rural to suburban to urban.

CD.2 ― Provide Attention to Building Transitions “Like facing like” refers to the way different building types are situated on a street. Ideally, the same building types should be across the street from each other. In many places with conventional planning regulations, blocks are built so that the same or similar building types are built along the same side of the street with different building types located across the street. This approach can be unpredictable and also result in lowered property values. Instead, similar building types should be facing each other because it protects the character of the streetscape, ensuring that buildings with similar densities are facing one another.

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Community Design

CD.3 ― Embrace Historic Preservation

CD.5 ― Multiple Buildings on the Same Lot or Parcel Should Be Architecturally Unified

Provide incentives for preserving historic buildings in Town, which take advantage of the uniqueness of these sites and building for creating cool spaces.

CD.4 ― Integrate Suburban Retrofit Suburban retrofit refers to the process of transforming a suburban condition, where single-story buildings are spaced apart from one another with parking in front, into a more diverse, pedestrian-oriented environment where mixed-use buildings are located more closely together. Typically, this involves either infill or redevelopment, or a combination of both, with the element of time playing a significant role. In the most ambitious situations, redevelopment can result in the eventual removal of the original suburban buildings. More commonly, new buildings with shallow setbacks can be added onto, essentially pulling the buildings toward the street by creating a new facade. Suburban retrofit has been used for everything from office parks to big box redevelopment, while the most common use is a slow transition from a commercial strip to a mixed-use street.

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Quality, cohesive building design in site development helps enhance community character and improve quality-of-life. Promoting architectural unity on a site ensures quality projects, lends credibility and professionalism, and often promotes a unique brand identity in the area. Requiring architectural unity in large site developments allows developers and staff the opportunity to consider the interplay between buildings, ultimately preventing inconsistencies and the uncoordinated feel that arises from ad hoc development. It is recommended that all new development and redevelopment in the planning area consisting of two or more buildings on a single lot or parcel be required to construct architecturally unified buildings and use compatible quality and type of building materials.

Community Design

CD.6 ― Include Entertainment & Leisure Components in FormBased Land Use Categories

CD.7 ― Create Recognizable Entrances (Gateways) into Fuquay-Varina

There is often an overall lack of public and semi-public gathering spaces in activity center developments that could draw residents out of their homes to interact more with one another as a community. Supporting new public places or special events in identified activity centers on the Future Land Use & Conservation Map ― uses identified as regional commercial activity center, mixed-use neighborhood, downtown, commercial village or employment village ― would give people a “third place” (i.e., other than work or home) to connect and socialize.

One of the first ways to establish a defined character for Fuquay-Varina is to announce that it is different and new. Public investment in gateway treatments should be considered to reinforce the brand identified for the Town and stimulate private investment in the corridor consistent with the new brand. Next steps for bringing gateway treatments to the study area include: identify appropriate locations for new signage, prepare design concepts, reach out to local property owners for easements, develop construction documents, and identify available funding sources.

Gathering places in major activity centers should promote a variety of social events and activities; including summer concerts, children’s events, talking, playing, peoplewatching, or simply enjoying time alone in the company of others. They should be intermixed throughout each activity center as formal areas (e.g., park, playground, or amphitheater) or informal areas (e.g., cafe, plaza, benches, or sitting wall) to accommodate varying crowds and interests.

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Performance

Communication

P.1 ― Maintain a Balanced Budget

CO.1 ― Identify Methods & Tools that Bring Concepts Important to Land Use Decisions into the General Public

Keep a structurally-balanced budget for the Town each year that does not borrow large sums of money from fund reserves to cover regular operating expenses.

P.2 ― Implement a Community Report Card A community report card should monitor and evaluate progress as the Town implements recommendations in the Land Use Plan. The report card should give a full and honest assessment of conditions in Town and be used specifically to monitor performance, measure achievement, and reflect change generated by the Land Use Plan. Formal presentation of the community report card should be made to the Town Board at the first of each year. Adjustments to the implementation program for this Plan, if necessary, should be made in the months following the presentation. This will allow an opportunity for Town officials to re-frame priorities, as needed, following the presentation and ahead of the upcoming fiscal year.

There are many reasons to involve the public in planning and land use decision-making. The most important may be that participation builds a sense of community. Individuals feel more connected when they participate in the process of developing solutions to community problems. On the other hand, individuals who are not involved in developing solutions are more likely to resist the solutions once developed. Simple approaches to effective community outreach start with defining the intent for engagement, namely citizens’ wants and needs to:     

be asked to participate; be provided multiple, convenient ways to engage; find safe, convenient places to gather; connect with people on something meaningful; and believe their involvement will create change they can witness.

Selecting the right methods and tools to engage the public depends on the goals of communication ― whether to inform, educate, collaborate or obtain feedback. Setting one of these targets makes it easier for the Town to identify tools, events, technology, etc. appropriate for the task athand. Concepts important to the land use decision-making process may want to

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Communication

combine high-tech and low-tech options that make all people more comfortable when participating in a planning process.

