Mount Airy officials prepare to vote on data center regulations
Mount Airy officials are preparing to vote on an ordinance regulating where and how data centers may operate in the city. The proposed rules address setbacks, noise, water use, zoning, wastewater, public meetings and facility decommissioning, while a 90-day moratorium remains in effect for new applications.
Mount Airy, North Carolina, city commissioners are scheduled to take final action on an ordinance regulating future data centers after months of study and an October public hearing. The proposal would limit facilities to industrial and selected business districts, require sound studies and screening, establish separation distances from homes and sensitive uses, mandate public meetings for nearby property owners, and include decommissioning procedures.
Residents raised concerns about noise, water use and potential effects on residential areas, while officials said the proposed sealed cooling systems would require minimal municipal water withdrawals and that electricity use is largely outside the city’s control. Planning Director Byron Brown is expected to update the ordinance before the commissioners’ vote, as the city’s 90-day moratorium on data center applications remains in place.