Southport Planning Board backs 15-month data center moratorium

SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — The Southport Planning Board is recommending the city pause any possible development of data centers while officials craft regulations they say will better protect residents and businesses.

Following a lengthy discussion on Thursday, the planning board voted unanimously to recommend that the Southport Board of Aldermen adopt a 15-month moratorium on new data centers and related industries.

If approved, the moratorium would give the planning board time to revise a proposed amendment to the city’s Unified Development Ordinance that would establish development standards and regulations for any future data center projects within Southport.

Planning board member Maria Horton said having an ordinance in place is critical to protecting the city.

“Now understand that under North Carolina general statute, we do need to have an ordinance in order to be able to protect the city and I think it’s very important for everyone to understand that,” Horton said.

Planning Board Chair Lawrence Ashley said the city is trying to prepare before any developers express interest in building a data center.

“I know some people think we can just say no. Zoning doesn’t work that way. You have to have effective good zoning in advance in order to make sure that you’re protecting the community, both the residents, as well as businesses,” Ashley said.

Ashley said the proposed ordinance addresses concerns often associated with data centers, including water usage.

“In the draft regulations, we put that it can only be a closed loop system meaning that it can not draw off of municipal water, nor can it draw off of a well, because what you don’t want is to have these impacting the community part of a water source or the aquifer for that matter,” Ashley said.

He also said he hopes state lawmakers will address concerns about the cost of expanding electrical infrastructure for large-scale facilities.

“A lot of times, you have to add to the infrastructure, which that price or that cost winds up going onto the consumer. So we’re hoping that Raleigh will actually have something in place to protect the consumers as well as the business, not only in Southport or Brunswick County, but all of North Carolina,” Ashley said.

Southport is not alone in taking steps to prepare for potential data center development. The town of Shallotte adopted zoning definitions for data centers in February before any development proposals were submitted. Boiling Spring Lakes also approved a one-year moratorium while it develops zoning regulations related to data centers.

Ashley emphasized there are currently no proposals, pending applications or plans to build a data center in Southport.

The planning board’s recommendation now moves to the Southport Board of Aldermen for consideration.