Day 6: Your Questions, Their Answers: Holly Springs (NC) Mayoral and Town Council Candidate Q&A Series
Housing & Affordability: How should Holly Springs meet the demand for diverse housing, such as townhomes, senior living, and affordable options, while avoiding overdevelopment?
Holly Springs, NC, Sep. 29, 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 6 of the series. For readers who missed prior days’ coverage, stories can be found by clicking on the links below:
Day 1: How will you ensure that growth does not outpace the town’s capacity for infrastructure (roads, water, sewer, safety, technology, utilities)?
Day 2: 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?
Day 3: What steps would you take to improve school safety and better protect students?
Day 4: How would you address school overcrowding and frequent student reassignments?
Note: 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 6: Housing & Affordability
How should Holly Springs meet the demand for diverse housing—such as townhomes, senior living, and affordable options—while avoiding overdevelopment?
Mayoral Candidate Answers
Mike Kondratick
We’re blessed with large employers with which we can partner to create a professionally managed investment fund. Over time, this fund can attract more capital and generate returns that can be used to work with developers to finance the inclusion of affordable units in their development plans. Using this approach, we don’t rely on developers’ generosity, nor do we burden taxpayers.
I’d also like to take advantage of Wake County’s investments in affordable housing. We send taxes to Raleigh every year; it only makes sense to get some of it back, rather than seeing it go to other towns.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Sean Mayefskie
Property values in Holly Springs continue to rise — a testament to our strong community, but also a growing affordability concern. We must hold County officials accountable for the rising costs tied to property ownership. As Mayor, I’ve kept town taxes and fees low and supported diverse housing options that allow people at every life stage to call Holly Springs home. We approved a new active adult community to help older residents stay near family. I’ll continue pursuing housing strategies that preserve our charm while keeping our town accessible.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Town Council Candidate Answers
Joe Cuccurullo
During my time on the Planning Board, we have approved three separate 55-and-older communities. While that may not solve the challenge for seniors on fixed incomes, it does provide options for families in Holly Springs who are looking to downsize and stay in town rather than moving elsewhere. We have also seen assisted living facilities come online, and our first nursing home was recently approved by Council and will open within the next two years. These steps matter because they provide seniors with more ways to remain part of our community at different stages of life.
Affordable housing is a much more complicated issue. There are essentially two paths. One approach is to require that a certain number of units within a larger development be designated as affordable or workforce housing. The other is to create entirely affordable developments, but those almost always require subsidies. If the cost falls directly on Holly Springs taxpayers, it can become very expensive and place the burden of supporting future residents onto current ones, which I do not believe is the right approach.
A more balanced solution is to continue to approve a variety of housing types, such as townhomes, smaller single-family homes, and multifamily options, while setting reasonable expectations for affordability within those projects. This must be carefully managed, because residents are right to be concerned about unchecked density and the strain that rapid population growth places on traffic, schools, and public services.
At the end of the day, housing affordability and growth are a balancing act. More housing supply can help bring prices down, but more housing also means more cars on the road and more demand on fire, police, and waste management. The challenge is to approve the right mix of projects that serve the needs of seniors, families, and workforce residents without overwhelming the infrastructure that makes Holly Springs such a desirable place to live.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Annie Drees
Holly Springs needs to develop a long-term plan to address a ordable housing. This will create opportunities for our teachers and emergency responders, as well as improve the local economy. Housing options that free up some disposable income will allow families to spend more on local goods and services. I believe we should be completing a regular housing inventory and occupancy rate study to evaluate the housing supply and gaps in supply every two years. This information can be used to prioritize developments based on the need they address and could lead to rezoning. We should create a policy to incentivize a ordable housing incorporation into developments, whether that is through zoning-based, financial or non-financial options. The town o ers a utility allocation plan that prioritizes development projects that include infrastructure improvements, sustainable design, workforce housing and open space/tree preservation. The a ordable housing incentive is not being used by developers. I suggest we re-evaluate the water resource management plan and find ways to make the incentives around a ordable housing more attractive. Lastly, the town needs to be on the lookout for opportunities for a public/private partnership on a ordable housing. A partnership with a private company would facilitate a faster delivery of the project while minimizing the impact to Holly Springs.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Tim Forrest
Holly Springs must protect the character of our town while making room for responsible growth. Housing should reflect the needs of families, seniors, and young professionals—but it cannot come at the expense of overdevelopment, overcrowded schools, or strained infrastructure.
