Holly Springs Council Update
Voluntary Annexation A25-02 — Village at Harris Lake (3313 Avent Ferry Rd) — Approved Following Court-Ordered Reversal of 2025 Subdivision Denial
Council adopted Annexation Ordinance A25-02 for the 56.91-acre Village at Harris Lake site (formerly known as Ragan) at 3313 Avent Ferry Road, off Rex Road in the southwestern Holly Springs area. The parcel is non-contiguous to town limits but qualifies under the Holly Springs/Apex/Cary/Fuquay-Varina annexation agreements (within three miles of city limits). The annexation closes a contentious sequence: on August 19, 2025, Council denied Major Subdivision 24-MAS-03 (a 279-dwelling-unit plan for Greenhawk Corporation, Inc. / AF-Ragan, LLC); the developer filed a Writ of Certiorari with Wake County Superior Court, and the Town subsequently approved a Consent Order that had the effect of approving the subdivision as submitted. The annexation petition had originally been submitted on August 19, 2025 but was withdrawn after the initial denial. At the April 21 hearing, applicant Laura Holloman (McAdams) confirmed rezoning and subdivision are now approved and construction drawings are in preparation. Multiple residents opposed the action: Fran Hudson (5524 Rex Road) argued the original quasi-judicial findings were unsupported and that 12 apartment buildings, 16 townhomes, and the amenity center sit in the protected natural area in violation of RZ-2406 and the UDO; Don Cozzolino (3632 Bosco Road) challenged the public-purpose justification under N.C. Constitutional standards and Crisman v. Guilford County; Alan Jones (3128 Avent Ferry Rd, 50-acre adjacent farm) raised conservation easement and NRCS bat-habitat impacts; and William Mitchell (3309 Avent Ferry Rd) contested a strip of right-of-way that he asserts remains his property and threatened referral to the N.C. Attorney General under the 2011 Annexation Reform Act. Town Attorney John Schifano clarified this is a voluntary petition annexation by the property owner and not subject to the 60% landowner-referendum requirement. Suggested motion was to consider Ordinance A2502.
Evanston Major Subdivision 25-MAS-03 (Windy Farm Lane) — Approved Unanimously, 152 Units
Council adopted Resolution 26-14 making findings of fact and approving Evanston Major Subdivision 25-MAS-03 by unanimous vote (motion: Hewetson; second: Larson). The site sits in the southeast ETJ on Windy Farm Lane between Rouse Road and Cass Holt Road. The property is designated Mixed Residential Neighborhood on the Land Use & Character Plan and was rezoned March 18, 2025 to Neighborhood Residential Conditional District (south) and Neighborhood Center Residential Conditional Zoning (north). At rezoning the applicant committed to a maximum of 152 dwelling units (87 attached townhomes and 65 detached) with public art in a roundabout and asymmetrical widening of Cass Holt Road. Applicant team: M/I Homes (Juan Motes, Mike Kemp) with McAdams (Laura Holloman, planner; Scott Sallade, transportation engineer; John Martin, civil engineer); represented by Jason Barron. Conditions include rear-loaded townhomes with no driveways, on-street parking as traffic calming, a fee-in-lieu toward a traffic signal at Cass Holt/Honeycutt, turn lanes at Cass Holt/Rouse, restriping at Cass Holt/Avent Ferry to convert a right-only lane to right-or-straight, a 10-foot greenway connection to Honeycutt Farm, and a 10-foot sidepath from Rouse Road to Cass Holt Road. Planning Board recommended approval 6-0 (three absent), citing the roundabout. Sewer service through a stub at Honeycutt Farms; Cass Holt Road shifted east to avoid impacting an existing house across the road.
