Rockingham City Council sets rezoning public hearing for September regarding proposed data center
The Rockingham City Council has scheduled a public hearing for September to discuss the rezoning of a 165-acre property on Old Cheraw Highway from high-density residential to conditional light industrial for a proposed data center. Residents have expressed concerns, particularly about noise and the permanent land use change. City officials highlight the significant economic benefits, including a projected $1.2 billion investment and a substantial increase in the city's tax base.
The Rockingham City Council has set a public hearing for its September meeting to address a proposed data center project, which requires the rezoning of a 165-acre parcel on Old Cheraw Highway. Developer Terra Nexus Land Fund 1, LLC, which purchased the property after initial residential development plans stalled, is seeking conditional light industrial zoning. The project proposes four 156,000-square-foot buildings, 48 diesel generators per building for backup power, and a 16-acre electric substation.
Assistant City Manager John Massey explained that conditional rezoning would restrict future use to only a data center as per the site plan, preventing other industrial uses without further rezoning. Local opposition, led by resident Russ Fincham, has raised concerns that rezoning to industrial would permanently alter land use. Massey addressed environmental considerations, noting a closed-loop water recycling system reducing water usage to primarily employee consumption, and an operational noise study showing expected decibel levels below federal recommendations at the property line.
City officials, including Massey and City Manager Monty Crump, emphasized the substantial economic benefits of the data center, projecting a $1.2 billion investment that could more than double the city's current $824 million tax base, potentially reducing the tax burden on residents. Mayor John Hutchinson praised the transparency of the multi-step approval process. The city's Planning Board unanimously recommended the rezoning request with specific conditions, despite an incident during the August meeting where public comments on the data center were deferred to the September hearing.