In N.C., Stokes County Approves a Data Center Rezoning, Triggering a Citizens’ Lawsuit

Stokes County, North Carolina, has become the focal point of a contentious data center development after its County Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve a rezoning request for Engineered Land Solutions. This decision, which enables a massive data center project on 1,844 acres near Walnut Cove, overruled the local planning board and sparked significant community backlash. The land in question abuts residential areas, farms, and historically significant Native American and enslaved people's burial grounds. In response, local property owners, including Tim and Deborah Mabe, alongside environmental advocacy groups 7 Directions of Service and CleanAIRE NC, have filed a lawsuit against Stokes County. The plaintiffs allege the commission's approval was based on "false or materially incomplete premises" regarding job creation, tax revenue, noise, and cultural site protection. They further claim that Engineered Land Solutions, which incorporated in December 2024, had not provided a detailed site plan or named a tenant prior to the vote, and that not all affected landowners were properly notified. The controversy also highlights the involvement of real estate mogul David Couch, whose company DFC Stokes owns the parcels for the data center. A procedural error mistakenly zoned an adjoining property owner's residential land as heavy industrial, an issue the county has not clarified. Opposition was evident during the January 2026 meeting, where over 100 people protested the project, expressing distrust in the commissioners' decision-making. Concerns were also raised about the project's energy sourcing, initially relying on natural gas generators, and potential noise levels.