Day 2: Your Questions, Their Answers: Holly Springs (NC) Mayoral and Town Council Candidate Q&A Series
What specific steps would you take to address congestion on NC 55, Avent Ferry, Sunset Lake, and other deficient roads and connectivity and walkability of greenways and sidewalks?
Holly Springs, NC, Sep. 25, 2025 — As Holly Springs prepares for the upcoming municipal elections, Holly Springs Update (HSU) and What’s Happening Holly Springs (WHHS) are working to give residents a clear view of where the candidates stand on key issues.
Earlier this month, all candidates were provided with a questionnaire developed from community-driven submissions and refined by Christian Hendricks, publisher of HSU, and Aaron Wenzel, moderator of WHHS. Candidate response documents were first published together in a story on September 22nd.
Earlier story: All Candidate Submissions Now Published in Holly Springs (NC) Mayoral & Town Council Questionnaire (9/22/25).
To facilitate easier comparison and contrast of answers, responses are being shared on an individual basis. Beginning September 24 and continuing through October 4, one question will be featured each day.
Today’s installment marks Day 2 of the series. For readers who missed yesterday’s Day 1 coverage, it can be found by clicking here.
All candidate responses are published exactly as submitted, without editing, and are presented in alphabetical order by last name. Links are also provided below to all answers from each candidate and their respective campaign websites.
Question 2: Transportation & Connectivity
What specific steps would you take to address congestion on NC 55, Avent Ferry, Sunset Lake, and other deficient roads and connectivity and walkability of greenways and sidewalks?
Mayoral Candidate Answers
Mike Kondratick
Many of the approaches to address congestion in state road corridors are the same as those I discussed in the question above.
Given the substantial need for these roads to expand and to effectively address our $800 million worth of transportation needs, we will need to issue more bonds moving forward. However, we need to prioritize paying down our debt first. Debt service is our second-largest expense, exceeding general government operations.
Projects on these state roads also demand that we continue to work with our Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization partners to ensure our projects are funded. With growth in Fuquay-Varina continuing at a high rate, we should also investigate combining Wake Transit funding to more rapidly grow the scope of public transit options.
Continued expansion of greenways is also critical. Greenways not only allow for point-to-point connections across Holly Springs, but they can also serve as connections to public transportation options in the future. Greenway connections should be treated as transportation projects and receive a portion of the extra money we devote to transportation (as noted in question #1 above). We should also continue to pursue federal and state grant opportunities for greenway expansion.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Sean Mayefskie
Traffic is a daily frustration, and we’ve taken real steps to improve it. I’ve overseen major road widening projects on Holly Springs and Avent Ferry Roads, and we’ve added fiber- connected signals that allow DOT to actively manage congestion. We’ve also expanded sidewalk and greenway connectivity across town — you can now walk from Holly Glen to downtown and over to Carl Dean Greenway. As Mayor, I also worked with the Town Manager to create a point-to-point ride-share program to assist seniors and others needing help getting around town. In my next term, I’ll continue investing in infrastructure that connects people to opportunity, safely and efficiently.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Council Member Candidates
Joe Cuccurullo
As I mentioned in the previous question, $236 million in NCDOT funding is already
committed, with construction slated to take place over the next several years on NC 55, Avent Ferry, Sunset Lake, and other major intersections. Continued coordination with NCDOT will be paramount to ensuring those projects are delivered on time and with the least disruption possible.
Partnerships also matter. Working closely with our surrounding towns — Fuquay-Varina, Apex, and others — helps move Holly Springs up the ladder when it comes to regional prioritization for additional improvements. Traffic doesn’t stop at our borders.
Technology is another important tool. Expanding Intelligent Traffic Signaling (ITS) across our network can ease congestion and improve safety, and we need to continue pursuing grant opportunities that make those upgrades possible.
At the same time, we need to be mindful about how local development impacts our road system. Comprehensive traffic studies should guide decisions, and projects that are overly dense or out of balance with our infrastructure should not move forward.
Finally, it’s important for residents to understand that a significant portion of traffic on our roads comes from outside of town. Holly Springs has a thriving, in-demand economy, and that naturally brings regional traffic through our community. Managing growth locally is part of the solution, but it must go hand-in-hand with state-level investments, NCDOT negotiations, and strong coordination with our neighbors to keep people moving safely and efficiently.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Annie Drees
I would prioritize the funding of the Intelligent Transportation System. I believe we all saw earlier this year how critical light timing can be. Using these smart traffic signals would allow the town to synchronize lights at rush hour to keep the flow of traffic moving. This system would also allow the town to manipulate signals in real time in the case of an accident. This program costs around 1M versus over 20M for widening Avent Ferry ¾ mile. As a Town Council Member, I voted to prioritize
this funding over the festival street planning in the 2025-2026 budget, but I was outvoted.
As a Town Council Member, in 2024 I advocated for reserving an additional quarter of a cent from property tax toward future road investments. This money will total 12.5M in new debt affordability.
This will facilitate future road improvements. I would also prioritize expanding the funding for PAYGO which will help fund smaller more immediate projects. The Pay as you go program enables the town to make improvements in pedestrian safety, traffic calming and streetlight enhancements.
