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York County council moves forward with nine‑month moratorium on data‑center approvals after heated public comment
Summary
Following robust public comment alleging secrecy, environmental and health impacts from data centers, York County Council approved first reading of a temporary nine‑month moratorium to study data‑center impacts including utility rate effects, noise, heat and generator use.
York County Council on June 15 approved first reading of an ordinance establishing a temporary nine‑month moratorium on the consideration and issuance of special exceptions, conditional use approvals and new permits for data centers in unincorporated York County to allow the county to study and, if needed, amend zoning and land‑use standards.
The moratorium was proposed after an extended public forum in which residents described ongoing local impacts from existing facilities and raised questions about transparency in recruitment and incentive deals. Amanda Lane, a Laurelmont Court resident, told the council about health and quality‑of‑life effects she attributes to a nearby manufacturing facility and urged the council to “Abate this nuisance. Move Silfab.”
Multiple residents pressed the council for revenue figures and proposed the moratorium to pause future permits while experts study effects on water and electricity supply, heat/thermal impacts, noise, generator usage and the interaction with utility rate setting. “We need to look at what those impacts are,” Julie Ferraro said, asking that the moratorium apply to both current and future sites and that any new ordinance changes be clear about which existing permits would be affected.
County attorneys and staff outlined the items committee members identified for outside review: rate‑making (whether data centers affect residential utility rates and how that could be addressed by ordinance), generator‑use limitations, geothermal/thermal impacts, and noise measurement beyond current nuisance rules. The county attorney said the moratorium ordinance would be framed to avoid conflicts with South Carolina property‑rights law and offered to provide legal advice in executive session if council requested it.
Council debate focused on scope and timing: some members asked for legal clarity on whether the moratorium would affect projects already approved (for example, the data center known as QTS), while others argued that the pause is needed to collect independent expertise before finalizing a pending ordinance. One council member moved to go into executive session for legal advice; the motion failed for lack of a second. The moratorium first reading ultimately passed.
What’s next: staff said it will identify and, if necessary, procure outside experts (rate‑making, environmental/thermal assessment, noise measurement) within budget planning for FY27; council members asked that the moratorium specifics and public messaging be clarified before second reading so residents understand what the moratorium does and does not do.
At the June 15 hearing, council also encouraged residents to attend the scheduled workshop and the June 29 Project Palmetto Rock hearing to pose technical questions to staff and the company when it publicly identifies itself.
