near/nearby

With the deadline for the Eco-discount system ----, some car dealerships are receiving more than 100 registrants a day.

A) nearby
B) near
C) to near

The answer is B, but I thought it’s A.
Why is A incorrect?

“Nearby” is more spatial than temporal… i.e. it is more about location than time.

Thank you!
By the way, what kind of word class is this “near”, preposition, isn’t it?