6/23/05

Plan Holly Springs' Downtown Future
Residents Invited to Complete Online Survey

Work on developing a plan to guide downtown development in Holly Springs began with a public meeting held Wednesday, June 22. At the meeting, more than 50 residents gathered and gave town staff and consultants their ideas for the future look and substance of downtown Holly Springs. But, opportunities for residents to weigh in on their ideas for downtown are not over by a long shot. Residents unable to attend the meeting can go to the Town website at www.hollyspringsnc.us/downtown.htm to share ideas with town staff or get information about attending an upcoming meeting as the plan continues to develop.

At the first meeting to develop the Village District Area Plan for downtown, residents were asked to fill out a four-question survey on their ideas for the future of downtown. Then, residents were given stickers and asked to look at four different posters showing different photos of downtown developments across the nation and to place stickers on their favorites. Residents unable to attend the meeting can fill out the same survey and select favorites from the same images online.

The Town also will hold future public workshops to develop the downtown plan on July 27 and 28. At these workshops, residents' ideas will be put to paper and the plan will take a firmer shape.

“While residents are welcome to attend other public workshops in late July, the online survey is definitely the best option for sharing ideas for future development with staff before designers start drawing out the plan,” said Gina Bobber, director of Planning & Zoning, the department spearheading the project. “The ideas we get now from the online survey, in addition to the ideas we got at the public meeting in June, will be the ones designers put to paper immediately.”

Bobber said that she was pleased with the input from citizens at the meeting in June. Ideas for downtown development that residents offered included everything from a NC Division of Motor Vehicles office to a hardware store to a unique café or bakery. Other residents talked about having pedestrian and bicycle access downtown with open areas, fountains and trees lining the streets.

To fill out the online survey and get your ideas to Town staff, visit the Town website at www.hollyspringsnc.us/downtown.htm. Or, for more information, contact the Department of Planning & Zoning at (919) 557-3908.

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