Matthews commissioners accept withdrawal of Crossland data‑center rezoning after heavy public opposition

The Matthews Board of Commissioners on Oct. 13 unanimously approved a motion to accept the withdrawal of rezoning application 2025815 for the proposed Accelerate/Crossland data center on East John Street.

The developer asked the board to withdraw the rezoning request; Commissioner Ken McCool moved to approve the withdrawal, and Commissioner John Urban seconded. The motion passed without opposition.

Residents had used the meeting’s public‑comment period and earlier outreach to challenge the project on quality‑of‑life grounds. Graham Beasley, a resident who spoke during public comment, said the site’s mechanical equipment could cause long‑term harm even if the project met the town’s audible noise limits. “These are a low level sound wave…they pass through homes’ walls, can even travel underground for a distance of a few miles,” Beasley said, saying he had read accounts of neighbors who “can't sleep” or who experienced health problems.

Other speakers — including Emily Moore and several new residents — urged the board to adopt tougher protections against industrial uses in residentially zoned areas and to make development rules less vulnerable to exceptions. Mayor John Higdon told residents he and Commissioner Urban had called the developer before the meeting and asked them to withdraw because of “overwhelming public opposition.” Higdon said he would not support another data‑center proposal for Matthews.

Town staff said the applicant requested the withdrawal to “explore different options” for the site; the applicant’s representative (identified in the meeting as Mr. Will) confirmed the withdrawal request and said he could not predict whether or when a new application might be filed.

Why it matters: Commissioners and residents noted the case highlighted tension between by‑right and conditional developments in Matthews and the limits of local regulation of some technical impacts. The board and staff also discussed the recent state change (House Bill 926) removing a former one‑year waiting period after denials; under the new state law a withdrawn or denied rezoning may be refiled without delay.

What’s next: Because the applicant withdrew the petition, no rezoning action was taken and the property remains in its prior R‑12 zoning. Town staff said the applicant may return with a fresh proposal; the timing is “not specified.”