975 Avent Ferry Rd Major Subdivision 25-MAS-04 (Carroll Crossing) — Approved Unanimously
Council adopted Resolution 26-11 making findings of fact and approved Major Subdivision 25-MAS-04 unanimously (motion: Hewetson; second: Larson), and approved a separate motion granting the Utility Allocation Request. The 4-acre parcel at the corner of Avent Ferry Road and Ralph Stephens Road is zoned NMX Neighborhood Mixed-Use and designated Mixed-Use Center on the Land Use & Character Plan. The applicant did not seek a zoning change — only to subdivide into two commercial lots (Lot 1 = 2.35 acres; Lot 2 = 1.72 acres) — with conditions above the UDO baseline including public art at the corner, an Enhanced Type C buffer along the Stephens Farm property line, and shared driveway access with the adjacent Goodwill on Avent Ferry. Frontage improvements are already installed; cross-access easement will be provided; a fire flow analysis confirmed adequate pressure. Traffic study covered seven intersections with no road improvements or fees-in-lieu required. Applicant team: Ashley Honeycutt-Terrazas of Parker Poe with Demian Matysuk (civil engineer), Kevin Dean (traffic engineer), and Robert Sherwood (real estate appraiser). Planning Board recommended approval 5-1 (three absent); the dissenting Board member cited insufficient detail on potential uses. Lot 1 became the site of the subsequent Sam's Xpress Car Wash SUP application.
Sam's Xpress Car Wash 25-SUP-01 / 25-DP-06 (975 Avent Ferry Rd, Lot 1) — Board of Adjustment Quasi-Judicial Hearing
The Board of Adjustment held a quasi-judicial public hearing on Special Use Permit 25-SUP-01 and the associated Development Plan 25-DP-06 for a Sam's Xpress Car Wash on Lot 1 of the 975 Avent Ferry Road Major Subdivision (PIN 0648679608, 2.35 acres, NMX). The proposal is a 4,311-square-foot car-wash tunnel building with 27 vacuum parking spaces. The Holly Springs UDO does not contain a parking standard for car-wash uses; Kimley-Horn applied the general retail rate of 4 spaces per 1,000 sf, which would cap parking at 18 spaces — making the proposal 9 spaces over the UDO maximum and requiring relief. Staff recommended approval but flagged UDO Section 3.6.5 noise concerns, placing the burden on the applicant to demonstrate operational and production noise will not disturb adjacent properties. Conditions tied to the underlying subdivision approval (enhanced southern perimeter buffering, specific allowable building materials, increased Urban Civic Space) carry forward. A required photometric plan must be submitted with first construction drawings to comply with UDO Section 8.4.E lighting levels. Applicant: Paxton Widenhouse, Sam's Xpress Car Wash (7935 Council Place, Matthews, NC 28105).
Chase Bank Rezoning at Sunset Lake/Lassiter Rd — Significant Neighborhood Opposition, Returned for Decision
Council held a public hearing on a request to rezone a parcel at the Sunset Lake Road/Lassiter Road intersection from Suburban Residential to NMX CD (Neighborhood Mixed Use Conditional District) for a 3,500-square-foot financial institution (Chase Bank) with 22 parking spaces, three EV-ready. The applicant requested a 14.4-foot front setback and an increase in permitted parking. Public comment was heavily opposed, focused on traffic and child safety on Lassiter Road. Joe Prater (4020 Lassiter Rd.) demanded fee-in-lieu funds be applied to traffic calming on Lassiter; Ali Vulpe (4020 Lassiter Rd.) opposed Lassiter being treated as a collector and asked for right-turn-only restrictions, parking prohibitions, and speed bumps; Kimberly Nichols (6003 Holly Ln.) cited 30 school-age children in the area; Mounia Madry (4016 Lassiter Rd., directly behind the proposed bank) requested any approval be conditional on safety measures and ATM light pollution controls. Written comments were submitted by Katherine Groff and Jennifer Salas (Lassiter Rd. traffic) and Kyle Stittleburg (EV charging pricing at Womble Park). Staff proposed a condition requiring the applicant to pay a $6,500 fee-in-lieu prior to construction-drawing approval for traffic calming/control on Lassiter Rd., plus an "exit left" sign at the site exit, sidewalk expansion on Sunset Lake from 5 ft to 10 ft, high-visibility crosswalk restriping, and three-lane restriping with curb, gutter, and sidewalk on Lassiter. Planning Board recommended approval 4-2 (three absent); the two dissenters cited inadequate traffic-calming measures. Brett Gosney, Development Services, presented; staff recommends approval.
