Lee County: Industrial, Olive Garden, LongHorn and Aspen Dental projects advance

From two industrial buildings totaling 221,000 square feet to Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Aspen Dental, several projects are moving through Lee County’s review process.

Samuel Nye applied for a light industrial project on 30.38 acres off Clyde Rhyne Drive in Lee County. The property is next to 5905 Enterprise Park Drive. Nye plans two industrial buildings at 110,500 square feet each.

The property has public water and will need sewer extended from Enterprise Park Drive.

Spencer Smith of Sanford owns the property.

This is the first time this project has been proposed.

An annexation request would be followed by a conditional rezoning request.

If approved, the next step would be applying for building permits.

Adam’s Crossing Projects

Applicant Fred Doyle applied for two restaurant reviews and an Aspen Dental facility off North Carolina Highway 87 next to Walmart for property owned by Ray Covington. The property is in Sanford’s ETJ, has city services and does not need further rezoning.

The original plans for Adam’s Crossing, also called Adam’s Village, consisting of 32.6 acres, was in June of 2025. The city rezoned the property from R20 to commercial. The project calls for 202,700 square-feet of retail space and 6,150 square-feet in the middle for a fuel station.

In the image below, purple highlights the wetlands.

The Carolina Trace Fire District may be home to an Olive Garden restaurant at 3350 & 3356 North Carolina Highway 87. The company proposed a 6,350 square-foot building on the 1.59 acres already zoned commercial.

A LongHorn Steakhouse is proposed for the same area in Adam’s Crossing. The restaurant plans a 5,600 square-foot building on 1.52 acres.

The applicant requests a 5,600 square-foot building on .61 acres for Aspen Dental, also in Adam’s Crossing.

Sept. 5, 2026

Stephanie M. Sellers

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