Folks filled up Bearpond FD Wednesday to take part in the first in a series of community forums hosted by Vance County commissioners.
At a previous commissioners’ meeting, District 4 Commissioner Dan Brummitt volunteered to host the first one; future gatherings are scheduled for the county’s other six districts.
For the first 10 minutes or so of the hour-long session, Brummitt reviewed questions that had been submitted and provided basic answers, but it didn’t take long to get to the topic that no doubt was of interest and concern to many in the room: data centers.
He distributed copies of a three-page “fact sheet” from county staff that addressed six issues associated with data centers, including property tax impacts and infrastructure and environmental considerations.
While the commissioner reiterated previous information that the county has, to date, received no applications for permits, he did state that there’s some site work being done now on at least a portion of the roughly 550 acres in the area of U.S. 158, Poplar Creek Road and I-85.
“We’re aware that (developer Tom) Natelli is working on their plan right now,” Brummitt said, adding that any work would be through agreements with the landowners and not because any permits have been requested or granted.
At times, the crowd was loud as it expressed disagreement and all but drowned out Brummitt’s comments. Several asked about the possibility of a moratorium on data centers. Four other commissioners were among those present at the community forum, and one participant asked to poll those commissioners to find out whether they’d also support a moratorium, an idea Brummitt had suggested in previous meetings that he may willing to get behind.
Commissioner Leo Kelly acknowledged the controversy surrounding data centers, and said he’d had reservations at first. While he didn’t state which side he’d come down on – moratorium or no moratorium, he did say that a moratorium would “kill” the idea of a data center.
“If we slow the process down, how do we meet the needs?” Kelly said, referring to county-funded projects like building a new jail and paying higher supplements to attract and retain teachers.
“We’ve got issues in this county that we’re not able to fund,” Kelly said. “If we have a moratorium, then we’ve got to find revenue to meet those needs.”
But Henderson resident Anne Rivera, who has been a vocal critic of the data center, asked: “What’s the resistance to allowing more time?”
Brummitt said he has received comments from residents who are in support of data centers as well as those who oppose location of such a facility in Vance County.
“We have to listen to all of it and then wait for the facts,” he said.
CLICK PLAY for TownTalk!
