How You Can Get Involved
Virtual Public Meeting and PublicInput.com Survey Results
Thank you for joining us for the 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 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.
Next Steps
- Using the collected information, we will be conducting a visioning and recommendation session with staff, the Steering Committee and Council
- A draft plan will be developed and discussed by the Steering Committee prior to being made available to the public for comment in Fall/Winter 2020
- There will be another public meeting
before a final draft is shared. All future meeting information will be shared on this webpage as well as the Parks & Recreation Department's social media pages.
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