Consultants outline Wildcat small-area plan, warn major road and interchange work could cost hundreds of millions

Christina Pastor of Kimley‑Horn presented a multi‑year Wildcat small‑area plan to the Woodstock mayor and council, describing proposed transportation projects, constraints and a development scenario intended to balance land use with traffic needs. The presentation emphasized that property constraints — a U.S. Army Corps parcel, a cemetery, Interstate‑575 and a railroad — limit connectivity and raise costs for any major new access across the interstate.

The consultant said operational analyses show many intersections in the study area already operate poorly and would worsen by 2044 without intervention. To address that, the report recommends reconfiguring the Holly Springs Parkway–Sixes Road intersection, widening Holly Springs Parkway and Main Street toward Ridgewalk Parkway, adding a new local connection across I‑575 south of Sixes Road and building a network of arterials and slip ramps that route local traffic without forcing drivers through failing interchanges. The plan also recommends sidewalks, side paths and trail connections consistent with the county’s trail master plan.

Pastor said the team tested a development scenario that included medical office and industrial uses and then reduced the assumed density after transportation modeling showed the higher build‑out produced unacceptable traffic impacts. “We tested the limits of what could potentially take place on the land itself so that whatever happens in the future, we can make sure that the transportation network can support it,” Pastor said.

The study includes high‑level planning cost estimates for roadwork, right‑of‑way, utility relocation and environmental screening. The presentation noted that the total inflated cost across projects could be large — staff and council speakers repeatedly described infrastructure orders of magnitude greater than routine projects. One councilmember observed a roughly $260,000,000 price tag had been discussed as an order‑of‑magnitude estimate for the larger set of recommended transportation investments.

Pastor listed potential funding sources — new local sales tax or transportation special purpose taxes, federal and state formula dollars, and public‑private partnerships — and recommended partner jurisdictions consider adopting the plan, negotiating a memorandum of agreement, and beginning right‑of‑way work and the Holly Springs Parkway–Sixes Road realignment as initial projects.

Councilmembers welcomed the study but warned that many approvals and interjurisdictional agreements would be required. The mayor noted several of the intersections referenced do not fall within Woodstock’s jurisdiction, and called the study useful for long‑range planning and coordination with Cherokee County and the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The consultant presentation concluded without a formal council vote on the plan itself; staff said the next steps would be adoption discussions, potential design work for the Holly Springs Parkway–Sixes Road realignment, and further funding exploration among partner jurisdictions.

The City posted an executive summary and staff said Kimley‑Horn will present the study to neighboring jurisdictions in coming weeks to coordinate implementation.