Fuquay-Varina ignites annexation squabble with Holly Springs

Holly Springs, N.C. — About 500 homes and 1,000 people who occupy an area between Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina may wind up as Fuquay residents soon because that town wants to beat Holly Springs to the punch in annexing the land.

Holly Springs says it has no annexation plans, however.

Fuquay-Varina leaders want the land. Holly Springs leaders say they are not interested. The people who live there say they are caught in the middle anyway.

“We're really quite upset. The story just keeps getting longer and longer,” resident Kenneth Williams said.

Last month, the Fuquay-Varina town board passed a resolution announcing plans to annex more than 1,000 acres. The reason behind the move: the town of Holly Springs may want to do the same.

“Just get the two waring factions, the two neighboring towns, to stop taking advantage of us, talk to each other and let the citizens have their day,” Williams said.

Fuquay-Varina Town Manager Andy Hedrick said he knows, forced annexation is never popular. In this case; however, he said Holly Springs made the first move.

“They have made land-use plans on our side of the line,” he added.

Nine years ago, the towns made an agreement outlining exactly where they can expand into unincorporated Wake County. Hedrick says, however, that a Holly Springs map of future land uses shows possible town limits crossing into what was supposed to be Fuquay-Varnia's area.

“If this area is gonna be a part of Fuquay-Varnia's future growth area, then we're gonna have to take actions now while we have this agreement in place, in order to assure that,” Hedrick said.

“We have nothing to do with this,” Holly Springs Mayor Dick Sears said.

Sears said the town has no immediate plans to annex the area. Just because it's on a map, he said, doesn't mean the town is after it.

“I haven't talked to anybody. Carl Dean, our town manager, hasn't talked to anybody. None of our councilmen, to my knowledge, have talked to anybody. So it is really kind of a surprise,” Sears said.

Fuquay-Varina leaders have scheduled information sessions for May 13 and 15 to discuss the annexation plan with residents.