CO.2 â&#x20AC;&#x2022; Become a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Digital Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; & Provide Greater Access to Information & Analysis via the Internet

Preferred communication efforts selected by the Town for making land use decisions should promote effective coordination between Town Departments, elected officials, and the general public.

The Town of Fuquay-Varina currently uses its official website (and other web tools) to disseminate information in more traditional, static formats. This might include providing access to maps, documents, photos, statistics or staff contact information for public viewing (typically one way communication). The opportunity for twoway dialog between citizens, visitors and the government via the internet is very limited at this time. Town officials should explore opportunities to engage the community via the official website or other web tools more effectively. Simple ideas include a mobile application that lets people report problems from vandalism to potholes to water main breaks, or a webbased GIS application that allows people the opportunity to provide digital comments on draft maps or plans via virtual push pins.

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Focus Area Concept Studies The Land Use Plan includes several focus area concept studies that look at general policy recommendations in more detail, and provide guidance for preferred development types, patterns and intensities in FuquayVarina. They incorporate the ideas and input of elected officials, Town departments, the Land Use Plan Project Steering Committee, local developers, stakeholders groups, and citizens that participated in the planning process â&#x20AC;&#x2022; all of whom will play a critical role in turning these visions into reality.

General recommendations presented for the focus areas are intended to serve as a guide for other areas with similar size, access, available infrastructure and development context. Concept plans, drawings, etc. depicted in the focus area studies are for illustrative purposes only, and in no way constitute intended outcomes or provisionary approvals for the properties represented in the document. Buildout of the focus areas may vary significantly based on landowner interests, market-timing, lending conditions, available infrastructure, or many other factors.

Opportunity to Build Large, Mixed-Use Activity Centers

Opportunity to Build Large, Mixed-Use Employment Centers

Opportunity to Build Urban Multifamily in Walkable Communities

Opportunity to Redevelop Existing Big Box Shopping Centers

Opportunity to Build Mixed-Density, Open Space Neighborhoods

Opportunity to Build a Knowledge Center at NC 540 (Near Wake Tech)

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Focus Area Key Map

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2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Opportunity to Build Large, Mixed-Use Activity Centers

Large, vacant tracts of land in key areas throughout the Town provide great opportunities to build mixed-use, masterplanned communities. These areas may be large enough to accommodate one or more walk-to activity centers ― schools, community centers, parks, formal plazas, walkable retail centers, walkable employment centers, etc. ― surrounded by neighborhoods that support a variety of home densities and choices. The communities offer residents the opportunity to live, work, shop and play in one interconnected location. The design, scale and orientation of each development contribute significantly to a distinct brand and sense of place important to Fuquay-Varina. A network of walkable streets connects surrounding neighborhoods to the activity centers. Open space throughout the development accommodates small parks, gathering places and community gardens; preserves tree stands; and helps reduce stormwater runoff. Gathering places in the activity centers promote a variety of social events and activities; including summer concerts, children’s events, talking, playing, people-watching, or simply enjoying time alone in the company of others. Gathering places are intermixed throughout the activity centers as either formal areas or informal areas and accommodate varying crowds and interests. Conceptual ideas illustrated for the focus area and the recommendations that follow are most appropriate for areas identified as Mixed-Use Neighborhood, Commercial Village, or Employment Village on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map. 87

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2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

STRESS GOOD DESIGN

The importance of good development design in creating a town that is economically prosperous cannot be underestimated. The rate of growth and resulting development pressure places the Town in a position to expect more out of development. All development should have enduring qualities, and should be consistent with the vision for the future of the Town. Promote adherence to the basic principles of good design, and evaluate all aspects of future development proposals accordingly.

C D

Establish minimum design standards and requirements in the Land Development Ordinance to emphasize scale, street connectivity, greenways, and public open space in large, mixed-use developments. Town Planning Department

B Modify requirements in the Land Development Ordinance to reduce setback and internal landscaping standards for mixed-use activity centers, which supports a development pattern and intensity that integrates adjacent lots or parcels into a single destination or community. Town Planning Department

FACILITATE FUTURE TRANSIT

In key corridors, these developments have the added benefit of facilitating mass transit, provided the number of people living and working in such areas achieves targets necessary for adequate transit ridership. Allow more intense development along corridors where transit service is being contemplated. Encourage activity centers in transportation corridors that are “transit-ready” with densities, uses and development patterns appropriate for bus rapid transit (or at least express bus service). Important elements for transit-ready design include higher densities within a ten minute walk of a proposed station and on-street parking. Town Planning Department

Advocate for premium transit service in the region that connects mixed-use activity centers in Fuquay-Varina with destinations in Raleigh, Durham and Research Triangle Park; especially in terms of supporting initiatives in the Wake Transit Plan.