New School Montessori Rezoning 25-REZ-09 (5617 Sunset Lake Rd) — Public Hearing, Decision Set for April 21
Council held the public hearing on rezoning 25-REZ-09 for New School Montessori at 5617 Sunset Lake Road. The site is currently zoned Rural Residential and designated Residential Neighborhood with an area of Natural Area on the Land Use & Character Plan. The applicant is requesting a Conditional Zoning District for a school expansion. Item proceeds to Planning Board March 24 with Council decision scheduled for April 21. Proposed conditions deviate from UDO baselines: 5-foot side setback (vs. 10-foot UDO standard) and 10-foot Type B buffer (vs. 5-foot Type A). Building facades and architectural finishes will match the existing school building. The school has been connected to town water; sewer was installed in 2024 with stubs to the north. Proposed expansion can operate under existing permitted flow so utility allocation is not required. Traffic study did not require road widening; staff requested the applicant extend the sidepath along Sunset Lake Road to connect to Kenmont Drive but the applicant declined since the sidepath sits across the street. Applicant committed to two egress lanes at the site drive and maximum on-site parking-lot "storage" for drop-off/pick-up queueing. Applicant representative: Leticia Shapiro (Morningstar Law); Roger Harris, development director of New School Montessori, testified the school was founded in 1984 and expansion is needed to grow from 240 to no more than 300 students. Security Director Thomas Edwards described an internal police force of two sworn officers managing drop-off with a one-way lot configuration.
Bridgeberry Expansion Rezoning (0 Rex Road) — LUAC Informal Review of 43.07-Acre Conservation Subdivision
Laura Holloman of McAdams, on behalf of Taylor Morrison Homes (applicant) and Forest View Partners LLC / Woodland View Partners LLC (Gregory W. Hobby) (property owners), brought the Bridgeberry Expansion rezoning to LUAC for informal feedback. The proposal rezones 43.07 acres at 0 Rex Road (PIN 0637196712) from RR Rural Residential to SR Suburban Residential with the Conservation Subdivision (Method 2) option for 68-80 single-family detached dwellings (concept plan shows 75 lots, 60' x 125' typical, density 1.74 du/acre). The site is in the ETJ, designated Conservation Neighborhood on the Future Land Use Map. Adjacent Bridgeberry subdivision is designated Residential Neighborhood. Staff analysis flagged tension: the Conservation Neighborhood designation expects 30-50% open space achieved through clustering, but the proposal provides the UDO minimum 30% open space partly over steep slopes and existing tree canopy, with a development pattern that more closely mirrors the adjacent Bridgeberry Subdivision than a true conservation subdivision. Site has a central east-west ridge dropping steeply to off-site creeks; substantial grading and tree removal would be required for sewer to the Bridgeberry pump station. Site has no street frontage but one street stub from Bridgeberry. A Tier 2 Traffic Study is required; secondary public access required since combined Bridgeberry lots will exceed 100 units. No formal LUAC action; staff noted decision-makers will need to balance competing Comprehensive Plan goals (Conservation Neighborhood vs. Transitions). Concurrent on the agenda: Myers-Patterson Project Rezoning (PINs 0637487953 and 0637582463, 21.86 ac on Rex Rd, 34 SF lots, density 1.66 du/ac) — staff finds inconsistent with FLUM Conservation Neighborhood designation but recommends balancing land use goals given proximity to Rex Road Elementary.
UDO Semi-Annual Text Amendments 26-UDO-01 — LUAC Endorsement; Bars and Fueling Stations to Be Permitted in NMX
LUAC was asked to endorse the Spring 2026 UDO semi-annual text amendment package (26-UDO-01) and recommend it move to the public hearing phase. Substantive changes include: (1) eliminating Special Use Permits for several uses currently subject to quasi-judicial review and converting them to Legislative Conditional Zoning District Rezoning to allow legislative public hearings and site-specific conditions; (2) allowing Bars/Tasting Rooms and Fueling Stations in the NMX Neighborhood Mixed-Use district with new use standards (Fueling Stations limited to 4 pumps and prohibited within 300 ft of a thoroughfare intersection; Tasting Rooms limited to 25% GFA of a microbrewery); (3) prohibiting Drive-In/Drive-Through Car Washes in NMX (with new design standards for car washes elsewhere — operations enclosed except vacuuming/detailing/hand drying, no front-yard accessory uses); (4) Family Care Home minimum 1/2-mile separation; (5) school-specific EVSE requirements (fewer at-construction EVSE spaces, more EV-Ready spaces); (6) clarifications on lots fronting onto open space (must be Mini-Park, Plaza, Square, or Green); (7) retaining wall material/color standards; (8) neighborhood meeting notification timing (postmarked 10-25 days before meeting). Schedule: Tuesday May 19 — Town Council Public Hearing; Tuesday May 24 — Planning Board; Tuesday June 16 — Town Council Decision. Staff: Cheryl Caines, Development Services.
