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Residents urge moratorium on proposed hyperscale data-center campus, citing noise, water and transparency concerns
Summary
Dozens of Lee County residents urged commissioners to pause permitting for a proposed large data-center campus, raising concerns about low-frequency noise, water and energy demands, confidentiality agreements and limited local jobs. Speakers asked the board for stronger UDO protections or a moratorium.
Dozens of residents told the Lee County Board of Commissioners on July 13 that a proposed, large-scale data-center campus threatens local water, health and quality of life and that the public has been kept in the dark by nondisclosure agreements and developer secrecy.
"We were promised a quiet business park. Instead, point one's application reveals a 90-megawatt power drain that delivers just 40 permanent jobs to our community," said Eric Evanson, who addressed the board during the public-comment period and urged developers to withdraw their site plan. Evanson and other speakers named developer partners and criticized confidentiality agreements that they said kept residents from seeing the full plans.
Multiple speakers, including Jonathan Boyce and Amanda Boyce, raised technical concerns about low-frequency (infrasound) and long-wavelength noise from industrial equipment and backup generators. "Infrasound isn't just about audible noise," Jonathan Boyce said. "These sound waves with frequencies below human hearing . . . pass right through walls and foundations without reducing their force." Several speakers tied those acoustic concerns to reported health effects such as sleep disruption and chronic stress.
Other residents focused on infrastructure and equity. Jackie Volbracht warned that a projected statewide electricity demand increase could put upward pressure on household bills; Jeff Kidd and Julie Davis described local agricultural and animal-health impacts and flagged the potential for high decibel outputs from diesel generators. Several speakers cited litigation, citations and complaints involving operators cited elsewhere.
Speakers repeatedly asked the board to impose a moratorium on new data-center approvals or to strengthen the county's unified development ordinance (UDO) so that the county can require independent studies of noise, air and water impacts, and add enforceable safeguards and financial assurances. "Vote no on this proposal because once our water is committed, once our land is developed, and once our community changes, there is no going back," Michelle Eaves said.
County leaders did not take action on the data-center proposals during the meeting. Chair noted the board had heard all speakers on the sign-up sheet and invited residents to submit additional information by email. Planning items and UDO text amendments were considered later in the evening, and commissioners discussed how zoning and administrative processes interact with developer-led technical reviews.
What happens next: Residents asked the board to consider a moratorium or UDO changes; commissioners and planning staff indicated further work and outreach will continue. The board's next regular meeting is scheduled for Aug. 17, when follow-up items could appear on the agenda.
