At the heart of the debate over whether Apex should annex and rezone a parcel of land located in New Hill just south of Old U.S. Highway 1 for a proposed data storage facility is a central question: Do town leaders envision that property as a corridor for future industrial growth, or do they want it to remain rural pastureland?
If it’s the former, developer Michael Natelli argues, his company’s proposed New Hill Digital Campus is an ideal use for the site; if it’s the latter, he says, his business here is done.
The town’s long-range planning documents, including its Comprehensive Plan, have identified the site for industrial use for at least the past decade, but it is currently zoned for low-density residential…