Tag Archive for: #datacenters

Henderson City Council To Consider Data Center Moratorium At Nov. 9 Meeting

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The Henderson City Council will hold a public hearing at its regular monthly meeting on Monday, Nov. 9 as it considers imposing a six-month moratorium on development approvals for data centers.

According to information in the agenda for the council’s regular monthly meeting, the purpose of the public hearing is “to receive public comments and consider the adoption of a 6-month moratorium on the acceptance, processing, and  approval of development on data centers within City of Henderson and Extra-Territorial  Jurisdiction (ETJ) area.

The goal is to ensure any future growth is well planned and aligns with development regulations and community priorities, according to the information contained in the agenda package, which WIZS News received Friday afternoon.

The City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, 134 Rose Ave., Henderson.

According to City Clerk Tracey Kimbrell, anyone who wishes to address Council must do so in person or submit their comments/questions to the City Clerk by 3 p.m. on the day of the Council meeting.

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Vance Commissioners To Consider Data Center Moratorium Extension At Nov. 13 Special Called Meeting

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Vance County Board of Commissioners Chair Carolyn Faines has scheduled a special called meeting for Friday, Nov. 13 at 4 p.m. to consider extending the moratorium on data center development. When the commissioners and planning board held a joint meeting recently to discuss revisions to the unified development ordinance, the possibility of an extension arose from the conversation.

N-Focus’s Michael Harvey, who is facilitating the creation of the UDO document, said he would have Section 5 of the UDO – which addresses data centers specifically – available for the planning board to consider at its November meeting.

The planning board could then present its recommendations to the commissioners, but the moratorium most likely would expire before the revisions could come before the commissioners for action.

During the joint meeting on Oct. 27, there was discussion about small- versus large-scale data centers, Harvey said NFocus could create text that would distinguish between major and minor facilities that would be available for discussion at the November planning board meeting.

That idea went over well with commissioners and planning board members, but Harvey reminded that distinctions would need to be based on power need and need for utilities.

Harvey said he’d prefer the planning board consider the concept now instead of waiting until later in the UDO process.

The current data center application by Natelli Holdings is in the technical compliance review part of the process. This is the period of time when county staff reviews and checks on the proposed development and makes sure it complies with county zoning and other factors like roads, utilities and safety requirements.

The applicant submitted the plan in September in anticipation of the county’s approval of the UDO. According to Vance County Planning and Development Director Sherry Moss, the plan is still in review and revisions are being made, based on comments from the TRC review.

There is no specific timeline, since the proposed use doesn’t have to go before an advisory board or the board of commissioners, Moss explained.

She outlined steps that are included in this part of the process:

  1. Plans are submitted to Planning Staff for TRC review.
  2. TRC meets as necessary on the 1st or 3rd Tuesday each month for plan review and provide feedback.
  3. Planning Staff compiles comments/feedback from meeting and distribute to TRC and applicant for any revisions.
  4. Revised plan, per TRC comments, is submitted to staff/TRC members for review and compliance.
  5. If plan is in compliance and TRC comments have been met, the zoning permit can be issued.
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Joint Commissioners, Planning Board Meeting Yields Some Progress On Section 5 Of UDO

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In a joint meeting, members of the Vance County Board of Commissioners and the county planning board reviewed progress on a particular section of the proposed unified development ordinance, from setbacks and traffic studies to noise thresholds and outdoor lighting fixtures.

During the Oct. 27 meeting, NFocus’s Michael Harvey walked the group through the different aspects of Section 5 of the UDO which deals specifically with data centers and reviewed recommendations that the planning board was making with regard to setbacks from external property lines and adjacent residential parcels.

Specific setback requirements would be in place for “sensitive use” parcels, a designation that includes schools, congregate care, retirement center, hospital, day care or place of worship.

Harvey said modifications have been made to fencing standards recommendations to address commissioners’ concerns that the fencing height was too low.

“We still recommend a 24-foot-high height limit on outdoor lighting fixtures and that there be a one footcandle limit at all property lines,” Harvey said. Footcandle is a way to measure a light’s intensity. “That is actually consistent with your current ordinance,” Harvey said.

What’s not in the current ordinance is a noise threshold, which Harvey said was recommended to be capped at 60 decibels.

“You don’t have noise regulations right now,” he said. “This would be brand new.”

The applicant is responsible for, among other things, paying for completion of a noise study. The applicant has to make sure a traffic impact study is conducted, too.

NFocus has recommended a 2,000-foot setback for data centers, no matter the size of the data center.

Following some discussion about small- and large-scale data centers, Harvey said NFocus could create text that would distinguish between major and minor facilities that would be available for discussion at the November planning board meeting.

That idea went over well with commissioners and planning board members, but Harvey reminded that distinctions would need to be based on power need and need for utilities.

Harvey said he’d prefer the planning board consider the concept now instead of waiting until later in the UDO process.

“What you don’t want to have happen – and it’s already going to happen on some level – is you don’t want to arbitrarily ignore or not impose reasonable regulation when you have that chance,” Harvey said.

