Town of Holly Springs issued the following announcement on Feb. 25.
Construction on the 2.9-mile Arbor Creek / Middle Creek Greenway is set to start this summer, providing a regional link with greenways in Apex while growing the Holly Springs network by 20 percent.
The greenway project will extend from Sunset Lake Road near Arbor Creek south and eastward to Sunset Fairways, near where Holly Springs Road crosses Middle Creek. Completion is expected in fall 2023.
At its Feb. 15 meeting, the Town Council approved a total of nearly $6.5 million to fully fund design, easement acquisition, construction, and contingencies. The Council awarded a $4,987,525 construction contract to Fred Smith Company. Bids from other companies were as high as $7.6 million.
Park Planner Matt Beard told the Council that public support for greenways is strong “pretty much anytime we ask the community what they really want to see.”
“The No. 1 response is always. ‘We need greenways. We need these connections,’” he said.
The Arbor Creek / Middle Creek Greenway will connect five neighborhoods and two major roadways in town while providing greenway linkage between the downtowns of Holly Springs and Apex.
In other business at the Feb. 15 meeting, the Council held a public hearing on a revised rezoning application for the Norris Crossing development on Avent Ferry Road. This was the second public hearing for Norris Crossing, which originally had been presented to the Council in March 2021.
At last year’s hearing, nearby residents and the Council shared concerns that Norris Crossing would exceed the density of surrounding neighborhoods and did not adequately address traffic issues on Avent Ferry Road. Preserving the existing pond also was a priority.
Key changes of the revised rezoning application presented Feb. 15 included:
- Changing the requested zoning from R-8 to R-10, thereby reducing the number of lots.
- Increasing the applicant’s contribution to nearly $500,000 to fully fund a much-needed traffic signal at Holly Meadow Drive.
- Replacing the pond with a significant public space that residents of Norris Crossing and surrounding neighborhoods could enjoy. The applicant was unable to preserve the pond because of the condition of the dam.
Also Feb. 15, Council members approved a special use permit for a new brewery and taproom next to Mama Mia! restaurant in the Block on Main at 300 S. Main St. The owners of Local Time Brewing are Chris and Kelly Gallagher of Holly Springs.
The brewery will occupy space that had been approved for a craft distillery. The distillery owner chose not to move forward.
Other business at the Feb. 15 Council meeting included:
- Proclaiming February as Black History Month in Holly Springs.
- Recognizing the Town’s 34-employee Snow Response Team for its work in January during multiple occasions of inclement weather.
- Approving the Council’s 2022 Legislative Agenda of policy and legislative priorities at the county, state, and federal levels.
- Receiving an update on changes to the Town’s zoning map. Town staff have been communicating with the public about those changes over the past few weeks. A public hearing on the revised zoning map will take place at the Council’s March 1 meeting.
Source: Town of Holly Springs
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