With the end of 2009 quickly approaching, this article recalls the leading town government stories of the year.

Construction begins on community center The council voted this year to construct a new community center and renovate the Hunt Community Center gym, a $6.524 million project. The new 29,720-square-foot center, located behind the current community center on Stinson Ave., will include workout rooms, a 1/12-mile running track, a game room, an outdoor basketball court and more. The existing classroom portion of the Hunt Community Center will be demolished for parking once the new center is complete in mid-2011, if construction moves forward as planned.

Elections change council The 2009 municipal elections resulted in two new faces on the Holly Springs Town Council. Newly elected council members James Cobb and Linda Hunt Williams joined reelected council member Chet VanFossen and reelected mayor Dick Sears in taking oaths to the office. The meeting concluded the terms of council members Vinnie DeBenedetto and Hank Dickson.

Novartis opens A ceremony was held in November officially opening the Novartis manufacturing facility in the town business park. While the pharmaceutical plant means increased tax revenue for the town, the town also must pay for its 18-year $6,366,000 loan, which the town took out to develop the business park and pay for the promised incentives that attracted Novartis to town. Part of the money was used for expanding Green Oaks Pkwy. in the business park.

Television station established This year, the town began operation of a government access channel, HSTV-11. The channel provides information about the town, including its programs, services and facilities. The station also shows footage of council meetings.

Downtown street, parking get attention This year councilmen voted to upgrade Main St. and construct parking lots in downtown Holly Springs near Town Hall. Enhancements along Main St., between Center and Raleigh streets, included decorative sidewalk, underground utilities, crosswalks, landscaping, benches and more.

A $17,100 parking lot at the Baptist church was constructed, and the council approved spending $218,844 to construct a 64-space parking lot near the downtown Methodist church off Avent Ferry Rd. Recently, the council approved entering an agreement with NC Department of Transportation for construction of a sidewalk along Main St., from Ballentine St. at Town Hall south to the G.B. Alford Hwy. The state is to provide a grant of up to $320,000 with the town matching funds of up to $80,000 in an 80-20 split.

Land use remains in the spotlight The future use of land near Holly Springs continued to be discussed this year. In February, the town implemented revised annexation agreement lines with Fuquay-Varina. County employees also presented a study to the council regarding the Harris Lake drainage basin. The lake level will increase if Progress Energy moves forward with construction of two additional reactors. The county recommended designating nearly 1,500 acres south of US 1 as a business park and maintaining 14,470 acres of Progress Energy land as a utility/environmental stewardship area.