Gaston County delays vote on 251‑lot Holly Springs subdivision amid water, traffic and annexation concerns

The Gaston County Board of Commissioners on July 22 continued the public hearing on a conditional rezoning for the Holly Springs property — a proposed planned residential development (PRD) that would create 251 lots on roughly 135 acres north of West Catawba Avenue near Mount Holly.

The board voted unanimously to continue the matter to Oct. 28 so county staff, the town of Mount Holly and the applicant can address outstanding questions about utilities, traffic and jurisdiction. The hearing remains open; no final rezoning decision was made.

County planning staff told the commissioners the applicant, representing the Springs family, is seeking a conditional RS‑8 designation with urban overlay to allow a PRD. Jamie Kimberlew, director of Gaston County Planning and Zoning, said the plan shows 251 lots total — including about 84 attached townhome units — and more than 60% of the site proposed as open space. "Staff has recommended a condition of approval that states all required state permits for any systems related to the collection, distribution, and treatment of water must be obtained prior to approving the construction documents for the site," Kimberlew said.

Why it matters: the site sits partly in Mount Holly's former extraterritorial jurisdiction and adjacent to Taylor's Creek, which flows to the Catawba River. Neighbors and municipal officials raised concerns about private community wells, an on‑site wastewater treatment plant, traffic impacts at West Catawba and Rankin roads, fire protection for homes not served by hydrants, and school capacity. Mount Holly city leaders urged the county to deny the rezoning and allow annexation so the city could provide water, sewer and emergency services.

Developer: Paul Shriver, representing the landowners, told commissioners the family has pursued approvals and annexation attempts for years and that the rezoning is the result of exhausted options. "This is about the landowners basically exhausting all other options that they've had before them at this point," Shriver said. He described the proposal as low density for a PRD — "we're only going to have 1.85 units per acre" — and said the site plan includes architectural standards, a landscape plan with about 435 new trees, walking trails and amenities. Shriver said the developer would give $1,000 to Gaston County Schools for every lot developed and that the plan shows an on‑site wastewater plant and an estimated three community wells to serve the neighborhood.

Utilities and regulation: Kimberlew and the applicant repeatedly stressed that state agencies regulate community wells and wastewater systems. Kimberlew noted that any water and wastewater systems must receive required NCDEQ and North Carolina Utilities Commission permits and be installed and approved before final plats are recorded. The developer's consultants said the on‑site treatment system would use modular equipment and that preliminary estimates show the project would use about 75,000 gallons per day; the developer said Taylor's Creek could accommodate up to 1,000,000 gallons per day. The developer also proposed monitoring and reporting: monthly water quality and wastewater system data would be provided to Gaston County once the plant is operating — a condition the board added to the file.

Public safety and neighborhood concerns: Several nearby residents raised objections at the hearing. Joshua Brown, a Mount Holly resident, cautioned that parts of the site would be far from hydrants and said the development could depend on tanker‐shuttle operations for fire protection. "One of the things to consider…is that this would probably be one of the largest neighborhoods in the East Gaston Fire Department District that would not have any fire protection with hydrant, solely relying on tanker shuttle operations," Brown said. Another nearby resident, Josh Allen, asked the commissioners to require an in‑depth hydrological study before approving a project that would rely on community wells, saying private wells in the area could be affected.

Municipal opposition and annexation: Mount Holly's mayor and city manager both opposed the rezoning. Mayor David Moore told the board the city is prepared to provide water and sewer service if the property is annexed and urged denial of the county rezoning. City Manager Jonathan Blanton reiterated that Mount Holly had an active annexation petition with the property owner, argued the property had only been formally denied by Mount Holly once in 2017 and said the city believes it is better positioned to serve the site with municipal utilities and emergency services. "The city does not support this initiative," Moore said.

Planning review and conditions: The county planning board recommended approval by a 5‑to‑4 vote; staff and the applicant worked through seven revisions of the site plan during the county review. County staff recommended and the board entered into the record an updated list of conditions; the board approved entering the update into the record during the hearing. Commissioners emphasized state permitting as a precondition: Kimberlew reminded the board that state permits must be in hand for water and wastewater prior to construction document approval and that the utility operator and permits are regulated at the state level.

What happened at the meeting: The board unanimously voted to accept the updated list of conditions — which included an 11th condition requiring monthly water quality reporting for Taylor's Creek once the wastewater plant is operating — and later unanimously voted to continue the public hearing to Oct. 28 to allow time for additional information, coordination with Mount Holly and further staff analysis. No rezoning decision or final approval was taken.

Next steps: The case remains in public hearing. County staff indicated they will compile outstanding technical questions and requested documents, including permitting requirements and any additional monitoring plans. The board asked parties to pursue discussions with Mount Holly in the intervening months. The next county hearing on this matter is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2025.