Fayetteville’s City Council has tapped the brakes on a proposed data center ordinance, putting a temporary freeze on a massive plan pitched for 50 acres along Dunn Road. Mayor Mitch Colvin signaled he will recommend roughly 90 days for staff to dig into the details, while residents packed into the meeting split between promises of new jobs and fears about water supplies, noise and higher utility bills. For now, any new approvals are on hold while elected officials and staff try to sort out the tradeoffs.
Council members narrowly voted to study the ordinance instead of sending the draft straight to a public hearing, a move that followed emotional public comments and pointed questions about infrastructure and environmental impacts, according to ABC11. Patrick Gual, a tech industry veteran, told the station the project “isn’t a catastrophe” but said its impacts need to be fully understood, and Mayor Colvin added that he wants more detailed information before any big decisions. The pause does not outlaw projects, but it gives the council time to weigh a possible moratorium or revised rules.
What Is Actually On The Table
One firm has floated the idea of a 300 megawatt campus on about 50 acres along Dunn Road, with a marketing brochure valuing the buildout at roughly $6.4 billion, according to CityView NC. CityView reported that the pitch came from Energy Storage Solutions LLC of Rocky Mount and that the concept calls for on site energy storage and phased construction. Officials and economic development leaders have stressed that the idea is a long way from a done deal, and the site has not been contracted for construction.
Neighbors Are Split
Residents who spoke at the council meeting offered sharply different takes on what a mega scale center would mean for Fayetteville, raising alarms about water availability, noise and higher power bills while others pointed to potential jobs and fresh investment, ABC11 reports. Fayetteville native Audrea Elliott told reporters she opposed the project, warning that rural land and farmland could be wiped out and adding that “it’ll probably raise TWC prices if the community has to pay for it.” Supporters argue that with careful planning and clear “guardrails,” the city could capture economic benefits without overwhelming local services.
Council’s Options And Staff Advice
City staff told the council the draft ordinance is meant as a “governance package” to close a gap in city code and set standards for noise, buffers and where data centers could be located, according to CityView NC. Staff laid out five basic paths: move the draft to a hearing, revise it, study a moratorium, send it back to the planning commission or take no action at all, and warned that without an ordinance the city manager would have to interpret applications case by case. Councilmember Shaun McMillan pushed for studying a moratorium as a way to bring in experts on grid capacity, water impacts and possible effects on ratepayers before anything moves ahead.
Public Outreach And Grid Realities
Economic development officials have been trying to get residents up to speed. The Fayetteville Cumberland EDC hosted a public information session in late January to explain how modern data centers operate and what kinds of networks and power generation they would need, according to BizFayetteville. Local experts at that meeting said the region can support large facilities but warned that big new power demands can shrink reserve margins and eventually require new generation or transmission upgrades. Those technical realities, advocates said, make it even more important to adopt local rules that protect ratepayers and drinking water supplies…