Statesville planning board approves rezoning request for controversial data center despite resident opposition

STATESVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Statesville town planning board members approved a rezoning request for a proposed data center despite opposition from residents.

The planning board meeting was scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Officials with Compass Data Center were requesting to rezone approximately 350 acres of land along Stamey Farm Road between I-40 and Hickory Highway for the development.

Currently, the land is designated as farm land, and the owners of the company want it to be changed to light industrial zoning.

The proposed development would consist of five data center/warehouse buildings with backup generators, two stormwater ponds, and a possible Duke Energy substation. There would also be a temporary batch plant installed during construction.

Representatives with Compass Data Center spoke at Tuesday’s planning board meeting and assured the community that the center is committed to limiting the amount of environmental harm. The company also has a location in Raleigh.

The proposal was met with overwhelming disapproval from a packed city hall. Many residents opposed the development for possible safety, health, and environmental impacts due to its proximity to residential areas.

“There’s got to be a better place for it than in the middle of [a] community with three schools surrounding this area,” one speaker said.

Some residents were in favor of the proposal for its potential economic impact on the area.

The planning board’s unanimous approval moves the matter to the Statesville City Council, which will give the final decision on the rezoning request during their September 15 meeting.

This comes after neighbors in Mooresville spoke out against a proposed data center there. The developers, a different company from Compass Data Center, have since withdrawn their application.