The Vance County Board of Commissioners on Monday voted to continue a rezoning request for a 40-acre tract along Highway 158.
Although the planning board recommended in February to approve rezoning the property to Light Industrial, about 20 people spoke during the public hearing – most in opposition – prompting Commissioner Tommy Hester to make a motion to continue the agenda item.
“I care about this community, and I want to get the facts,” Hester said. “I don’t want to hurt this community, and I want to make sure everybody in that area gets what they need,” he said.
Attorney Beth Trahos, one of three applicants listed on the rezoning request was present at the Monday meeting. In remarks at the beginning of the public hearing portion of the meeting, Trahos said no development plan has been submitted thus far; the matter before the commissioners is a step in the process to get the tract rezoned from its current Employment and Instiuttional Area to Light Industrial.
Another of the applicants on the rezoning request, Michael Natelli, has been associated with the construction of data centers. The town of Apex in Wake County recently defeated an attempt by Natelli to put in a data center. The third name on the application is that of the landowner, Patricia Galloway.
At the public hearing that took place during the commissioners’ regular monthly meeting, residents filed to the podium to express their concern about having a data center in the area.
They cited concerns that included excessive noise pollution, as well as increased energy and water demands, among others.
Addressing those in attendance, Commissioner Leo Kelly said he was opposed to the idea of a data center. “I think we need to look at the process of data centers…I don’t think they bring what we’re looking for in Vance County.”
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