Draft Plan  To view high-resolution document click here (link) To view low-resolution document click here (link) Please give us feedback on the plan ahead of the March adoption by taking our online survey at publicinput.com/ParksPlanDraft

Draft Greenways Map (Click image to enlarge) Draft Park Search Areas Map (Click image to enlarge)

July 2020 Virtual Public Meeting and PublicInput.com Survey Results

Thank you for joining us for the First Virtual Public Meeting, we are eager to take the feedback from all 105 (!) of you who attended live and the many who couldn’t attend but plan to participate in the survey shown below, and draft a document to represent the wants and needs of the Holly Springs community.

Click here to view the results of our First PublicInput.com survey.

Frequently Asked Questions  

Q: I’m concerned with the number of Greenways that could be built near existing homes and private property, why not stay on Town owned property?

A: One of the primary purposes of greenway trails is to provide a recreational opportunity for residents close to where they live.  In order to make that happen, sometimes the trail needs to stub into the neighborhood near existing homes.  Residents in close proximity to proposed greenway trails will be notified early on in the process about the proposal and the Town will be happy to work with the homeowner or HOA to try to find a path that lessens the direct impact on those homeowners. 

Q: Won’t a greenway near my house lower my property value and increase the possibility of vandalism orcrime on my property or in my neighborhood?

A: Studies across the United States have shown that the addition of greenways in close proximity to existing homes and neighborhoods will not lower property values or increase crime. On the contrary, a common result of new greenway construction is an increase in the quality of life within adjacent neighborhoods.  Please see the links below:

- Effects of trails on neighborhoods, home value, safety and quality of life

- The Value of Greenways

Q: Does the Town consider the environmental impact of the development of new Greenways?  It seems like you would have to remove a lot of trees to build a Greenway, doesn’t that defeat the point of building Greenways in nature? 

A: The Town and the consultants hired to assist in the design of new Greenways have to consider a wide array of factors when determining the appropriate route for the Greenway, including location of environmental features such as wetlands, floodplain, and large stands of trees.  Inevitably some trees will be removed as a result of a new Greenway being built, but the design is being conducted with the goal of minimizing impact on the environment within, and downstream from, our project sites.

Q: What is the anticipated completion date for the park on the newly purchase land at the intersection of Cass Holt Rd and Avent Ferry Rd?

A: The plan is to hire a consultant to perform a multi-phase plan for the property that will allow us to use recommendations from this Parks, Recreation and Greenways Master Plan to develop a park that meets the needs of residents on the west side of town.  Since we are still in the middle of updating the Town-wide Master Plan, designs for the new park land will likely begin in 2021. We plan on using a multi-phase approach so we can add in some low-impact recreational opportunities and amenities on site early on, while working towards building larger amenities for residents to enjoy in later phases of the project.

Q: When will the Town be adding an Indoor/Outdoor aquatics facility and Basketball courts?

A: As part of the process of updating the Parks, Recreation and Greenways Master Plan, the Town and its consultants have completed an inventory of Town parks facilities.  That information will be used to compare the Town of Holly Springs to several other similar Towns in North Carolina and Nationwide to assess where we fall short or exceed in comparison.  Using that information as well as your input in our public meetings and online surveys, we can establish priorities for funding of new facilities and programs, like an Aquatics Center or additional Basketball Courts.  

Next Steps/Progress Report

Where We've Been

• McAdams consulting firm led Parks & Recreation Staff, Mayor and Council, and Master Plan Steering Committee in an "asset-mapping" exercise to determine department assets. 
• 105 residents attended a virtual public meeting on July 9.  
• Public Input survey following virtual public meeting was active online for 2 weeks and had 120 participants.  You can see the results of that survey here
• Town-wide statistically valid survey completed with 351 respondents.
• Staff hosted three focus group meetings highlighting the needs of youth, seniors, and residents with special needs.
• Staff has conducted bench-marking research with other parks and recreation departments across the county to compare facilities, amenities, trail mileage, and programs.
• Using the collected information, we conducted several visioning sessions with staff, the Steering Committee and Council.
• We've also been working on our new Greenways plan, which will show where future Greenways and Sidepaths (wide sidewalks or "street side trails") should be built around Town.  The current draft map has been reviewed by Town Staff in Parks and Recreation and Development Services, as well as by our Steering Committee and Town Council.
• After the visioning meetings, our consultant prepared the draft recommendations ahead of our second Virtual Public meeting.
• The draft plan, recommendations and draft Greenway plan presented for discussion with Town Staff and Steering Committee on December 11 and 12.  
• Presentation of Findings, draft Greenway and Park Search Area Maps and Recommendations to the Planning Board on January 26

Next Steps

• Receive Public Comment on draft
• Presentation of full draft Master Plan to Town Council at Town Council Workshop on February 9.