Spillover from Raleigh: Big changes coming to small towns in the Triangle

Spillover from the city of Raleigh is driving major growth in some of Wake County’s smaller towns.

Three quickly-growing Wake County towns have a new mayor at the helm: Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs and Zebulon.

Though they run separate towns, each mayor has similar issues on their mind, like population growth, economic development and traffic.

WRAL’s Aaron Thomas spoke one-on-one with each of them to hear their vision for growth.

Each mayor said they’re tasked with getting ahead of the major population growth, while maintaining the sense of small-town charm.

Fuquay-Varina deals with transportation changes

Fuquay-Varina Mayor Blake Massengill has lived in his town for many years, and he's seen a lot of changes. He's taking over after John Byrne, who retired after 20 years of service.

"I'm glad to be able to put my stamp on the future of Fuquay-Varina," he said.

Transportation is one of his top priorities as more people look to settle down in Fuquay-Varina.

"We have eight major road projects that are in planning stages right now, and construction will be started on those in the near future," he said.

Holly Springs' Business Park becoming a premier site for the biotech industry

Miles away in Holly Springs, leaders are ‘clearing the way’ for growth, as the town becomes one of the premier places for the biotech industry.

It’s becoming one of the premiere places for the biotech industry.

"Out on Business Park, we’ve got Fuji and Amgen," said Sean Mayefskie, the mayor of Holly Springs.

Mayefskie stepped into this role following the retirement of Dick Sears, who served the town for 20 years.

He says managing growth is one of the town's biggest challenges.

"As we continue to grow out in Business Park, making sure we have water and resources to manage all this growth," he said.

Zebulon's population expected to double within next 3 to 5 years

Glenn York, who was recently elected as Zebulon’s first Black mayor, says leaders are expecting the population to double within the next three to five years.

"Trying to stay one step ahead," said York. "It's fast moving. Trying to keep up with the infrastructure with all that growth and development."

Population in Zebulon sits at 8,000, and is expected to grow to 16,000 within the next three to five years, according to York.

Town leaders are making way for building more residential areas, and bracing for anticipated traffic coming from I-540.