Orange County NC Website
22 <br /> 1 Chair Hamilton and Commissioners Carter, Portie-Ascott, and McKee said they wanted to <br /> 2 set a recommended price for the property. Vice-Chair Fowler and Commissioners Bedford and <br /> 3 Greene did not. <br /> 4 Chair Hamilton said the price could be the appraisal price. <br /> 5 David Stancil suggested staff revise the solicitation document and bring it back to the <br /> 6 Board for further discussion. <br /> 7 The Board agreed by consensus to have staff revise the solicitation document. <br /> 8 Vice-Chair Fowler asked if county staff previously drafted a plan for fields on this property <br /> 9 and if it took up the whole 45 acres. <br /> 10 David Stancil said they drafted plans for a 6-field complex, which included parking, septic <br /> 11 fields, infrastructure, easements, and stormwater needs. He said that plan took up most of the 45 <br /> 12 acres. He said the actual fields will only be a portion of the area the commissioners are <br /> 13 considering. <br /> 14 <br /> 15 c. Discussion of Moratorium on "Data Centers" as a Land Use <br /> 16 The Board received an overview of the impacts of data centers and discussed a possible 1-year <br /> 17 moratorium on new data centers as a permitted land use. <br /> 18 <br /> 19 BACKGROUND: At the March 5, 2026, Board Business meeting, Commissioner Marilyn Carter <br /> 20 petitioned to ask staff to prepare a presentation for the Board's March 17, 2026, Business meeting <br /> 21 addressing the following: <br /> 22 <br /> 23 1) The potential impacts of large-scale data center development in Orange County, including <br /> 24 electricity demand, water usage, land use compatibility, environmental considerations, <br /> 25 and potential impacts on residents' utility costs, and water quality. <br /> 26 <br /> 27 2) Policy options available to the County, including, but not limited to, a temporary <br /> 28 moratorium on data center development, revising the Orange County Land Use Plan and <br /> 29 UDO, and the legal process required to implement each option. <br /> 30 <br /> 31 3) Recommendations) for Board action. <br /> 32 <br /> 33 Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford asked that noise and environmental justice also be included. <br /> 34 <br /> 35 The County Attorney and Planning Director have prepared a presentation, with sources cited for <br /> 36 reference, regarding the potential impacts from "large-scale data centers". The County Attorney <br /> 37 also assessed two policy options available to the Board in declaring a moratorium on this land <br /> 38 use, less than or greater than 60 days. There are differing public notice criteria for the two <br /> 39 moratorium options. <br /> 40 <br /> 41 A pending amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to regulate data centers as <br /> 42 a permitted land use may also be directed to staff, at the Board's pleasure. It is not possible to <br /> 43 amend the UDO's text within 60 days due to the administrative requirements of Orange County's <br /> 44 UDO. <br /> 45 <br /> 46 Cy Stober, Planning and Inspections Director, made the following presentation: <br /> 47 <br /> 48 <br />