Residents urge council to reverse resolution, cite water, air, noise and PFAS concerns about proposed data center

Dozens of residents used the public-comment period to press the council to reverse its recent support for the proposed hyperscale data center (referred to by speakers as Iron Spur). Speakers raised health and environmental concerns ranging from constant 24/7 noise to diesel exhaust, high water consumption and chemical contamination.

"Homer Derman should be fired," said June Cohen, who alleged the town manager ordered removal and destruction of historic awnings; her wider remarks included criticism of town transparency and behavior. Multiple speakers warned about noise levels that they described as continuously intolerable and cited numbers earlier in the public record. Jane Bodenheimer said she understood public discussion that the project might use about "600,000 gallons a day" and asked who would bear the infrastructure costs if the project required upgrades. Patricia Osborne warned about diesel backup generators and cited an estimated "approximately 175 generators" and diesel storage ranging from "2.5 million to 8.5 million" gallons depending on backup hours; she also cited the Forsyth County Planning Board vote recommending denial (reported by speakers as 7'1 or 7'2 depending on the speaker).

Speakers asked whether the town had new information that justified Resolution 912 after the county planning board's staff recommendation to deny; one commenter read the planning-board language that concluded "the scale and intensity of the development ... presents the potential for significant offsite impacts." Council members acknowledged the concerns, encouraged attendance at the July county meeting and said county and utility officials are addressing questions about water and electricity.