The Holly Springs Town Council at the Jan. 5 meeting voted to allow developers’ parks and recreation fees due to the town at the time of a lot’s platting to be deferred until a building permit is issued. The deferment of fees is for one year, January 2010-January 2011, for all already approved developments in town. The deferment of the fee was prompted by a request from the developer of The Highlands of Holly Glen.

The developer paid all other fees due to the town but at the previous council meeting said he could not afford to pay the parks and recreation fee for the 56-lot phase of the development. If the town did not waive the fee, the developer said, the property would go into a lengthy foreclosure process and he would lose his home. Councilman Parrish Womble was the only council member to vote against the deferment.

“I don’t see that as being an adequate concern,” Womble said, who also said he liked trying to help people.

“I think we should treat one like we do all the others,” he said.

“It would be for everybody,” said Town Manager Carl Dean.

Only 175 building permits were issued last year, Dean said, though more than 3,700 lots are currently approved. Staff said the town would attempt to notify all developers affected by the fee deferment.

Other council members said that by deferring the fees, the town would get the fees sooner than if the property went into foreclosure.

In other business, the council voted in approval of the Bass Lake Pavilion project, which includes a driveway off Bass Lake Rd. south of the lake and a 25-space parking lot. The trail around the lake will travel along driveway before connecting along Bass Lake Rd.

Staff said the state is scheduled to replace the bridge on Bass Lake Rd. in 2014, and at that time the state may include a sidewalk along the bridge. Once completed, the trail around the lake will be a 2-2.5-mile circle.

Water and sewer service will be extended to the area, and the Parks and Recreation Department will construct a shelter with bathrooms, a town document said. Up to six picnic tables will be located to the area.

The town is paying $5,850 for surveying and plat preparation for the project, and the town Engineering Department will design the project in-house. The total project budget is $250,000, staff said.

During the meeting’s public comment period, former councilman Hank Dickson spoke to encourage council members to take a weekend council retreat. He said he felt the council accomplished the most on retreats when council members left town on Friday and returned on Sunday. Last year, the council took a one-day retreat locally, but Dickson said he felt much was missing.

“By spending the money on travel, lodging and food, the dividends that that expense provided was much more than the actual cost,” he said.

Though Mayor Dick Sears later joked about traveling to Hawaii for a retreat, councilmen asked the town clerk to check into prices for a weekend retreat, including locations near Southern Pines. The council is to have a retreat in Feb.

As part its consent agenda, the council approved a change order decreasing the reclaimed water project contract by $3,000, increased the contract time for the Methodist Church downtown parking lot project, and granted an easement to Progress Energy to install underground power to an Embarq telephone equipment box.

During the meeting, Womble requested the town to improve its Christmas decorations. He said Town Hall was a dark place during the holidays and that Main St. did not look good. Womble acknowledged that the project would have costs and said he had some design ideas.

The council also recognized the death of Sadie McNeil Utley. Womble offered condolences from the town.

Councilman Chet VanFossen was absent from the meeting.