Town of Holly Springs

Board of Commissioners Special Meeting

Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2002

MINUTES


            The Holly Springs Town Board of Commissioners met in a duly-called Special Meeting held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2002 in Room No. 8 of the W.E. Hunt Community Center, located at 301 Stinson Avenue.  The purpose of the Special Meeting was to hold a workshop on the Town’s future transportation capital improvement projects.  Mayor Dick Sears presided, calling the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.

            A quorum was not present as the workshop meeting with staff opened.  Present were Mayor Sears and Commissioners Chet VanFossen and Steve Tedder.

            A quorum was established on the arrival of Commissioner Hank Dickson soon after the workshop presentations began.  Commissioner Peter Atwell also arrived later, shortly after 6 p.m.

            Board Members Present: Mayor Sears and Commissioners Steve Tedder and Chet VanFossen.  Commissioners Dickson and  Atwell arrived after the meeting opened.

            Board Members Absent: Commissioner John Schifano

            Staff Members Present: Carl G. Dean, town manager; Chuck Simmons, assistant town manager; Joni Powell, town clerk (recording the minutes); Stephanie Sudano, director of engineering; Kendra Thompson, town engineer; Scott Evenson of the engineering department; Gina Bobber, director of planning and zoning; Drew Holland, finance director; Cecil Parker, chief of public safety; Len Bradley, director of parks and recreation; and Jennifer Carr, director of economic development.

            Mrs. Sudano gave a brief staff presentation of the roadway and sidewalk improvements that have been identified as needs of the Town.  The projects, including their estimated costs, were presented as 0- to 2-year projects; 2- to 5-year; 5- to 10-year; and 10+ years.  The Board was asked to evaluate the recommendations and make adjustments as desired.  Following the prioritization of the list, funding options were discussed.

            After some discussion, it was agreed that a priority list summarized by Commissioner Tedder that condensed the list down into only three timeframes (0 to 2 years; 2-5 years; and 5-10) would be pursued.

            Other points of discussion included whether or not it would be better to hire a staff member to provide road project planning rather than paying consultant fees.  Mrs. Sudano had advised that a consultant would likely be needed to work on the US 1 interchange project, and Commissioner Tedder suggested that a staff person be hired to work on that as well as other long-range transportation projects for the Town.

            The Board discussed whether there is a need for a connection from Grigsby Avenue to Hwy. 55 as proposed.

            Paving of streets in the Fair Share area drew some discussion.  Some board members felt the paving of these streets should be low priority to be considered only after most or all other 2- to 5-year road projects are completed.  Staff maintains that the streets should be placed in the paving que along with all other town street paving needs and that improvement of these sub-standard unpaved private streets will create safer traffic movement and accessibility for fire and police protection.

            Mrs. Sudano also noted that the Town should identify the locations in which it wishes to have roundabouts (traffic circles) now so that adequate right-of-way can be obtained as properties develop.

            Commissioner Tedder said he evaluated the projects with the following thoughts of priority: population locations, traffic, future development directions, enhancement of the business park, the bypass and roads in town not paved and then sidewalks and pedestrian traffic.  He said he also took into account funding participation from the private sector.  Based on these criteria, the following is how he -- with the Board’s agreement -- grouped the projects (in no particular order within a time frame):

 

Holly Springs Road Projects:  Zero to Two Years

Project Description

Estimated Cost

Funding Possibilities

 

Holly Springs Road/Sunset Lake Road Intersection Improvements

 

 

$4,500,000

General Fund/Street Reserves/ Developer Funds (30%) / NCDOT Participating Funds

 

Holly Springs Road / NC 55 Intersection Improvements

 

 

$1,100,000

General Fund/Street Reserves/ Developer Funds (40%) / NCDOT Participating Funds

Traffic signal at Bass Lake Road and Holly Springs Road

 

$125,000

General Fund/Street Reserves/ Developer Funds (25%)