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Town Planning & Engineering Departments

INCORPORATE CIVIC & COMMUNITIY FACILITIES

Schools, parks, and other community facilities are most appropriate when located where the most people can be served: in areas with higher levels of population and employment. They can enhance new development if integrated as focal points and anchors during the planning stages. With advanced-planning, such uses can be incorporated into new development. The Town’s and County’s facility plans anticipate future demand and identify target areas, and should be utilized to get commitments on the front end as development is being contemplated. Flexibility in planning and design requirements as well as the coordination of infrastructure provision with phasing will help facilitate such development, affording the Town the opportunity to simultaneously help meet private investor objectives and satisfy public needs. Leverage existing Town assets and future investments in governmentbuilt facilities to anchor mixed-use activity centers. Town Administration & Engineering Departments

Update the Town’s various infrastructure and facility investment plans, studies, schedules, etc. to be a catalyst for the development of future mixed-use activity centers. Town Administration Department

ENCOURAGE THOUGHTFUL PLANNING OF LARGE, INTOWN PARCELS

The characteristics of well-planned developments that enhance the community include concentrations of compatible residential and nonresidential uses (including community facilities) organized around a system of parks and open space as well as a connected network of streets, sidewalks and greenways. Large parcels (one or a few contiguous) lend themselves to this intricate level of development. Working closely with the current and future owners of such parcels, the Town can effectively lay the groundwork for the creation of future destinations in the town. Encourage large-scale, mixed-use development in areas of Town identified as a commercial village, employment village or great opportunity site. Town Planning & Economic Development Departments

Generally support a zoning amendment for sites that encourage large-scale, mixed-use development in the form of activity centers. Town Planning Department

Require a “public realm” concept plan (in map format) for any largescale, mixed-use development application; including passive and recreation open space areas, greenways, plazas, sidewalks, and other community gathering areas. Identify connections to adjacent lots or parcels to develop a Town-wide system. Town Planning Department

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Built Examples:

Q: Where is this type of development encouraged on the Future Land Use & Conservation Map?

Fuquay-Varina, NCÂ

A: The following place type categories encourage this type of development:  Mixed-Use Neighborhood  Commercial Village  Employment Village

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Opportunity to Build Large, Mixed-Use Employment Centers

There is a finite amount of land in Fuquay-Varina primed for future employment centers (either now or in the future) and many of these locations are adjacent to residential neighborhoods. The employment village concept abandons the idea of a conventional industrial or office park, and instead imagines a mixed-use village that concentrates employment uses in a discernable center surrounded by one or more neighborhoods that support a variety of home densities and choices (including live/work units in the employment center). The design, scale, character, and intensity of development in the employment village is compatible with, and transitions to, adjacent land uses. A network of walkable streets connects surrounding neighborhoods to the employment center. Open space throughout the development accommodates small parks, gathering places and community gardens; preserves tree stands; and helps reduce stormwater runoff. Conceptual ideas illustrated for the focus area and the recommendations that follow are most appropriate for areas identified as Employment Village on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map.

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2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

RESERVE KEY SITES WITH POTENTIAL RAIL ACCESS FOR FUTURE INDUSTRIAL & OFFICE DEVELOPMENT

There are a limited number of large parcels in Town with great access to both rail and highway, which are prime locations for new manufacturing, office or flex space. Here, a variety of large, medium, and small businesses can operate side by side, with some benefitting from direct or indirect access to rail as well as major highways (NC-42, NC-55, and US-401). Industrial uses of many types should be encouraged here, and “industrial” should be broadly defined to include space for artists and craftsmen. Breweries and distilleries could also be accommodated in this location. Heavy industry would not be compatible, and therefore, is not intended for this area. Encourage rezoning of property inside identified employment villages of the Future Land Use and Conservation Map to favor industrial and office as primary uses, and commercial and residential as secondary uses. Town Planning & Economic Development Departments

The Town should be a partner in negotiations with the NC Rail Division to site, permit or construct new railroad crossings or railroad spurs to serve new industrial development.

CREATE A REAL EMPLOYMENT VILLAGE

Develop a true mixed-use activity center using a village concept; including industrial, office, supporting commercial, and a small amount of housing. The mix of uses and design features important to creating a village will make these locations iconic and very different from standalone, suburban-scale employment development. Encourage a mix of uses in a vibrant and identifiable center during the development review process by identifying opportunities to connect buildings in a walkable, grid street pattern. Town Planning Department

Town Administration & Economic Development Departments

Fuquay-Varina, NC

SUPPORT LIVE-WORK UNITS

Housing units above businesses and storefronts provide a unique opportunity to capture works in the village for extended periods of time. These units become very popular because they are in the middle of the action for people looking to live in a more urban setting. Revise the Land Development Ordinance to allow live-work units in identified employment villages, and relax parking and internal landscaping requirements in these areas to support new live-work buildings. Town Planning Department

