Edgecombe County calls public hearing on UDO changes to allow data centers and crypto‑mining

The Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners voted to call a public hearing on a proposed text amendment to the county’s Unified Development Ordinance that would add data centers and crypto‑mining operations as defined uses and set related development standards.

The change matters because it would create development standards for setbacks, lighting and noise; require annual zoning compliance permits and supporting attestations; and add a neighborhood‑meeting requirement for conditional rezonings and planned developments outside of certain industrial zones.

Durbin Veil, the county’s planning director, told commissioners the applicant is Edgecombe County and summarized the draft language. He said operators of data centers or crypto‑mining facilities would be required to submit an annual zoning compliance permit in January along with an annual noise study, an attestation of water capacity from the water provider, and an attestation of electrical capacity if the project uses public electricity. “The operator of data center or crypto mining operation will have to submit an annual zoning compliance permit in January of each year,” Veil said.

The draft sets minimum setbacks at 100 feet, increasing to 500 feet where a project borders a lot in a residential zoning district that contains an existing or approved residential dwelling unit. The draft would also require a Type C buffer where applicable. Planning staff recommended referencing the UDO’s existing lighting rules (section 6.3) and adding specific limits for these uses: building‑mounted and site lighting would be limited in height so lighting fixtures do not extend above the roof line; parking‑lot lighting would be capped (the draft includes a 30‑foot maximum height above grade for parking‑lot fixtures) and fixtures within 50 feet of a residentially zoned lot with an existing or approved dwelling would be limited to a lower height. For projects that border a lot with an existing or approved residential dwelling unit, daytime sound is capped at 60 dBA from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and at 50 dBA at night; projects without bordering residences may be allowed up to 60 dBA 24 hours a day, according to the draft. Veil also told the board that on‑site generators must be fully enclosed, meet relevant fire standards and obtain applicable state and federal permits.

Veil said the planning board met earlier in the week and forwarded a favorable recommendation on adding the use to the UDO.

Commissioners debated how and when a neighborhood meeting required by the draft should occur. The draft requires a neighborhood meeting prior to submission of a conditional rezoning or planned development application; staff said the intent is to ensure the community is informed earlier in the process. One commissioner expressed concern that requiring a neighborhood meeting before an applicant files could lead to opposition before the applicant has submitted plans; that commissioner said they favored community input but did not want the meeting to be required before an applicant “gets into the application process.” Another commissioner proposed the meeting occur after an application is filed but before the matter goes to the planning board so applicants have an opportunity to incorporate community feedback into a revised application. The board discussed applying the neighborhood‑meeting requirement across other conditional rezonings and planned developments, not only for data‑center applications.

After discussion, a motion to call for a public hearing on the proposed UDO text amendment was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; the board set the matter for a public hearing to be scheduled as part of the public‑hearing calendar. The exact date for the public hearing was not specified during the meeting.

The draft language, as described by staff, would permit data centers as a matter‑of‑right in parcels zoned M‑2 (industrial) provided they meet the development standards; projects located outside M‑2 would require conditional rezoning or planned development approval and the neighborhood‑meeting requirement.

What happens next: the board called for a public hearing on the amendment and staff indicated the draft could be revised after public comment and return to planning and the board for further action.