Annexation A25-12 (6200 Windy Farm Ln) and A25-08 Twin Springs (5801 Duncan Cook Rd) — Procedural Actions
Council adopted Resolution 26-15 directing the Town Clerk to investigate the sufficiency of voluntary annexation petition A25-12 at 6200 Windy Farm Lane and setting the public hearing for May 19, 2026. Separately, the Twin Springs voluntary annexation A25-08 at 5801 Duncan Cook Road — continued from the February 17, 2026 meeting and contiguous to both town limits and Fuquay-Varina — was continued by unanimous vote (motion: Hewetson; second: Drees) to the May 19, 2026 Town Council meeting at the applicant's request to keep the annexation in sync with the rest of the project. Sarah Sularz, Long Range Planner, Development Services, presented. A separate Annexation Ordinance A25-03 (parcel on both sides of Avent Ferry Road next to the Lochridge subdivision) was adopted unanimously (motion: Hewetson; second: Larson) at the same meeting after a public hearing with no input received. Annexation A26-01 (Innovate Avenue) advanced through the sufficiency-determination stage on March 17, 2026 with the second-stage public hearing on April 21.
Downtown Investment Grant Policy P-033.04 Update — Adopted, Effective May 1
Council adopted updated Policy P-033.04 Downtown Investment Grant Program, effective May 1, 2026, superseding prior versions P-033, P-033.01, P-033.02, and P-033.03 (last updated November 1, 2024). The DIG program supports projects within the Downtown Area Plan boundary in target industries (retail, restaurant, technology & innovation, arts/entertainment/hospitality, wellness, small-business HQ). Three categories: Category 1 New Construction/Renovation up to $100,000 of public infrastructure cost; Category 2 Tenant Leasing up to $15,000 toward upfit; and a new Category 3 Vibrant Places up to $2,000 per applicant for reimbursement of placemaking improvements (added per the 2025 Council Retreat as a Downtown Area Plan implementation tool). Applicants must satisfy at least 3 of 8 criteria including job creation, private investment, public art, foot-traffic generation, green/gathering space, and community character. Funded via Community Investment Plan PAYGO. Staff: Daniel Weeks, Irena Krstanovic, Anna Murphy, Neal Duncan, Sean Ryan, Cheryl Caines (Administration / Economic Development). Same meeting also adopted Ordinance 26-06 amending Town Code Chapter 12, Article VII, Division III, Section 516 to regulate bicycles, e-bikes, and Personal Conveyance Vehicles (responding to dangerous use by pre-teen and teenage riders on roadways and in parks per 2026 Council Retreat direction).
Avent Ferry Road Festival Street Design — Contract Awarded to Bolton & Menk
Council considered the award of the Avent Ferry Road Festival Street Design contract to Bolton & Menk after a five-firm RFQ process and three finalist interviews. The Festival Street is an implementation element from the 2023 Downtown Area Plan covering Avent Ferry from Ballentine Street to Center Street, with the street remaining generally open to traffic but closeable for events; design elements may include overhead lighting, outdoor seating, decorative pavement, street trees, and event space. Council budgeted $500,000 for design; estimated construction cost is approximately $4.5 million as a future budget consideration. Project timeline runs roughly nine months, including early stakeholder engagement, three initial concepts, one final concept, and construction documents. Staff: Sean Ryan, Development Services. Same meeting also granted Focus Design Builders, LLC the first of two allowable 6-month extensions for Development Plan 23-DP-09 at 370 Green Oaks (extending expiration from January 29, 2026 to July 29, 2026), and authorized the Town Manager to execute a Utility Preliminary Engineering and Construction Agreement with NCDOT for utility work at the Sunset Lake Road / Holly Springs Road intersection improvements (Utility PAYGO Project Ordinance 26-03 adopted).