TRANSITION DEVELOPMENT USES & INTENSITIES TO BE SENSITIVE TO SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBOHROODS

Several single family neighborhoods are adjacent to the employment village. A compatible transition from the non-residential uses in the village to adjacent neighborhoods is housing in the form of townhomes, live/work units, and other attached products, which could be attractive to those seeking the edgy/artsy/gritty environment. At the edges where new development will immediately abut existing lots, single-family homes that are comparable in size to the existing homes could be appropriate. The housing built as part of a village should function both as a buffer and a bridge, connecting existing neighborhoods to the shops and restaurants (and tasting rooms) of the village. Revise the Land Development Ordinance to address transitional land uses at the edges of employment village centers; especially adjacent to existing single family residential neighborhoods. Consider height, density, housing type, landscaping and berm requirements that ensure “like faces like” development principles. Town Planning Department

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Built Examples:

Q: Where is this type of development encouraged on the Future Land Use & Conservation Map?

Fuquay-Varina, NCÂ

A: The following place type categories encourage this type of development: ď&#x201A;ˇ Employment Village

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

Opportunity to Build Urban Multifamily in Walkable Communities

Early concepts for multifamily development in Fuquay-Varina focused on suburban-models characterized as closed communities with entrance gates, large surface parking lots, raised perimeter berms, and buildings oriented toward a central gathering place (community pool, clubhouse, etc.). In contrast, Town officials and citizens that participated in the Land Use Plan planning process wanted to see more urban multifamily standards that reinforce a walkable community. The concept for urban multifamily in Fuquay-Varina incorporates a complete reset on the design principles important for developing a site. An interconnected network of gridded streets (one or more of them being public streets) provides access to nearby destinations, and on-street parking reduces the size and location of required surface parking lots. Buildings oriented toward the street hide parking lots behind them. One or more community spaces â&#x20AC;&#x2022; pool, clubhouse, park space, etc. â&#x20AC;&#x2022; are located within convenient distance of most buildings in the community via sidewalk or pathway. Conceptual ideas illustrated for the focus area and the recommendations that follow are most appropriate for areas identified as Multifamily Residential, Mixed-Use Neighborhood, Commercial Village, Employment Village, Town Center Residential or Downtown on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map.

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2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

100

MAKE ATTACHED DWELLING UNITS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE URBAN FABRIC

Multifamily housing ― townhouses, apartments or condominiums ― should be situated along streets or private drives that are designed to look and function like public streets (especially for locations inside Judd Parkway). Streets near the edge of a development should connect with streets on adjacent property, or stub out as future street connections. This organization allows such developments to be part of the urban fabric. In addition, less distance between the faces of buildings and the buildings’ height and articulation of the front facades contribute to the creation of a pedestrian scale for the street. Require certain design standards for multifamily development that promote more urban qualities: build-to lines; urban street cross sections; on-street parking; street connectivity standards; parking standards that influence location, screening and lower number of spaces (shifted to on-street parking spaces); and reduced buffer requirements proportionate to the amount of open space provided inside the development.

B A C

MAKE BETTER USE OF GREENSPACE

Instead of spaces that are merely informal landscaped areas between buildings, greenspace can be intentionally placed and designed for the enjoyment of residents. To the extent that such greenspaces are bordered by streets and are publicly accessible, these greenspaces may support a variety of activities and community gatherings, which is in keeping with the vision for the open space network in this urban setting. Like the streets, open space should help integrate developments into the larger context and urban fabric.

Town Planning Department Require a minimum amount of land dedicated for open space in urban multifamily developments. Spaces should be large enough to support small group gatherings, and located within convenient walking distance from surrounding multifamily buildings. Town Planning Department

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Fuquay-Varina, NC

DE-EMPHASIZE THE PARKING LOT

While parallel on-street parking accommodates some cars near the front doors, most of the parking should be located behind the buildings on the interior of blocks created by urban development patterns. With buildings pulled up to the street (public realm), the buildings serve to screen the parking from view. The appearance and character of the place is defined by the architecture and streetscape rather than the tail ends of vehicles. Revise the Land Development Ordinance to control the maximum size, preferred location and proper screening of surface parking lots serving urban multifamily developments. Town Planning DepartmentÂ

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

102

Built Examples:

Q: Where is this type of development encouraged on the Future Land Use & Conservation Map?

