Charlotte Residents weigh in on proposed data center moratorium

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Residents packed Charlotte City Council chamber Tuesday night for a hearing on temporarily pausing development on new telecommunications and data storage facilities. Charlotte City Council is considering a 150 day pause on building data centers.

Dozens of people spoke in support of the moratorium.

“The temporary moratorium is not anti-development. It is a reasonable planning tool that would allow the city to establish clear standards, evaluate cumulative impacts, determine appropriate requirements and develop environmental justice safeguards before irreversible land use and infrastructure decisions are made, Kibri Everett, Charlotte Resident and researcher said.

There are already several data centers in Charlotte. Most recently, American Tower Corporation asked city council to rezone 58 acres of land off Hood Road in East Charlotte near Reedy Creek Park.

“Communities should not have to organize after projects are already in motion, just to be heard. That is not engagement, that is reaction,” Rev Dr. Janet Garner-Mullins Charlotte Resident and activist said.

The majority of people who spoke at the public hearing supported a moratorium, but several speakers said moratorium would pause tech developments in the Queen City.

“I do think the data centers are becoming critical infrastructure for communities. I think so I think they are becoming like utilities and roads,” Collin Brown with Alexander Ricks PLLC said.

“Charlotte cannot continue building the city that we aspire to be while stepping backward on the infrastructure that supports modern business education and innovation, that does not mean concerns should be ignored or questions should go unanswered,” Bobbi Jo Lazarus who represents Real Estate Developers said.

Some residents say a moratorium will give council time to find an equitable solution to make data centers pay their fair share for electricity and water.

“The city should ensure that the taxpayer revenue that comes from that to those facilities get returned back to us in the form of dividends to offset the rates that we’re going to pay in electricity and water,” Craig Reynolds, Charlotte Resident said.

Charlotte City Council is expected to vote on the data center moratorium on June 8th.