Commissioners adopted a 60-day data center moratorium on Sept. 14. Harvey said he could have the information at the November meeting of the planning board, which then could be brought to the commissioners. County Manager Renee Perry said commissioners may need to hold a special called meeting if they would like to extend the moratorium.

(The text of this content was originally posted Oct. 30, 2026.)

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The Local Skinny! KRCV Calling for Minimum 2-Year Statewide Data Center Moratorium

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More than 50 people showed up Monday morning to a press conference held by Kerr Regional Citizen Voices, which expressed support for a minimum two-year moratorium on data center development in the state.

The press conference took place at a location on U.S. 158, close to the 500+ acre tract that is being considered for a hyperscale data center. According to organizers, this is the first of several press conferences to be held across the state that will call state lawmakers to put in place at least a two-year moratorium on data center development.

The application was approved by Vance County late last week, coincidentally, but the press conference had been planned before that application approval was made.

Those in attendance heard from a handful of people who shared their remarks and their unique perspectives with regard to data center development.

Although this particular data center project is at the heart of the opposition, speakers expressed discontent about the county process for discussion, consideration and approval of economic development projects. Speakers called for transparency about prospective projects before decisions are made.

Warren County’s Deborah Ferruccio has been involved with grassroots environmental justice efforts for close to 50 years and said that counties in North Carolina and Virginia that share the Roanoke River Basin – Kerr Lake and Lake Gaston – need to join forces.

“Once again, we are forming a regional alliance,” Ferruccio said. “We’re in this together. She said data center development will have a “devastating impact” on the affected areas, from natural resources, tourism and recreation to water availability and increased electricity demand.

Vance County resident Hope Crabtree spoke about the need for county government leaders to be more responsive to citizens’ requests for information.

“We’re not asking for special treatment, we’re asking for responsible government,” Crabtree said. She further stated that the public should have the opportunity to request and receive information about proposed projects before decisions are made.

She said progress should not come at the expense of those who have to live with the consequences of development.

Other speakers included nearby resident Angie Thornton, retired biomedical researcher Hope Taylor and Vance County resident Christian Somerville.

Visit www.kerrregionalcitizenvoices.com to learn more about the group, its mission and how you can participate or email Info@kerrregionalcitizenvoices.com.

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TownTalk: Vance County Commissioners Adopt 60-Day Data Center Moratorium

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 to put a 60-day moratorium in place for data center development.

Commissioners Leo Kelly and Valencia Perry voted against the motion put forward by Commissioner Tommy Hester.

Commissioner Perry told WIZS News Tuesday that the 60-day moratorium was “a smokescreen. The text amendment will be fixed and it will no longer be needed.”

Before Hester made the motion, Kelly made a motion for a 6-month moratorium, but County Attorney Jonathan Care said the motion could not be made because proper notice had not been advertised.

Because the legal notice publicized a 60-day moratorium, that was what commissioners could vote on.

During two public hearings – both involving data centers – commissioners on Monday heard from members of the public who oppose the data center development on a roughly 500-acre tract along U.S. Hwy. 158.

In comments to those in the audience, Kelly said he didn’t think a 60-day moratorium was long enough. He said he would be in favor of a 6-month or longer moratorium.

Commissioner Yolanda Feimster said she agreed with Kelly that more time was needed, but ultimately voted in favor of the 60-day moratorium.

In comments as much to the audience as to her fellow commissioners, Feimster said she has learned about data centers from the public as well as doing her own research.

“I think the public assumes because we have not acted in this way or that way…that we are not listening to what they are saying. We get the emails, we read the emails,” she said.

“We are in a situation where we have to look at the entire picture,” Feimster continued. “There’s a whole county full of people and everybody has their own opinions, everybody has their own concerns. We have to look at the concerns of everybody. And that’s not something that can happen overnight. It does take time.”

Commissioner Perry said Tuesday that she would be in favor of a year-long moratorium for the future, in the event that other developers approach the county that commissioners will have time to consider it and “learn from this experience.”

The 60-day moratorium began upon its adoption Monday night, and County Manager Renee Perry clarified Tuesday that it would terminate on Nov. 13 or upon adoption of an amendment to the requirements for data centers in the current Vance County zoning ordinance.

County Manager Perry stated, “The Board reserves the right to extend, amend, or repeal this moratorium as deemed necessary in accordance with N.C.G.S. 160D-107.”

At a meeting in August, Attorney Care said that, by law, commissioners must clearly identify four specific areas to satisfy the requirements necessary to put a moratorium in place, including a statement of the problems and conditions, the development approvals that would be subject to the moratorium, a date for termination of the moratorium and a statement of actions and schedule of actions that the county will undertake during the moratorium.

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TownTalk: Vance Commissioners Meeting Includes Public Comment On Possible Data Center Moratorium

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a legislative hearing for Monday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. to receive public comments about two topics surrounding data centers – including the possible adoption of a 60-day moratorium and the proposed zoning ordinance amendment that deals with data center development.

The meeting will be held in the commissioners’ meeting room, located on the second floor of the county administrative office building, 122 Young St.

According to published legal ads notifying the public about the hearings, the moratorium ordinance being considered would address “the acceptance, processing, and approval of development applications for data centers submitted after the adoption of the moratorium within Vance County.