103

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A: The following place type categories encourage this type of development:      

Multifamily Residential Mixed-Use Neighborhood Commercial Village Employment Village Town Center Residential Downtown

2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

104

Opportunity to Build Large, Mixed-Use Activity Centers

Highway commercial corridors in Fuquay-Varina include several big box stores (defined as large retail buildings set back from the road behind surface parking lots) that age over time and sometimes fall into disrepair as tenants move in and out of the spaces. These areas become a priority for cities and towns hoping to increase both retail and entertainment traffic; reverse decreasing store vacancy rates; and increase land, building and tax generation values. Suburban retrofit refers to the process of transforming a declining suburban condition into a more diverse, pedestrianoriented environment where mixed-use buildings are located closely together. Typically, this involves either infill or redevelopment, or a combination of both, with the element of time playing a significant role. In the most ambitious situations, redevelopment can result in the eventual removal of the original suburban shopping center buildings. More commonly, new buildings with shallow setbacks can be added onto the site, essentially pulling the buildings toward the street by creating a new facade.

105

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2035 Community Vision Land Use Plan

106

MAKE BETTER CONNECTIONS

With changes, require developers to make provisions for — or improve — connections to surrounding development. The redevelopment of big box stores will open up opportunities for local street, driveway, and sidewalk connections to surrounding development. In advance of redevelopment of big boxes, encourage pedestrian connections that are welcoming, hospitable spaces. The inclusion of benches, lighting, bike racks, and other furnishings will enhance accessibility via non-motorized modes. Modify the Land Development Ordinance to require “backdoor” entrance improvements (especially pedestrian connections from adjacent neighborhoods) in conjunction with commercial redevelopment.

Town Planning Department

MAKE CONNECTIONS

Retail sales through online shopping are outpacing sales in bricks-and-mortar retail establishments. Over time, the need for such large-scale retail spaces may decrease. The evolution of today’s automobile-oriented shopping center could present opportunities for creating more walkable mixed-use centers through future redevelopment. In the short term, infill development can enhance the mix of uses and help create a more viable retail destination. In the long term, the big boxes might be redeveloped into new buildings characterized by smaller footprints, smaller tenant spaces, and two or more stories. Such small buildings are more easily integrated into the urban fabric, following a walkable development pattern that emphasizes infill development and connections to the larger community (see series of images on page 108).

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REPURPOSE PARKING LOTS AS NEW LOTS, BLOCKS & BUILDINGS

Areas with an overabundance of parking provide the opportunity to introduce smaller buildings within the shopping center site (in excess parking locations). Incorporate infill development along major drive aisles to convert those driveways into streets that have on-street parking and streetscapes that enhance pedestrian environments and frame views to the anchors (big box stores). Orient new buildings toward those new streets. Infill will displace existing parking. However, most parking lots have more capacity than needed on typical days. Encourage shared parking agreements where the hours of operation of adjacent tenants have little or no overlap. Also, consider relaxing parking requirements so that the loss of spaces as buildings are introduced does not create a nonconforming condition. Modify the Land Development Ordinance to relax parking requirements and require design standards for infill development on targeted redevelopment sites.

Town Planning Department

Hypothetical Redevelopment of a Big-Box Shopping Center

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Opportunity to Build Mixed-Density, Open Space Neighborhoods

Several residential areas in Fuquay-Varina have been developed as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;open space neighborhoodsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, which requires portions of the neighborhood be dedicated for passive or active open space. Unfortunately, open space in some areas is unusable, disjointed and not continuous with open space in adjacent areas. The focus area reimagines the concept of open space neighborhoods in the Town, with the intent of creating spaces that are more inviting, more connected, and more accessible to residents. Open space extends throughout the development and accommodates small parks, gathering places and community gardens; preserves tree stands; and helps reduce stormwater runoff. In contrast to existing open space neighborhoods, the focus area also contemplates a mix of home types and densities (single family detached, duplexes and townhomes) to offset more open space dedication. Walk-to commercial and recreation destinations in and around the neighborhood make the place feel like a thriving community. Conceptual ideas illustrated for the focus area and the recommendations that follow are most appropriate for areas identified as Mixed-Density Residential on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map.

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ALLOW RESIDENTIAL VARIETY

Allow more variety in terms of home choices in a neighborhood to be responsive to the preferences of the people who live — and will live — in the Town. Stage of life and lifestyle are just two factors that influence housing choices. Neighborhoods that mix housing types, particularly single-family detached homes of various sizes (including patio homes) with duplexes and townhomes, provide more opportunities for residents to age in place. While this can be accomplished with infill development, it will more likely be achieved with new development. Housing types may vary by block, but the layout of the neighborhood should aim to locate housing so that the same types face each other. Using a mix that incorporates some smaller units, developers can maximize the number of units provided while setting aside usable open space that can enhance property values. At the edges where new development will immediately abut existing lots, single-family homes that are comparable in size to the existing homes would be appropriate.

Modify the Land Development Ordinance and/or establish design guidelines to encourage a mix of residential types within a single development, and the location of products so like housing types face each other and changes in types occur at rear property lines.