First, I believe in responsible growth, not unchecked density. Townhomes, senior living, and workforce housing should be limited, well-placed, and located near major transportation corridors or services—not scattered in ways that overwhelm existing neighborhoods.
Second, growth must be tied directly to infrastructure capacity. Roads, schools, water, and sewer need to be in place before development moves forward. That’s why I’ve supported tying approvals to infrastructure readiness and why only about 20% of proposals are approved—because Holly Springs deserves better than rubber-stamping projects.
Third, I do not believe local taxpayers should fund large-scale “affordable housing” programs. If workforce housing is to be part of our mix, it should be delivered through partnerships with Wake County, state programs, and nonprofits—not by raising taxes on Holly Springs residents.
Fourth, protecting homeownership stability is key. Too many rentals weaken neighborhood ties and create a transient community. Our policies should promote ownership, generational investment, and stability—values that have made Holly Springs strong.
Finally, we must hold developers accountable. Through impact fees and strong design standards, new projects should contribute their fair share for roads, utilities, and parks, while preserving green space and our small-town character.
The bottom line: Holly Springs needs to grow, but it must grow responsibly. By putting residents first, holding developers accountable, and protecting our town’s character, we can provide options for families and seniors while keeping Holly Springs the community we all love.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Kara Foster
Holly Springs has one of the highest median household incomes in the county, around $132,000, but rising housing costs have left many first-time buyers and seniors struggling to find options that fit their needs. Families are concerned about starter homes being replaced with luxury builds, while older adults worry about downsizing without leaving town.
I believe in attainable housing, options that allow people at every stage of life to call Holly Springs home. That means encouraging a balanced mix, townhomes and smaller single-family homes for young families, senior living communities with walkability and services, and affordable units integrated thoughtfully into our neighborhoods.
We must also be mindful of overdevelopment. High-density projects should be paired with strong design standards, adequate parking, and preserved green space so they enhance rather than overwhelm. Redevelopment of underused sites should take priority over endless outward sprawl, which strains both infrastructure and community identity.
Housing is not just about shelter, it is about belonging. By planning with intention, we can keep Holly Springs a place where every generation can live, grow, and stay connected.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Sarah Larson
In Holly Springs, and the surrounding areas, home prices continue to rise, starter homes are limited, and seniors and lower-income residents are struggling to find options that fit their needs. While the Town cannot control the housing market entirely, there are meaningful steps we can take to support diverse housing options and prevent overdevelopment.
I support partnering with Wake County and other regional entities to bring affordable housing resources and programs into Holly Springs. I will advocate for developers to include affordable units in new projects and explore incentives that make it feasible for the Town to support these initiatives. At the same time, we must ensure that new development aligns with our Unified Development Ordinance, which balances growth with neighborhood character and infrastructure capacity.
Council also plays a key role in guiding long-term planning. By reviewing proposed developments with an eye toward housing diversity including townhomes, senior living, and workforce housing, we can help ensure residents have a range of options.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Josh Prizer
There are several recent candidates (and a few members of our current council) that talk about “Affordable Housing”. Conveniently, affordable housing isn’t easily defined and can mean many different things to many people. Most of the definitions at the end of the day, mean higher prices for the development project and/or higher taxes for the residents of Holly Springs. It’s a tough question because we have to balance the responsibilities of our current residents versus ones that will be here eventually.
I personally believe the best pathway to more housing that makes sense for Holly Springs is to work with developers for a shorter start to finish process to ensure that the cost savings in development get passed on to the end user and is not subsidized by taxpayers who are already burdened by rising costs.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)