Bible Way extension

$150,000

Developer Funded

Stinson Avenue extension to Bass Lake Road

 

$350,000

 

Installment Purchase/Powell Bill

Stinson Avenue stream crossing

$150,000

Grants / Powell Bill

Optimist Farm Road improvements

$1,750,000

Developers

Planning for US1 interchange

Unknown

To be determined

Avent Ferry Road extension to Earp Street

 

$220,000

 

Installment Purchase / Powell Bill

Avent Ferry Road conversion to one-way and cobblestone

 

$150,000

 

Installment Purchase / Powell Bill

Avent Ferry Road sidewalk

$120,000

Installment Purchase / Powell Bill

Ballentine Street improvements

$55,000

Installment Purchase / Powell Bill

 

NC 55 (Main Street) sidewalk

 

$100,000

Grants / Installment Purchase / Powell Bill

Estes Lane paving and improvements

$675,000

Installment Purchase / Powell Bill

 

 

Irving Parkway improvements

 

 

$600,000

Developer Funds / Grants / Assessments / Bond Referendum / Powell Bill

Consulting services / Thoroughfare update

 

$200,000

Professional Services / New Staff Member Salary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holly Springs Road Projects: Two to Five Years

Project Description

Estimated Cost

Funding Possibilities

Avent Ferry Road realignment to Oak Street

 

$300,000

Bond Referendum / DOT Contract / Grants

Avent Ferry Road improvements

 

$450,000

Bond Referendum / DOT Contract

 

Widen New Hill Road

 

$3,000,000

Bond Referendum / DOT Contract

 

Ballentine Street improvements

 

$450,000

Assessments / Powell Bill / Bond Referendum

NC 55 (Main Street) enhancements

$250,000

Powell Bill / Grants

Holly Springs Road widening from NC 55 to Linksland Drive

 

$4,350,000

Bond Referendum / DOT Contract

Holly Springs Road widening from Linksland Drive to Sunset Lake Road

 

$5,000,000

Bond Referendum / DOT Contract

Raleigh Street Closure (south end) and Realignment

 

$250,000

 

Powell Bill / DOT Funds

Grigsby Avenue to NC 55

$400,000

Bond Referendum / DOT Funds

 

Roundabouts

$225,000 to

$750,000

 

To be determined

Sunset Acres (Fair Share) street improvements

 

$4,000,000

Assessments / Powell Bill / DOT Funds

 

 

Holly Springs Road Projects: Five to Ten Years

Project Description

Estimated Cost

Funding Possibilities

Avent Ferry Road improvements to Holly Glen

 

$7,000,000

 

To be determined

 

Middle Creek bridge crossings (3)

$1,250,000 per

crossing

 

To be determined

Bass Lake sidewalk project

$1,900,000

Grants / Powell Bill

Estes connection to Bass Lake Road

$600,000

To be determined

Ballentine Street extension to

New Hill Road

 

$5,000,000

 

To be determined

US 1 interchange construction

unknown

To be determined

 

New Hill Road widening west from Bypass

$7,500,000

To be determined

Holly Springs Road / Kildaire Farm Road interchange

$3,000,000

To be determined

 

 

 

 

 

            The following funding suggestions were discussed:

            a.  Using Powell Bill funds for some projects that qualify

            b.  Using grant funds whenever possible.

            c.  Using street bond issue funds

            d.  Using funds provided by developers and NCDOT

            e.  Using street assessments

            f.  Using combinations of funding, whenever appropriate.

 

            It was determined that the Town should try to accomplish as many roadway improvement and sidewalk projects as it can in the next two years.  Staff will investigate the funding and logistics of the projects and report back to the Board with viable options for its consideration.

 

There being no further business,  the Special Meeting was adjourned.

 

Respectfully Submitted on Oct. 1, 2002,

 

 

 

 

__________________________________

Joni Powell, CMC

Town Clerk