Town Planning Department

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COMPLEMENT NEIGHBORHOODS WITH SMALL-SCALE, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVING COMMERCIAL

Neighborhood-serving retail and service uses at the periphery of neighborhoods (within 1/2 mile, a reasonable walking distance, of homes) enhances the convenience of such uses to residents, particularly if such commercial uses are connected to the neighborhood by local streets, sidewalks, and greenways. While the nonresidential uses benefit from visibility of the collector or arterial roads they face, the “backdoors” improve access and keep local traffic off of the major roads, reducing potential congestion. Consider gradients for creating compatible relationships between residential and nonresidential uses. For example, in close proximity to residential structures, decrease scale and encourage uses that generate fewer vehicular trips. Modify the Land Development Ordinance to establish compatibility standards for commercial development so the transition from commercial development to adjoining residential neighborhood is appropriate (not abrupt). Consider details that reflect residential character, and address: 1) building scale (building height and total floor area per building); 2) building design of rooflines (pitch); 3) building materials; 4) streetscape (enhance pedestrian connections); and 5) automobile, bike and pedestrian connections (supports “internal capture of trips”). The impacts of commercial development should also be mitigated (lighting, noise of truck deliveries and waste management, etc.) Town Planning Department

SET ASIDE MEANINGFUL OPEN SPACE AND MAKE IT AN INTEGRAL, ACCESSIBLE COMPONENT OF DEVELOPMENT

With new development, prioritize the delineation of open space over the delineation of the development envelope. Specifically, encourage conservation design for new neighborhoods, an approach that involves an assessment of the site’s features and the identification of valuable spaces to be set aside, followed by the integration of development components around those set-asides. This approach avoids the creation of open space that is comprised merely of remnant pieces of land after all of the other components of the development program are laid out. Land that is set aside should be meaningful for the context, and may be comprised of several areas that vary in size, accessibility (limited if environmentally sensitive), and purpose (i.e., social gatherings, passive or active recreation, etc.).

BRING OPEN SPACE TO THE FOREFRONT

Give usable open space a public edge. Discourage development that blocks and privatizes the edges of such open space. Instead, encourage development that locates buildings, especially homes, so they face the open space. Though it is publicly accessible, it becomes an extension of the front yard. This arrangement increases community stewardship of the space, which will enhance maintenance efforts. With eyes on the park, it also increases safety due to round-the clock surveillance by the residents of homes that face the space. Encourage new residential neighborhoods to include one or more open space areas that are bound by streets and fronted by homes.

Town Planning Department

Modify the Land Development Ordinance to reward a conservation neighborhood design approach with an increase in allowable density. Also, raise design standards for open space developments. Consider standards that require: 1) open space be delineated at the initial stage of design to set aside the environmentally sensitive areas, interesting features, and other special characteristics; 2) a larger percentage of required open space to be usable and accessible — visually and physically; 3) a greater minimum percentage of the edge of these spaces to be bordered by a public street; and 4) orientation of buildings so such spaces are at the front of the home. Town Planning Department

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BUILT EXAMPLES:

Q: Where is this type of development encouraged on the Future Land Use & Conservation Map?

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A: The following place type categories encourage this type of development: ď&#x201A;ˇ Mixed-Density Residential

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Opportunity to Build a Knowledge Center at NC 540 (Near Wake Tech)

The Wake Tech campus in Fuquay-Varina is an enormous asset for the community, and land immediately to the north offers an easy opportunity to extend education-focused destinations (professional learning, evening classes, practical applications, etc.) into a mixed-use environment. The critical link between the two learning centers is a new â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;complete streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; connection under the proposed NC 540. Iconic buildings and a formal, four-corner gathering area help identify a distinct activity center. Open space throughout the development accommodates small parks, gathering places and plazas; reserves large areas for tree planting; and helps reduce stormwater runoff. Gathering places in the north campus area promote a variety of social events and activities; including study groups, summer concerts, talking, playing, people-watching, or simply enjoying time alone in the company of others. Conceptual ideas illustrated for the focus area and the recommendations that follow are most appropriate for the Employment Village north of Wake Tech on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map.

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CREATE A GATEWAY & SENSE OF PLACE

As a new front door into the Town, this interchange area can be developed in a manner that presents a positive image of the Town and reinforces its identity. The mix of uses, the quality of architecture and open space, and the integration of public art will not only make a statement about the Town as people pass through, but affect the experience of those shopping, dining, working, living and learning in this area. Attention to details, especially scale, will ensure this interchange reads as welcoming point of entry while creating a destination distinguished from the rest of the Town. Development should integrate a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces designed for the enjoyment and safety of the users while emphasizing the education-oriented activities and opportunities of the place. Complete a gateway design study and facilitate the creation of a distinct gateway. Consider scale and design that helps set Fuquay-Varina apart from other regional destinations along NC 540. Development should reinforce the character of the Town. Buildings, landscaping, lighting, and public art can help accomplish this.

