densities and less private open space in a residential neighborhood or mixed-use living environment. Preserving floodplains in the planning area for open space provides a great opportunity to quickly and effectively connect different rural, suburban, and urban open space features into one complete and connected network. Thoughts and ideas for an open space initiative in the Land Use Plan should be coordinated with similar ideas and recommendations in the Town of Fuquay-Varina 2020 Comprehensive Systemwide Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Master Plan. Town officials should also consider new rules, standards, and definitions in the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) that incorporate open space as a meaningful component of new development. New definitions for qualifying certain amenities as open space in more urban settings may be needed in the LDO to support important (re)development efforts in Downtown and the various activity centers identified on the FLUM. In limited cases, Town officials may also want to consider open space elements not at ground level — rooftop parks, gardens, or athletic spaces — to meet the needs of residents living in more urban areas of the community. The illustration to the right depicts one example for creating a comprehensive, connected, and continuous open space network using coordinated decisions on individual development applications. One common green is designed to be the focal point of a mixed-use activity center A , while a second common green is less formal and functions like a park serving the needs of a nearby townhouse community B . Both spaces can be seen from one another, and are physically connected by sidewalks and a prominent intersection in the development C . A spur to the regional greenway system connects residents, workers, and visitors to the larger open space network D . Open space elements are also included in the median of the major road adjacent to the development to instill a parkway feel for the corridor E . Large tree stands preserved during the development review process provides another form of open space in the community F . Small investments like rooftop gardens or green roofs on specific buildings also add to the open space initiative for the community G , and provide another open space element for residents living in a more dense neighborhood.
Comprehensive, Connected & Continuous Open Space Open space includes the parks, plazas, squares, greenways, floodplains, forests, natural areas, and other amenities existing now or planned in the future. Together, they form a general open space framework that helps Town officials and their partners prioritize land acquisitions, organize infrastructure projects, and coordinate land or facility dedications from future development applications. Individual decisions about open space in Fuquay-Varina should consider the context and needs of a larger open space framework, which is aimed at maximizing a comprehensive, connected, and continuous open space network that is easily recognizable and accessible to Town residents. A coordinated open space network for the planning area may help manage stormwater runoff, support new parks and recreation centers that provide residents greater access to active or passive uses, and provide interesting gathering places for residents, employees, and visitors in different parts of the community. The size, location, and design of open space in the planning area should be sensitive to their surroundings. It should also support a resource hierarchy — town-wide parks serving residents of Fuquay-Varina and nearby towns, community parks serving large areas of the community, neighborhood parks serving nearby residents, and public spaces in different activity centers designed as plazas, cafes, or attractive streets for walking. In more rural areas, open space should be preserved using large natural parks or conservation development patterns, which concentrate homes in a specific area of the neighborhood with large amounts of land — sometimes over 50% of the total land area — preserved as permanent open space. Development and redevelopment in more suburban and urban areas should include a broad range of open space elements that are recommended in the different Character Area categories. Suburban areas may emphasize parks, greenways, sports fields, or natural open space. Urban areas many emphasize plazas, squares, pocket parks, greenways, and active sidewalks with outdoor dining or pedestrian amenities. Emphasis on open space in more urban areas should be accepted as a viable trade-off for living with higher
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Fuquay-Varina Land Use Plan
Chapter 5: Town-Wide Initiatives
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