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Woodfin council adopts 12‑month moratorium on data centers while LDO update proceeds
Summary
Council approved Ordinance 2026‑04 to impose a 12‑month moratorium on data centers, citing the pending Land Development Ordinance update and the need to study evolving technology and regulatory options; staff referenced N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 160D §107 and said active permits would not be affected.
Council considered and approved an ordinance to establish a temporary, 12‑month moratorium on development permits for data centers inside Woodfin while staff completes the town’s Land Development Ordinance update.
Town Manager Shannon Tuck explained that North Carolina law (Chapter 160D, Section 107) authorizes municipalities to adopt temporary moratoria, but requires public notice, stated findings of necessity and a defined time limit. Tuck told council that staff recommended a 12‑month period because the town’s code consultant estimated that amount of time would be sufficient to complete the LDO update and related research into how server farms and similar technology (including AI‑related operations) are used and what the town can lawfully regulate to protect public health, safety and welfare.
Council members raised procedural questions about extensions; staff said an extension is possible but requires justification and defensible findings because such actions can be legally challenged. The ordinance as proposed would not apply to active permits, and staff told council they were not aware of any active data‑center applications.
After a brief, no‑public‑comment hearing, a council member moved to adopt the ordinance (listed in the packet as ordinance 2026‑04) and the motion passed by voice vote. Council directed staff to include the statutorily required findings in the ordinance and to continue work tying moratorium duration and drafting to the LDO update.
