Holly Springs, NC, August 22, 2026 — A proposed rezoning that would bring 53 new homes and a small commercial center to Avent Ferry Road is on hold after the Holly Springs Town Council voted unanimously to defer action on Tuesday (8/18/26).
The rezoning request (document) covers about 32 acres at 2420 Avent Ferry Road and would change the property from Rural Residential to conditional Suburban Residential and Neighborhood Mixed-Use. The proposal would allow the construction of 53 single-family homes and a commercial building ranging from 5,000 to 16,000 square feet on the property.
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Commercial space raises access and usage questions
The proposed commercial building would have no direct entrance from Avent Ferry Road. Drivers would reach it through internal driveways connected to the subdivision, an arrangement council members questioned during their discussion with the applicant’s traffic engineer.
The full development is projected to generate about 1,400 vehicle trips per day, with about 900 coming from the commercial portion. Council members also asked for more separation and buffering between the commercial building and the homes backing up to it.
Council members also questioned the proposed crosswalk across Avent Ferry Road, asking the applicant to work with the N.C. Department of Transportation on the crossing rather than leave it as a conceptual part of the plan. They pointed to a nearby intersection they said is already unsafe for children walking between neighborhoods.
The applicant was also asked to narrow the potential uses of the commercial property. Several asked for language limiting the site to neighborhood retail, such as a small grocery or convenience store. An attorney representing the family behind the project agreed to revise the conditions.
“There is no desire for it to be a mattress firm. There is no desire for it to be a Dollar General or something along those lines,” the attorney told the council.
Submitted application materials have described the intended use as a small specialty or international grocer, and one of the property owners told the council he wants to keep the commercial space in the family long-term.
Road work included in the plan
The project also calls for about 1,400 feet of widening along the Avent Ferry Road frontage, a new three-lane extension of Buckhorn Duncan Road through the property and a 10-foot multi-use path along both roads.
With the rezoning deferred, council did not take up the related development agreement or water and sewer allocation request. No date has been set for the project to return to the Town Council.