Questions can be directed to Vance County Planning Department at 252.738.2080. For more information, visit

https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/planning-and-development/planning-board

or

Public Records Request Repository

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Data Center Developer Files Plan With County Amid Talk Of Moratorium, UDO Revision

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A data center developer has sent a letter to county leaders stating that it has “reluctantly” made a decision to file a plan for development of a site along U.S. Hwy. 158.

The letter, dated Sept. 9, was sent via email to the Vance County Board of Commissioners and the Vance County Planning Board in care of County Manager Renee Perry and was signed by Tom Natelli, with Natelli Holdings.

“Given the extensive efforts already underway and our ongoing reliance on the current County ordinances governing land use and development of this site, we have been closely following the discussions around the possible imposition of a moratorium and adoption of new regulations under the existing or revised UDO to more fully regulate Data Centers. The uncertainty this causes is very problematic for us at this stage of our efforts. We therefore reluctantly made the decision today to file a plan for development of the site.”

The county is in the process of updating its UDO – Unified Development Ordinance – and Natelli cited several proposed items within that document that “would need some refinement to be workable in the circumstance.”

Included along with the letter was a “red-lined” copy of the UDO with preferred edits to wording regarding everything from setbacks and buffers to cooling systems and decommissioning protocols.

Natelli said they’ve conducted a wide range of planning, engineering and design work “to confirm that a data center campus can be responsibly developed on this site,” along with environmental impact studies and talks with Duke Energy to make sure adequate energy is available “without causing adverse consequences” to the local community and ratepayers.

He said community engagement meetings would be planned at an appropriate time; there are still details that “must all come together for the project to be viable,” Natelli stated.

Acknowledging that he did not believe they’d be able to satisfy everyone, “I do think we can try to reasonably address matters of concern and explain how we intend to responsibly approach development of this campus.”

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Vance Commissioners Set Public Comment Period Sept. 14 To Consider Data Center Moratorium, Zoning Amendment Info

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a legislative hearing for Monday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. to receive public comments about two topics surrounding data centers – including the possible adoption of a 60-day moratorium and the proposed zoning ordinance amendment that deals with data center development.

The hearing is on the agenda for the regular commissioners’ meeting, which will be held in the commissioners’ meeting room, located on the second floor of the county administrative office building, 122 Young St. The agenda can be found at https://www.vancecounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Masterfile-1.pdf.

According to published legal ads notifying the public about the hearings, the moratorium ordinance being considered would address “the acceptance, processing, and approval of development applications for data centers submitted after the adoption of the moratorium within Vance County.

Questions can be directed to Vance County Planning Department at 252.738.2080. For more information, visit

https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/planning-and-development/planning-board/.

Individuals with a disability who want to attend the meeting should contact the office of the clerk to the board at 252.738.2003 by 12 noon Friday, Sept. 11 to provide enough time to arrange accommodations.

VGCC Board Of Trustees Votes Against Hosting Educational Forum On Data Centers

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In a special called meeting on Thursday, Sept. 3, the Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees decided against hosting an educational forum to discuss the issue of data centers.

At its regularly scheduled meeting on July 20, the board heard two requests from residents during the Public Comment period requesting the board consider hosting a public forum to give the community an opportunity to learn more about data centers, which has been a hot-button topic in Vance County for months.

At that meeting, the board instructed VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais to create a framework for a public forum.

“They specified that the framework should include a forum structure and guidelines,” Desmarais said in a statement Friday afternoon to WIZS News. “They also requested that I articulate the pros and cons of hosting such a forum and give them a recommendation on whether the College should indeed host such a forum.”

At Thursday’s meeting, the board reviewed the proposal, and, after what Desmarais described as “lengthy” discussions, Trustee Gordon Wilder made two motions, the first of which was withdrawn and replaced with a second motion to remove the VGCC administration from the responsibility of organizing an educational forum regarding data centers.

Trustee Tony Cozart seconded the motion and it passed unanimously in a roll-call vote.

Wilder’s first motion included keeping the college as a possible host site for a forum if a request came from a county commission or other recognized group from Vance, Granville, Warren or Franklin counties, which comprise the VGCC service area.

Desmarais said the board members considered a variety of concerns and options during their discussion, including risks of disruption from possible protests and the strain on college resources and staff that such an event could create.

According to Desmarais, Trustee Carolyn Faines – who also chairs the Vance County Board of Commissioners – questioned the logic of organizing an educational event before any formal application or filing for a data center has been made in Vance County. Desmarais said Faines characterized it as “putting the cart before the horse.”

Several board members suggested that another group could rent the Civic Center to host a forum and indicated a certain degree of comfort with providing a venue rather than hosting the event and the college would not be seen as organizing or endorsing the event.

In addition to Desmarais, trustees in attendance were Tony Cozart, Tare Davis, Carolyn Faines, Tom Harris, Dorwin Howard, Bruce Howerton, Abdul Rashid, Michael Schriver, Archie Taylor, Corey Thornton, Elaine Trujillo, Sara Wester, Gordon Wilder, Brenda Williamson, Xavier Wortham and Danny Wright.