Residents who lived in Fuquay-Varina years ago may have a hard time recognizing the town today.
The number of new housing developments popping up in Fuquay-Varina has reached a record-high.
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"It's been pretty explosive" said Adam Mitchell, Fuquay-Varina's town manager.
New home building permits for the first 5 months of the year are almost as high as the number of permits filed in 2020. Those permit numbers are on track to nearly quadruple the total number of permits filed in 2017.
Nearly 800 new homes are under construction at Carolina Gardens along Purfoy Road in Fuquay.
"Our housing market has been booming and that’s what’s been fueling the growth and the change in Fuquay-Varina," Mitchell said.
Kyley Schmidt, a Fuquay resident, said she moved to the town 7 years ago.
"We just kind of liked the rural feel of the town," she said.
But now, the town's growth is about to reach her backyard, with hundreds of homes and townhomes planned for land on the other side of her fence.
"We’re seeing so many farms and so many open spaces be developed recently and rapidly," Schmidt said.
Schmidt and her neighbors successfully petitioned town commissioners for some concessions with the development plans.
Mitchell said that the town is committed to managing growth, without giving up Fuquay-Varina's quality of life.
"People want to be here just for the same reason people have moved here over the last 5 to 10 years, more people are going to be focused on Fuquay-Varina in the future," Mitchell said.
Commissioners just approved a budget that adds 22 positions, including more building inspectors, police and fire personnel.
The town is doing that without raising taxes, but the town manager said that's not out of the question in the next few years.