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EXTEND THE USE AREA

Enrollment at Wake Tech is strong, and as the region grows, there may be more opportunities to expand the program offerings and increase enrollment. Growing the footprint of the campus at this location may be required to meet the demand for the space. Infill development within the current land holdings is one option. The undeveloped area to the north could lend itself to new development that functions as an extension of the existing campus while accommodating a mix of complementary residential and nonresidential uses.

Town Planning Department Support development proposals that help facilitate the creation of a mixeduse area that includes residential (primarily apartments for students) and nonresidential uses.

Town Planning Department

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FOSTER PUBLIC-PRIVATE (ACADEMIC-BUSINESS) PARTNERSHIPS

This area presents an opportunity to locate businesses in close proximity to Wake Tech. Ideally, businesses that align in some way with one or more of the Wake Tech programs may provide work opportunities for Wake Tech students in the form of internships and part-time and full-time employment. In addition, Wake Tech could build relationships with those businesses, creating opportunities for employees of those businesses to participate in the delivery of curricula as guest lecturers, adjunct professors, and informal advisers. Work with Wake Tech officials to develop targeted economic development strategies to recruit businesses that complement the program offerings. Encourage such businesses to locate in the mixed-use area. Town Economic Development Department

TETHER THE NORTHERN AREA

Once I-540 is constructed, it will create a barrier separating a small portion of the Town’s jurisdiction from the rest of the Fuquay-Varina. Street and greenway trail connections are two ways to ensure this area remains attached to the Town. In addition to maintaining Old McCullers Road, which currently connects Wake Tech to Ten-Ten Road, the Town should facilitate a greenway connection along the existing rail corridor, which could link the northeast and southeast quadrants of the future interchange and also tie into the larger network of trails planned for the Town. Update the Town’s transportation and park and recreation plans to reflect the street and greenway connections between parcels on both sides of the highway. Facilitate the implementation of such improvements.

ENHANCE CAMPUS LIFE

Some students enrolled at Wake Tech are commuting long distances from home and work to attend classes. Housing options within a reasonable walking or biking distance could satisfy some existing and future demand. Functioning as an extension of the existing campus, this area could contain multifamily housing flanked by retail, restaurant, office, and service uses. This type of mixed-use environment could offer an experience similar to campus life at a four-year institution where the lines between living, working, and learning are blurred. Modify the Land Development Ordinance to improve design standards for open space and building orientation. Standards should require usable open space between or at the fronts of buildings to help create a public realm and building arrangement that embodies many of the attributes of four-year college campuses (where housing and nonresidential buildings peacefully coexist). Standards should result in open space that is located, scaled, designed, and appropriately amenitized to create a seamless transition between residential and nonresidential buildings. Town Planning Department

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Built Examples:

Q: Where is this type of development encouraged on the Future Land Use & Conservation Map?

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A: The following place type categories encourage this type of development: ď&#x201A;ˇ Employment Village (North of Wake Tech Campus)

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Driving Success Implementing the Town’s Land Use Plan depends greatly on the ability of property owners, developers, Town staff, elected officials and the general public to work together for a common purpose. The “action plan” presented in this document organizes projects and action items important to keeping Fuquay-Varina a close-knit, vibrant community while informing future Town investments and key decision-making. The intent of the action plan is three-fold; first it provides decision-makers with a playbook for implementation. Second, clearly defined projects and action items identify public or private investment opportunities that are healthy, sustainable, and achievable. Third, regularly measuring achievements against the action plan (i.e., the new “community report card” described on page 124) enables stakeholders the opportunity to track progress and hold elected officials accountable for implementing the Plan. The structure of the action plans does not require all projects or action items be completed in sequence. Instead, it promotes flexibility and partnership opportunities between the Town and other stakeholders for implementing the vision in several phases; consistent with the pace of growth, emerging local or regional initiatives, and available funding. The information that follows summarizes key components of the Town’s action plan.

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Target Setting Targets in the Land Use Plan define a desired, promised, minimum or aspirational level of service for the planning area. They are implemented through specific projects, plans or initiatives recommended in the Land Use Plan Implementation Matrix; each improving conditions consistent with the community’s vision.

Balanced Budget Keep a structurally-balanced budget for the Town each year that does not borrow large sums of money from fund reserves to cover regular and on-going operating expenses.

Economic Development Plan, program and execute new economic development initiatives that bring in at least 100 new jobs per year. Jobs should be in target industries identified in the Town of

Fuquay-Varina Economic Development Strategy, 2015-2025 (advanced manufacturing; medical and biosciences; agriculture technologies; information technologies; energy and green technologies; defense services and technologies; interactive gaming and web design; nanotechnologies and commercialization; and pharmaceuticals) and provide wages to comfortably live in Town.

Jobs-Labor Force Ratio

Parks & Recreation Facilities

Work to increase the jobs to labor force ratio in Fuquay-Varina (total employment / total population in the civilian labor force) to 1.00 as population continues to growth through 2035.

