Play 8 – Playbook for Morrisville
PLAY NUMBER EIGHT: Getting Folks who work at Apple to Live in Morrisville!.
My Message on Work and Live in Morrisville
My Thoughts on Getting Folks who work at Apple to Live in Morrisville
Over the last few years, we have heard from many citizens frustrated at the pressure that development and growth has placed on both the Transportation and School Infrastructure of Morrisville. I am sure that many residents in Cary and Apex feel the same way.
I do think that our Playbook should also look at the recent announcement of Apple with 3,000 jobs as an economic opportunity for the Town. As the Research Triangle continues to be a destination for innovative Technology and Life Sciences companies, Morrisville has a great opportunity to be the place where these Tech employees not only work, but live, and play. For example, the recent 0 Slater Road rezoning, will provide workforce housing to the hundreds of employees who work at the growing list of companies calling the Triangle Home, most recently Apple and Invitae. This is not to mention the workers at IBM, Cisco, Channel Advisor, Syneos Health, Fuji Film Diosynth, Lenovo and the over 10 public companies who call Morrisville home.
The more folks who work and live in Morrisville will grow our tax base, and help our retail and restaurant establishments, which will be needed more than ever in a Post Covid Economy.
How do we meet the demands placed on Transportation and School Infrastructure?
Innovative Partnerships with Developers
First, when given the chance, Smart Development, which places conditions on companies and developers to invest in infrastructure is a critical component of how we manage and keep up with the pressures on our infrastructure. With 0 Slater Road, we were able to partner with the applicant to receive over $1 million of transportation improvements, and added $500,000 to our Parks Payment in Lieu, along with 15 Affordable Housing Units. Austin Mayor Steve Adler has warned that Mayors in our region should be looking at Approving more affordable housing as Apple executes their expansion plans in our State. More affordable, workforce housing will be critical to our Strategy.
When it is said and done, we are bringing in 2.5 cents worth of tax increase revenue to the Town though creative, innovative development while at the same time, providing more places for those who work in Morrisville to live here!
Innovative Infrastructure Partnerships in Economic Development Strategy
The recent Apple announcement does also demonstrates that North Carolina can be innovative when it comes to getting the companies we recruit to the region to invest in our transportation and school infrastructure.
As part of that agreement, at least $112 million would be contributed to infrastructure spending, such as broadband, roads, bridges and schools. Commuter rail, Bus Rapid Transit and other transit solutions will also need to be accelerated as we add thousands of workers and cars to our roads and highways. Discussions are already taking place in our region to accelerate the Commuter Rail from Durham to Garner.
In addition, Apple also said it will create a $100 million fund to go toward school and community initiatives both in the Triangle region and throughout the state.
Moving forward, we need to see more Infrastructure investments from companies looking to expand in North Carolina The Town of Morrisville and many of the cities in Triangle Region need to receive our share of this funding if we are to continue to provide the high quality of life expected by the citizens we serve.