Lee County, North Carolina Residents Demand Moratorium on Data Center Project
Lee County, North Carolina residents are demanding a pause on a proposed $900 million data center in Sanford, citing concerns about noise pollution, environmental impacts, and a lack of transparency during the rezoning process. Nearly 2,500 people have signed a petition for a moratorium on data centers and a release of public records, alleging they were misled about the project's true nature as a "light industrial business park" rather than a hyperscale data center.
SANFORD, NC – Approximately 150 residents of Lee County, North Carolina, gathered at a County Board of Commissioners meeting to voice strong opposition against a proposed $900 million hyperscale data center development by PointOne Data Centers and CyrusOne. The project, located on 430 acres on Lower Moncure Road in Sanford, is slated to bring a 90-megawatt "new technology park" to the area, but locals contend they were misled about its true nature during the initial rezoning process.
Residents claim that last year, they were invited to weigh in on rezoning for what was presented by Trustwell Property Group and Helix Ventures as a "light industrial business park," not a data center. Steve Baber, a Lee County planning board member and Lower Moncure resident, expressed a feeling of being "snookered," noting that while a data center is permissible under light industrial zoning, its specific mention was omitted. The unexpected announcement by PointOne Data Centers on June 8 revealed the project's data center focus, leading to widespread community anger.
Key concerns raised by residents include severe noise pollution, with one farmer, Jeff Kidd, likening potential noise to "a helicopter landing on your house," citing similar issues at a CyrusOne data center in Illinois. Other environmental worries encompass light pollution, increased local temperatures, excessive water usage, and strain on the electrical grid. Furthermore, critics like Eric Evenson pointed out the data center would create only about 40 jobs, a stark contrast to the 500 jobs promised with the original business park concept.
A petition supporting a moratorium on data centers in Lee County and calling for the release of public records has garnered nearly 2,500 signatures. While the City of Sanford adapted its Unified Development Ordinance in April to cap data center noise at 65 decibels, residents argue this measure is insufficient. Commissioner Kirk Smith acknowledged the county's need for property tax revenue but suggested many protestors might not be local residents and that most county residents likely support the project, a claim disputed by the attendees.