Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs and Wendell voters to consider tax increase for parks and rec upgrades

A combined $200 million worth of parks and recreation bonds are on the ballot next month. It would pay for new parks, greenways and community centers.

Voters in Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs and Wendell will decide whether the upgrades are worth paying a higher tax rate.

Voters in all three towns will vote on the bonds on Nov. 7.

Proposed park upgrades in Fuquay-Varina

For example, funding is on the ballot to transform the 170-acre Hilltop Needmore Park and Preserve in Fuquay-Varina, a former golf course, into a park with new ballfields and pickleball courts.

“Bonds are the most efficient, cheapest way we can borrow money as a town to pay for projects to happen,” said Fuquay-Varina Mayor Blake Massengill.

A $60 million bond would pay for those upgrades and renovations to the community center..

A new 70-acre park, indoor sports complex and greenway are also part of the bond. It would increase the tax rate by 8 cents. It adds up to about $224 more a year for the average homeowner.

“Within 5 years, all of these types of projects can be under construction and our citizens can be enjoying them,” Massengill said.

Proposed park upgrades in Holly Springs

“Our youth sports leagues are really maxing out in terms of the number of teams we can put in because we don’t have the facilities to be able to manage,” said Holly Springs Parks and Recreation Director LeeAnn Plumer.

Holly Springs’ population has doubled since the last parks bond in 2011. U.S. Census Bureau data shows Holly Springs has about 45,945 residents as of July 1, 2022.

In April 2010, Holly Springs had 24,661 residents.

“Families that have been attracted here are now bringing their parents down, and our senior population is growing,” Plumer said. “We want to make sure we can provide those services, whether they be social activities or physical activities, to everybody in the community.”

In Holly Springs, proposals include a multi-generational indoor rec center, pickleball courts, basketball courts, a splashpad and a skatepark. All are part of a new park that would be paid for by a $100 million bond.

It would cover 56 acres of land across from Holly Springs High School on Cass Holt Road.

The bond would also pay for new outdoor basketball courts and dugout renovations at Womble Park and upgrades to Sugg Farm Park and the Cultural Center Theatre.

A 5-cent tax rate increase would cost the typical Holly Springs household roughly $187.68 per year.

“Holly Springs is a growing community,” Plumer said. “It’s a special place, and in order to meet the demands of our businesses and residents, we need to plan for today and the future.”

Proposed upgrades in Wendell

Together, Wendell’s parks and transportation bonds are $50 million. The parks bond would pay for a new athletic field complex and a new recreation center plus expand the Buffalo Creek and Main Street Greenways.

The tax rate increase would cost the typical homeowner about $165 more a year.