Wake planning for future of Holly Springs landfill

"There's a lot of other land opportunities and land development opportunities that we see we might be able to take advantage of prior to the actual closing of the landfill," project manager Eric Staehle said.

The landfill site covers hundreds of acres, and Staehle said the county wants to create a plan for the entire area, including portions not used for trash disposal.

"We need to protect our environment out there, but we’re trying to look at opportunities so that we can use this other land," he said.

The county turned its former landfill off Durant Road in north Raleigh into a park.

County officials held a meeting Thursday night in Holly Springs and plans to hold more meetings this fall and next year to come up with a range of ideas that can be woven into an overall plan for the site.

"I think any decision we make we'll be weighing the economic potential, what makes the most sense to Wake County and for the use of the landfill," Staehle said.

During the meetings, the county is showing the community what other areas have done with their landfills, such as an eco-complex in Catawba County, where waste from the landfill is turned to energy and a revenue stream.

Staehle said Wake County is already converting some of the methane gas from the South Wake Landill into energy.

"Perhaps we could use some of the facilities or this land for solar opportunities," he said. "I think we’ll be looking at a whole variety of things."