Edgecombe County to hold public hearing on UDO text amendment to govern data centers and crypto mining

Durbin Veil, Edgecombe County planning director, told the Board of Commissioners the county has received interest from companies seeking to build data centers and that the county lacks specific standards for those uses in its Unified Development Ordinance.

“What you have in front of you are text amendments to add both data center and crypto mining operation uses and related terms to the UDO,” said Mr. Spell, a county planning staff member, as he summarized the planning board’s recommendation.

The planning board recommended that cryptocurrency mining be permitted only through the conditional rezoning process or within a planned development, and that data centers be allowed by right in the general industrial M-2 district and also as part of planned developments. For uses requiring rezoning or planned development, the draft would make a neighborhood meeting mandatory before application.

The draft originally proposed a 50-foot lot-line setback; the planning board recommended increasing that to 100 feet. The draft set a 500-foot setback from residentially zoned properties; planners recommended applying that 500-foot buffer only where the residential property has a dwelling currently permitted or present on the parcel. A Type C buffer and additional landscaping could be required to help meet noise standards.

Planning staff proposed maximum noise levels of 60 A-weighted decibels (dBA) daytime and 50 dBA nighttime where a use shares a lot line with property that has a dwelling. The original draft had a 75 dBA cap for other cases; the planning board recommended lowering that to 60 dBA for consistency. Mr. Spell described 60 dBA as comparable to two people talking and 75 dBA as comparable to a running vacuum cleaner.

Under the proposal, data centers would be required to file annual attestations if they use public electricity or water; planning staff said applicants must state expected annual utility use and the county would confirm whether that capacity is available. Mr. Spell said on-site generators must be fully enclosed and meet applicable fire and state permit requirements; the planning board recommended that any required federal permits be disclosed if applicable. Planning staff also proposed that, before issuance of a certificate of occupancy for these uses, a third-party professional verify compliance with the noise standard.

Mr. Evans, presenting the item to the board, said the action requested that evening was only to call a public hearing: “This is being presented tonight to ask the board to call for a public hearing that will be held. We anticipate to be held at the October 6 meeting.”

The board voted by voice to call a public hearing for Oct. 6; the hearing notice and draft language will be made available in the planning office and on the county website ahead of that meeting. Planning staff told commissioners they will return to the board after public comment and may propose further edits before any adoption vote.

Why it matters: data centers and cryptocurrency mining can have significant demands on electricity, water and noise exposure for nearby residences. The proposed text amendment sets review steps and technical limits the county would use to assess projects and to attach conditions during rezoning or planned-development reviews.

Next steps: The county will publish the proposed UDO language and hold the Oct. 6 public hearing. If the board proceeds after that public hearing, any adoption would require subsequent formal action at a later public meeting.