Seasons at Wilbon Rezoning Moves Forward After Detailed Review of Traffic, Utilities, and Piney Grove-Wilbon Corridor Growth
Holly Springs (NC) town council voted 3–1 on Nov. 18 to approve the Seasons at Wilbon rezoning request.
Holly Springs, NC, Nov. 23, 2025 — The Holly Springs Town Council voted 3–1 this past Tuesday to approve the Seasons at Wilbon rezoning request on Piney Grove-Wilbon Road, clearing the way for a master-planned neighborhood of 222 homes and a detailed development agreement tying the project to significant transportation, environmental, and utility upgrades. (related documents)
Formally known as 25-REZ-06 (document), the request converts the 81-acre rural residential site (map) into a Neighborhood Residential Conditional District with a mix of 142 detached homes and 80 townhomes. The existing plan has lots arranged so that higher-density housing sits toward the center while larger lots transition to existing low-density properties to the west. The Planning Board recommended approval by a 4–3 vote, and Town staff supported the project.
Growth Pressure, Corridor Constraints & Required Improvements
Town staff began their review of Seasons at Wilbon by placing the proposal within the broader context of the Piney Grove-Wilbon corridor, a stretch identified in the town’s long-range planning documents as a future four-lane, median-divided roadway.
Although that widening project is not currently funded in NCDOT’s State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), staff stressed that the corridor is already experiencing rapid growth from both Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina. Recent and forthcoming projects such as Elliott Farm and Tassel Ridge, combined with active development south of the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ boundary, have intensified pressure on the roadway long before NCDOT is prepared to intervene. Because the site sits close to the Holly Springs–Fuquay-Varina line, staff said the project required careful coordination with both jurisdictions.
The master plan for the development contains 222 homes at 2.9 units per acre, with townhomes at the center of the site and single-family lots forming the outer ring. To transition more gently into neighboring rural and low-density areas, staff highlighted that the applicant added enhanced perimeter buffers, including 20-foot Type B and Type C plantings along Piney Grove-Wilbon Road and Adcock Road. Architectural anti-monotony standards and expanded open space were also added.
Because the project size triggers Holly Springs’ Water Resource Management Policy, the developer selected three required compliance pathways: incorporating stormwater wetlands instead of standard wet ponds, adopting sustainable design features, and providing 25% more open space than the ordinance requires. On utilities, staff confirmed the development will require multiple water-line extensions across both frontages and internal streets, as well as downstream pump-station upgrades that the developer has committed to fund. The project’s water-sewer allocation request totaled more than 66,000 gallons per day.
Traffic played a central role in the analysis. The required Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) mandates that the developer design and build all needed roadway improvements, including exclusive turn lanes at both site entrances, frontage widening of Piney Grove-Wilbon Road to match half of its future four-lane cross-section, and collector-level upgrades to Adcock Road. Staff noted that because NCDOT has no active widening project for this corridor, developer-built improvements are the only near-term strategy to address congestion and safety. Staff emphasized that minor, incremental upgrades from multiple developments are currently the town’s most practical way to keep the corridor functional while awaiting state-funded improvements.
Regional Growth, “By-Right” Risk & the Need for Roadway Improvements
Council members spent a lot of time discussing whether the rezoning would meaningfully improve corridor conditions, or whether rejecting it would leave the town with even fewer tools to manage growth.
One council member pointed out that Piney Grove-Wilbon is no longer a purely Holly Springs corridor. Developments “on the Fuquay side” of the road are adding cars to the system regardless of what Holly Springs approves, and large tracts south of the ETJ are expected to build out over the coming years. “There are a ton of homes still to come down there,” the council member said, warning that regional traffic will continue whether the town approves this project or not.
Another central theme was the risk of “by-right” development if Seasons at Wilbon were denied. Staff confirmed that under current zoning, a developer could build roughly 40 homes by right with minimal improvements to Piney Grove-Wilbon Road. One council member noted the downside: “Somebody can come in right now… and build, by right, 40 homes… and then we’re still in the same boat we’ve got.”
Council members also emphasized that roadway improvements tied to rezonings, such as turn lanes, frontage widening, and collector-street upgrades, are among the few tools Holly Springs has to address failing intersections in the absence of NCDOT funding. “If the roadways that we need improved are through development, then we need to actually take a look at that,” one member said. “We’ve got to do something for the roadways.”
No Public Comments at This Stage
Because the legislative public hearing for the proposal occurred on October 21st (before Planning Board review), no public comments were taken on Tuesday. Staff summarized those earlier comments, which included concerns about traffic, loss of rural character, and farmland preservation, alongside some support for utility extensions and infrastructure upgrades. The applicant made no additional changes after the October hearing.
Council Vote & Final Actions
At the conclusion of the presentations and discussion, the council approved the rezoning and all associated requests in three steps:
Rezoning Approval (3–1) — Council adopted ordinance RZ25-08 approving Seasons at Wilbon (25-REZ-06).
Utility Allocation Approval (Unanimous) — Council approved 66,555 gallons per day (GPD) in residential water-sewer allocation.
Development Agreement (Unanimous) — Council approved the Development Agreement, authorizing staff to finalize revisions with the Town Manager and Attorney.
What’s Next & Current Status
Although the rezoning and development agreement have been approved, Seasons at Wilbon is not yet ready for construction. The project now advances into the next phase of the town’s review process, which includes:
Detailed engineering of all transportation improvements, including turn lanes, frontage widening, and collector-level upgrades
Final design of water and sewer infrastructure, including the developer-funded downstream pump-station upgrades
Major subdivision review, which must return to Council as a quasi-judicial case before construction can begin
Execution of the final Development Agreement, including all water-resource compliance pathways
Ongoing coordination with Fuquay-Varina and NCDOT, given the shared nature of the Piney Grove-Wilbon corridor
Town staff emphasized that many of the project’s most significant public benefits — roadway improvements, pump-station upgrades, and expanded open space — take effect during engineering and subdivision review, not at the rezoning stage.
The project now moves forward, but remains under detailed technical and regulatory review before any land-disturbing activity can occur.