This cash on hand program facilitates making immediate improvements in public safety. There are intersections in town that need traffic lights today. PAYGO could be used to accelerate NC DOT to make these investments in our community.
Funding actual road improvements is very expensive. We have seen a dramatic increase in highway construction costs over the past 5 years (67%). NC DOT owns most of the roads in Holly Springs, and they are understaffed and underfunded. We need to continue to find opportunities for partnerships with DOT to move our programs forward. We need to continue to apply to CAMPO (Capital Area Metro Planning Organization funded by the federal government) for additional funding of our road improvements. And we need to continue to advocate for our needs and the needs of DOT with the state legislature.
Additional funding in PAYGO will also help move forward our sidewalk and trail initiatives. I would prioritize connecting key destinations with large neighborhoods. That includes sidewalks and trails to downtown, Eagles Landing, and Ting Park. I also am already advocating for connectivity of our trails to Apex, Cary and Fuquay.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Tim Forrest
Traffic congestion is the number one concern I hear from residents, and it’s been a top priority during my time on Council. Last year, we secured $236 million in state funding—the largest transportation investment in our town’s history—to address NC-55, Holly Springs Road, and Avent Ferry. These projects include road widenings, intersection improvements, and Intelligent Traffic Systems that will bring real-time signal timing by 2026. I will continue pushing NCDOT to keep these projects on track and fully funded. For Avent Ferry and Sunset Lake, I support targeted intersection upgrades, improved turn lanes, and enhanced pedestrian crossings, especially near schools and high-traffic areas. Safety around these corridors must be a priority.
Beyond roads, we need to improve connectivity. That means filling in missing sidewalk links, adding crosswalks, and expanding our greenway network to connect neighborhoods with parks, schools, and downtown. Walkability and bike access not only reduce congestion but also improve quality of life. I also support the launch of micro-transit in 2026, which will give residents flexible, on-demand options and better connections to regional transit systems. The bottom line: we cannot stop growth, but we can invest in solutions. By securing funding, requiring developers to contribute their share, and prioritizing safe, connected alternatives, we can make daily life easier and safer for Holly Springs families.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Kara Foster
Traffic is the number one frustration I hear from Holly Springs residents. Anyone who has sat on NC 55 during rush hour or tried to navigate Avent Ferry and Sunset Lake knows how badly we need improvements. Regional studies project that traffic volumes on the NC 55 Bypass will exceed current capacity long before 2040, which is why widening and intersection upgrades are already on the state’s long-range plans.
Locally, we cannot just wait for the state. I support prioritizing town-funded upgrades at key intersections, improving traffic signal coordination, and investing in road designs that reduce bottlenecks. At the same time, we must look beyond cars. Sidewalk and greenway connectivity is one of the smartest investments we can make. Every $1 spent on trails generates nearly $3 in health, transportation, and environmental benefits according to national studies. By expanding walkability and bike-friendly routes, we not only cut down on local trips by car, but also make our
town healthier and more connected.
Finally, I believe in stronger coordination with developers. Every new subdivision should include sidewalks, bike access, and street connections that prevent isolated pockets. With a mix of advocacy at the state level and smart local planning, we can relieve congestion and give residents more options to get where they need to go.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Sarah Larson
Addressing these challenges requires both immediate action and long-term planning. I support working closely with Wake County, NCDOT and neighboring towns to identify projects that will ease congestion, improve safety and provide alternate routes for commuters. This includes traffic signal improvements, intersection enhancements and advocating for the expansion of key corridors where feasible.
I will work with town staff and council, to find ways to invest in more connectivity infrastructure directly, so we don’t have to rely solely on developers. Our residents need real alternative options to get around town. We need to close gaps in sidewalks and trail networks, connect neighborhoods to schools and parks, and make walking and biking a real option for more residents.
Communication is always key. Traffic projects often take months or years to complete, and residents want to know what’s happening and why. I will advocate for regular updates, public forums, and tools that allow residents to provide input on projects that directly impact their daily commutes.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Josh Prizer
I believe this was mentioned in the Candidate forum but Holly Springs has just received a very large grant from the DOT which will allow us to not only expand 55 to 6 lanes and also includes the Widening of Avent Ferry. This is a good first step.
For future hot spot projects that might not be funded by grant but are scheduled to be completed in time by the DOT, we have the ability to take loans and be reimbursed by the DOT at the time of scheduled completion. This could potentially be an option with the increased tax revenue coming from the BioTech companies.
Greenways are very much sketched in and expansion is already underway. Holly Springs also just received a $300M grant which will help connect a few areas.
https://www.hollyspringsnc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1629
The UDO also has measures in place that make sure Developers are contributing towards our greenway expansion.
We have a tremendous amount of connectivity already and more will come as we continue to grow. https://www.hollyspringsnc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1629
Making sure we work with our Developers to help us plug the walkway gaps, even outside their plot lines will be something that we will have to try to work with them on. Especially around schools. A great example of this is the 55+ Community being built across the street from Holly Ridge Middle and Elementary School. The developer is extending the sidewalk all the way to the one in front of Sheetz making this safer for residents to walk. They are also realigning the road connecting to Cass Holt which will bring much needed improvements to that intersection.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Be sure to look for candidate answers to Question #3 tomorrow!