Rockingham Data Center Hearing Set as Public-Comment Dispute Emerges

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Rockingham residents will have an opportunity Tuesday evening to speak directly to city leaders about a proposed $1.2 billion data center, as the project faces fresh scrutiny over how officials handled public comments at an earlier meeting.

The Rockingham City Council has scheduled a public hearing for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, at Rockingham City Hall. The hearing concerns a conditional rezoning request for approximately 165 acres at 316 Old Cheraw Highway.

Terra Nexus Land Fund I LLC is requesting that the property be rezoned from high-density residential to conditional light industrial. Plans call for four single-story data-center buildings measuring approximately 155,800 square feet each, along with equipment yards and backup diesel generators.

Jobs and Tax Revenue Projected

If the project is fully developed and reaches its projected value, it could support approximately 30 full-time positions and generate an estimated $6.6 million in annual property-tax revenue for the city. Rockingham is not currently offering financial incentives for the development.

The hearing comes as the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the North Carolina Open Government Coalition question the city’s handling of an earlier public-comment period. The organizations say city officials likely violated the First Amendment when comments about data centers were declared off-limits during the council’s regular public-comment segment.

The organizations’ position is not a court ruling, but it adds a new public-access issue to the debate surrounding the proposed development. Tuesday’s advertised public hearing is specifically intended to allow residents to address the rezoning request before the council considers further action.

Public Hearing Details

The Rockingham City Council meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Residents who plan to speak should arrive early and follow any sign-up procedures established by the city.

Sources: Richmond Observer and Richmond County Daily Journal.