Rowan County neighbors fight against suspected data center construction
Neighbors in Rowan County, North Carolina, are actively opposing the construction of a large data center campus by EDC Charlotte, LLC. Residents have submitted a petition with over 5,000 signatures and are planning a protest before a County Commissioners' meeting where a one-year moratorium on data centers will be discussed. Opponents are also seeking to rezone the land to prevent data center development.
Residents in a rural Rowan County, North Carolina neighborhood are expressing significant concerns and actively opposing the construction of a massive data center development on Long Ferry Road. Neighbors, who fear the project will destroy their quiet lifestyle, reported being unaware of the development until construction began a month ago.
One resident, who has owned property in the area for over 40 years, initiated a petition garnering over 5,000 signatures to halt the construction. He also collected signatures from neighbors in favor of rezoning the land to specifically prohibit data centers.
According to the Rowan County government, the owner of the land, identified as EDC Charlotte, LLC—a company that builds data centers—is evaluating the site for a potential data center campus. The county stated that no further Board of Commissioners' approvals are required for the use, and that the public was notified of the project through mail, media, and signage about six public meetings since 2021. However, residents claim these meetings never effectively reached them.
Dozens of protesters are expected to attend an upcoming County Commissioners' meeting where community input will be heard on a proposed one-year moratorium on data centers. This moratorium, if enacted, would not apply to the current project, leaving residents feeling they have few options if the county cannot intervene.