Harnett Commissioners approve one-year data center moratorium

Harnett County Commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data centers on May 4, following an hour and 15 minutes of public comment. The decision, initiated by Commissioner Matt Nicol and seconded by Barbara McCoy, aims to provide the county with time to develop comprehensive regulations for data center development. County Manager Brent Trout highlighted that without the moratorium, data centers could proceed under conditional zoning. Several residents voiced opposition to data centers. Seth Richardson, a cybersecurity worker, urged the commissioners to take a stand against further development, while Kameka Dempsey of Lillington recounted a former data center becoming a 'ghost town.' Richard Chapman raised questions about data center decommissioning that he hopes will be addressed during the moratorium. Marge Morton also questioned State Sen. Jim Burgin's assertion that a data center could generate $1.5 million in ad valorem tax, suggesting the figure was likely lower. Sen. Burgin had indicated a company was interested in Harnett County, but Manager Trout stated planning staff had received no applications or discussions. The action by Harnett County follows similar regulatory efforts in nearby Lee County and Sanford on April 20 and 21, respectively. Commissioner William Morris, while voting for the moratorium, inquired about a shorter 90-day period. The discussion also included a brief reference to Chatham County's recent one-year moratorium and a subsequent lawsuit filed by developer Kirk J. Bradley regarding a data center zoning permit issued there.