Jessica Daniels Harrison, Mayor, Town of Zebulon

Invest: spoke with Jessica Daniels Harrison, mayor of Zebulon, about rapid population growth, infrastructure, housing, downtown revitalization, and business attraction. “Our commitment is to preserve that small-town charm and that small-town life within the community,” Harrison said.

How is Zebulon preparing for rapid growth?

Zebulon is in a position where we are growing rapidly. Our focus is ensuring that as we grow and move forward, we retain the small-town character and love we have for our community while preparing for the future. Growth is coming, and it is inevitable. We need to be strategic and thoughtful about moving the community forward so residents have the tools, resources, and services they need and continue to love calling Zebulon home.

What makes Zebulon distinctive within the Triangle?

Zebulon is part of the Raleigh-Durham region and the Triangle, but we are not Raleigh or Durham. We are 20 miles east of Raleigh. People may not find big-city life here, but they will find the charm of a small town along with increasing access to the resources a larger city offers.

Our population has grown by more than 130% since 2010, and we are estimated to reach 20,000 residents by 2030. We have watched growth occur in the surrounding municipalities and seen what it can require and how it can look. That allows us to learn from nearby communities and shape growth around what our current residents say they want and what will serve future residents.

What are your priorities for preserving the town’s character?

We are looking at the community as a whole and in smaller areas so growth can be balanced across Zebulon. Our team is developing small-area plans, working on downtown revitalization, and advancing our comprehensive parks and recreation master plan. As we grow, we want to continue providing programming, events, and recreation for young people and the entire community.

Zebulon has a charming downtown, and we are working to shape it into a place where people can gather and enjoy themselves. We want to focus on arts and entertainment, and our arts council already helps shape downtown. Those programs and distinctive parts of the community can grow with us and maintain the vibrancy and charm residents value.

Where are the town’s greatest infrastructure needs?

When a community grows as rapidly as ours, needs appear across roads, utilities, and public services. Fortunately, we have partners with the state and the North Carolina Department of Transportation who understand the congestion and infrastructure requirements around a growing community. They are prioritizing Zebulon so this part of the region has what it needs to keep growing without being overwhelmed by congestion.

We are also working on connectivity, including greenways and walkability. We want neighborhoods to connect with downtown, stores, retail, and shopping so residents are not entirely dependent on vehicles to move around the community. These are issues our leadership must continue evaluating as growth proceeds.

What has the town learned about its housing needs?

The housing study showed that Zebulon needs and should encourage a more diverse housing supply. We currently have many single-family homes, and renters are rent-burdened partly because we do not have enough varied housing options.

People moving to the community are at different stages of life. A senior may come to Zebulon and want to downsize. Newlyweds beginning their lives may not need a single-family home but may need a townhome or apartment. By working with developers and people who want to build here, we can encourage a more diverse supply, meet residents’ needs, and begin addressing the rent burden.

What businesses and investment would you like to attract?

We are working to attract industrial investment that supports good-paying jobs, strengthens our local economy, and creates meaningful opportunities for the people who call Zebulon home.
Additionally, residents most often tell us they want more restaurants, places to shop, and places to sit down and spend time. Zebulon is home to GSK, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. Through that relationship, we have also heard a need for places where companies can host visitors coming from around the world.

We have a great steakhouse, but companies and residents would like more sit-down restaurants, a hotel, and mixed-use development. We are working to ensure that new development meets the needs of residents and the companies already in our community.

What do you hope people will say about Zebulon in three to five years?

We have many moving parts and plans underway. In three to five years, I want people to see tangible evidence of what we have been doing. We are growing thoughtfully, expanding housing choices, supporting local businesses, and positioning the town to attract more businesses. Our commitment is to preserve that small-town charm and that small-town life within the community.

We can do that by listening to residents and understanding what businesses attracted to Zebulon are seeking. I want people to know they can come here and find art, entertainment, and healthcare in a community that speaks to them as a person rather than treating them as a number. That is how we maintain our small-town character while becoming a more vibrant community.