Keep a consistent ratio between the number of park and recreation facility acres and population inside Town limits as it continues to grow. The current ratio is 12.54 acres per 1,000 residents (300 acres / 23,907 residents = 12.54 acres per 1,000 residents). This means up to 358 new acres will be required to keep pace with population growth forecasted through 2035 through continued investment in park facilities.

Police Protection Keep a consistent ratio between the number of sworn officers and population inside Town limits as it continues to grow. The current ratio is 1.67 sworn officers per 1,000 residents (40 sworn officers / 23,907 residents = 1.67 sworn officers per 1,000 residents). This means up to 47 new officers will be required to keep pace with population growth forecasted through 2035. Crime rates should be monitored if staffing ratios change to ensure safety has not been compromised. Additional considerations should be given to other factors affecting sworn officers in the workplace.

Fire Protection Allocate resources to the fire department to maintain a town-wide ISO Class 4 fire protection rating. Improvements should focus on fire department readiness (stations and equipment), water supply and communications. (Note: An Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating is a score between 1 and 10 that rates a municipality’s ability to handle fire emergencies. A lower score indicates better fire protection abilities and generally translates to lower property insurance rates for residents and businesses.)

Projects, Plans, Policies, & Initiatives New or amended projects, plans, policies or initiatives are recommended throughout the Land Use Plan to fulfill the community’s vision for growth and conservation. A brief summary of these items follows. Additional information for each item ― budget estimate, funding options, timeframe and responsible party ― is provided in the plan implementation matrix available from the Town’s Planning Department.

Capital Projects Capital projects identified for the Town address existing deficiencies or anticipated future year needs. Implementation of the recommended projects provides additional capacity to serve the magnitude and timing of development depicted on the Future Land Use and Conservation Map. Some of the projects listed in the plan implementation matrix require coordination with responsible State, regional or County agencies.

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Town Plans & Policies Town officials will need to implement some recommendations in the document with revisions to the Land Development Ordinance and/or supporting rules and policies. Additional plans and studies for specific areas or themes are listed in the plan implementation matrix.

Town Initiatives New initiatives in the plan implementation matrix led by the Town will address a wide range of topics important to promoting economic development and improving residents’ quality of life.

Specific Plans & Initiatives Some plans or initiatives recommended in the plan implementation matrix require additional resources to complete (e.g., bus rapid transit service or completion of NC 540). Town officials should coordinate with State, regional or local government agencies to request funds and schedule special studies consistent with the timeframes presented in the matrix.

Plan Implementation Matrix A plan implementation matrix helps stakeholders implement recommendations in the Land Use Plan. Each project, policy or initiative identified in the document is also listed in the matrix. A brief description, budget estimate, funding options, timeframe and responsible party provided for each item will help guide Town officials with implementation activities.

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Many items in the matrix are underway, while others should be started with adoption of the Land Use Plan. Near-term and long-term items address new challenges anticipated for the area. A copy of the plan implementation matrix is available from the Town’s Planning Department.

Resource Allocation Town officials should budget for outcomes with adoption of the Land Use Plan. This includes funding specific projects, plans and initiatives consistent within the timeframes presented in the implementation matrix. Together, these expenditures move forward the stated vision and principles for keeping Fuquay-Varina a close-knit, vibrant community.

Capital Improvements Plan The Town’s Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) guides future funding, schedule and construction of capital improvements so that necessary infrastructure is in place consistent with demand. It distributes expensive projects over time, helping decision-makers coordinate improvements for greater efficiency and assess short-term financing requirements in the context of long-term fiscal needs and constraints. A wellcoordinated and regularly-updated CIP document protects the community from abrupt tax increases. Projects in the capital improvements plan should focus on short-term and long-term

investments identified in the Land Use Plan. Other projects recommended from year-toyear should ‘buy results that citizens’ value (measured by fulfillment of the vision and guiding principles) before being included in the CIP document.

be made in the months following the presentation.

Annual Budget Spending for the coming year is authorized by the Town’s Board of Commissioners in an adopted annual budget. It authorizes spending, assures the budget is balanced, and levies property tax for the budget year. The first year of the capital improvements plan (which implements specific projects from the Land Use Plan) should become the annual capital budget submitted concurrent with the operating budget for consideration by the Board of Commissioners. The Town should also implement a five year budget strategy to allow for a more comprehensive approach to planning for future expenditures.

Community Report Card A community report card will monitor and evaluate progress for implementing recommendations in the Land Use Plan. It should give a full and honest assessment of conditions in the planning area; and be used specifically to monitor performance, measure achievement, and reflect change generated by the plan. Formal presentation of the document should be made to the Town’s Board of Commissioners at the first meeting of each year. Adjustments to the plan’s implementation program, if necessary, should

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