A groundbreaking affordable housing complex for seniors was unanimously approved by the Morrisville Town Council on Tuesday, despite strong resistance from some residents living near the site at 10212 Chapel Hill Road.
“This is a development that is needed in our community,” said town council member Liz Johnson at the Tuesday meeting. “I am looking forward to welcoming the Fairview Spring retirement community and their residents to the town of Morrisville.”
Fairview Spring will be the first project in Morrisville to use the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), a federal incentive program for financing affordable rental housing. According to a 2019 report created for the town’s affordable housing plan, Morrisville has a deficit of rental housing affordable for people with low incomes.
A dozen or so people spoke against the project at a public hearing on April 28, voiced concerns about new development in their neighborhood: increased traffic, conflicts with the area’s character, and insufficient parking spaces. Another 18 wrote in with comments opposing the rezoning, expressing similar concerns.
Many worried about the safety of drivers and pedestrians at the intersection of Sunset Avenue and NC 54, which doesn’t currently have a dedicated left-turn lane for people driving into the development.
People who spoke in support of the rezoning said the project checks all the boxes for the Morrisville Affordable Housing Incentive Policy developed in 2023.
While council members were sympathetic to those concerns of those against the rezoning, several echoed Johnson’s sentiment, saying affordable housing for seniors is a critical need in the community and that the project will help an underserved population.
Unlike other LIHTC projects in the area, including Cary and Apex, Morrisville is not committing any local funds to the development. In 2025-2026, Cary contributed $550,000 to support LIHTC projects, and Apex contributed even more, $1.47 million.
Instead, Wake County is picking up the slack with gap funding. It is the only project in 2025-2026 in Wake County to receive no municipal funding, according to Morrisville Planner Josh Michael.
“Morrisville can secure a deeply affordable, high-quality senior housing community without committing town funds,” Michael said at the Tuesday meeting.
According to the developer, the project will have 60 one- and two-bedroom apartments dedicated to seniors who earn 60% the Area Median Income (AMI) or less. In Morrisville, that means seniors who earn at or less than around $55,000 per year.
Rents will vary based on income level, but are estimated to range from about $500-$1,100 per month. The development will remain affordable for at least 50 years.
The project also qualifies for Morrisville’s local incentive policy for affordable housing, which can allow developers to build with more density, more height, and less parking.
Although the developer initially proposed a plan with a 68-space parking lot, less than the standard requirement, they made concessions this week in response to resident concerns. The parking lot will now meet the town’s usual standards at 75 spaces.
The developer also agreed to allow the town to install a Smart Shuttle stop in the future, which council members seemed to support on Tuesday.
Those conditions, along with the road improvements the developer plans to make to NC 54, Sunset Avenue, and Fairview Avenue (including widening lanes and adding sidewalks), satisfied town council members for a vote. Mayor Pro Tem Anne Robotti said the plan included “appropriate traffic mitigation.”
Council member Vicki Scroggins-Johnson, however, said she will continue to consider residents’ concerns as the town updates its Comprehensive Transportation Plan. Council member Liz Johnson also suggested advocating for more road improvements in that area by the NC Department of Transportation, since NC 54 is outside the town’s purview.
“No one development, no one project can solve the congestion issues or the transportation issues that we have in this town,” said Liz Johnson. “Every development and every project has to do their share. And you are doing your share.”
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