6/20/05

Holly Springs Co-Sponsors Workshop on New Development Approach

The Town of Holly Springs is co-sponsoring a free workshop on Friday, June 24, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. for local developers, builders, engineers and landscape architects to learn more about low impact development – a new approach to designing neighborhoods that offers higher environmental standards, denser development, and lower development and maintenance costs for installing stormwater management infrastructure. These cuts in costs affect both the developer and the town that maintains the infrastructure. The approach also allows developers to more easily meet new stormwater management standards set by state and federal environmental agencies.

Features of low impact development include clustering residential development, leaving more open space, and using ditches instead of impervious surfaces such as curbs and gutters.

“It's important for the Town to be involved in sponsoring this event because as environmental rules get more restrictive when it comes to the amount of impervious surfaces allowed, this new strategy gives developers some better options not only to meeting these environmental requirements but also to providing more open space and other features that future residents will enjoy,” said Heather Keefer, environmental specialist with the Town Engineering Department. “I see low impact development as a flexible smart-development strategy.”

Other workshop co-sponsors include the towns of Apex, Cary and Morrisville. The workshop is to be held in the ballroom of Cary 's Senior Center located at Bond Park on High House Road. Because of limited space, advance registration is required; call Keefer at (919) 557-2909 for additional information.

Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us