The town of Apex intends to adopt a one-year moratorium on data centers. Earlier this week, the town council voted to have town staff write it. It could come before the council for an official vote as soon as next month.
This comes after the developer of New Hill Digital Campus, a proposed 300 MW data center, pulled the project late last week.
Mayor Pro-Tem Terry Mahaffey introduced the motion for the moratorium at Tuesday's council meeting.
"I would ask the council to consider at this time putting forward a one-year moratorium to provide clarity," said Mahaffey. "(Staff) can work exclusively on developing (zoning) rules for data centers. We need the time and space to develop these rules."
In February, Chatham County approved a one-year temporary moratorium on the permitting of data centers, expressing similar sentiments of taking the time to properly investigate and plan ahead.
Mahaffey added this moratorium is now possible because the New Hill project is no longer in play.
"It's about the space that staff would have: not having to balance an active application where there's being demands made of them, and suggestions made to them from the applicant," said Mahaffey. "Having that distraction doesn't give the best outcome. So the moratorium will allow the work to focus solely on doing what's best for Apex."
The council voted unanimously in favor of moving forward with the moratorium.
Mayor Jacques Gilbert also proposed forming a non-standing committee to research impacts of data centers and to provide policy and transparency recommendations.
This proposal largely came in direct response to the Protect Wake County Coalition, a community group that formed to protest the New Hill project. Members of the Coalition have spoken during public comment at town council meetings for the past several months.
"It's disheartening to me to have members of the community just stand there and speak, and we can't talk back to them at all," said Gilbert, referring to receiving public comment. "I really want to make sure... that there is adequate community engagement from those impacted. I just want us all to be at the table together and have dialogue."
After almost an hour of deliberation, the council decided to not move forward with the Mayor's suggestion, instead deciding to leave the topic for the town's Environmental Advisory Board (EAB). Other council members argued there will be opportunity for public engagement through the EAB, and also voiced concerns about disenfranchising existing town staff and expertise.
Members with the Coalition expressed disappointment with this decision, saying they want the opportunity for more open dialogue. However, the group said the pending moratorium is a step in the right direction.
