CANTON, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Canton officials are preparing for a public hearing this month on whether to adopt a temporary moratorium on new data centers, following growing community concern about potential redevelopment of the former paper mill site.
Town leaders have scheduled a public hearing for 6 p.m. Feb. 11 at Canton Town Hall, 85 Summer St., to consider a pause on data center development while officials and residents gather more information. An informational “teach-in” is also planned for 11 a.m. Feb. 8 at Hive House Commons, organizers said.
The discussions were prompted by reports that a data center could be proposed for the former paper mill property, a site that has shaped Canton’s economy for nearly a century. While no final development plans have been approved, the possibility has sparked widespread debate online and in the community.
Local real estate broker Kathleen Penland-Jones said she wrote an informational blog post after learning about the proposed moratorium from a neighbor.
“I didn’t fully understand what it meant at first, and I’m guessing a lot of people are in the same boat,” Penland-Jones wrote in a social media post. She said the blog was intended to explain what a data center is, what a moratorium would do, and how the process works, without taking a position for or against the proposal.
Several residents have said they support the town’s decision to hold a public hearing before moving forward. Tom Tomaka, a Canton resident, said elected officials agreed to consider a moratorium after hearing conflicting information about a potential data center at the site.
Others have raised environmental and public health concerns. In a widely shared post, River Han warned that a data center could have negative regional impacts, including on water resources and air quality, though no site-specific environmental studies have been released publicly.
Town officials have said the proposed moratorium would not ban data centers permanently but would allow time for further study and public input before decisions are made.
The Feb. 11 public hearing is open to the public.
