ROCKINGHAM — A public hearing will take place Tuesday afternoon during the Rockingham City Council meeting for a rezoning request tied to a proposed data center on approximately 165 acres at 316 Old Cheraw Highway.
Terra Nexus Land Fund I, LLC, submitted the request to rezone the property from high-density residential to conditional light industrial.
According to the agenda packet, the site includes two properties previously annexed and rezoned for residential development. The Clontz property was annexed and rezoned from R-20 to R-7 on May 13, 2025, at the request of Randy and Susan Clontz. The Moss property was annexed and rezoned from R-20 to R-7 on Oct. 14, 2025, at the request of Ben and Amber Moss.
The applicant initially planned to develop a residential subdivision on the property but changed course because of its proximity to the city’s wastewater treatment facility, according to the staff report.
“The applicant’s original plan was to develop a residential subdivision on the subject property. However, homebuilders expressed low interest in the site because of the proximity to the City’s wastewater treatment facility, which is immediately adjacent to the subject property. Therefore, the applicant has requested the conditional rezoning to develop a data center on the subject property,” reads a background section of the staff report.
The proposed data center would be developed in phases, with the first building expected to be completed within nine to 12 months before the next phase of construction begins.
According to the staff report, the proposed site plan would preserve a 300-foot-wide buffer of existing vegetation along the northeastern property line closest to Farmstead Court. A 100-foot-wide buffer would also be preserved along Old Cheraw Highway. Additional vegetation would be added as needed to provide a complete buffer between the facility and surrounding areas.
The applicant also provided an operational noise study at the request of city staff. According to the staff report, the study found that operational noise from the facility would not exceed 48.4 decibels in surrounding residential neighborhoods. The report states that FERC standards recommend operational noise from energy and industrial facilities not exceed 55 decibels at the nearest noise-sensitive area, such as residential properties.
Water usage was initially estimated at approximately 75,000 gallons per day, with sewer usage estimated at approximately 1,000 gallons per day. According to the staff report, the city has the capacity to provide both services, although officials would evaluate whether improvements to the water distribution system are needed.
The report compares the initial water estimate to the usage of approximately 375 single-family homes. If developed as originally envisioned for residential use, the approximately 165-acre property could accommodate an estimated 330 to 495 homes.
However, the developer told the Planning Board that changes to the proposed cooling system are expected to significantly reduce the facility’s water usage.
“As a side note, the owner/developer indicated during the Planning Board meeting that the cooling system design for the data center has changed to a closed loop system that uses significantly less water than the originally proposed 75,000 GPD. The closed loop system continuously recycles the same water.
The system will be flushed and cleaned occasionally with fresh water. Therefore, average daily water usage for the facility will generally be limited to the domestic water use of 30 occupants. Additionally, no on-site power or bridge power will be utilized on the site (only existing overhead power lines) so no air quality permit will be required. Backup generators will be a part of the development in case of loss of power from overhead utility lines (transmission lines), which rarely occurs,” read the report.
Once fully developed, the data center is expected to employ approximately 30 full-time employees, according to the staff report. The report anticipates minimal traffic from the facility compared with residential development of the property.
According to the staff report, the proposed data center is expected to represent a $1.2 billion investment in the city once completed. The report lists the current total assessed value of all taxable property in Rockingham at approximately $824.3 million.
No city financial incentives are being offered for the project, according to the report.
The Rockingham Planning Board reviewed the rezoning request during its Aug. 4 meeting and unanimously recommended that the City Council approve the proposed rezoning.
State Representative Ben Moss issued a statement regarding data centers on Aug. 8, which reads:
“I was not involved in Richmond County’s recruitment or negotiation of “Project Blue Marlin.” County officials did not bring me into that process, and I learned the details — including Amazon’s involvement — only shortly before the public announcement. I did not sign an NDA related to the project, nor have I ever signed an NDA in my capacity as an elected official.
My record in the N.C. General Assembly is public. I voted for the Ratepayer Protection Act, which includes new requirements for large data centers involving water conservation, community-impact assessments, and protections to prevent families and small businesses from subsidizing their electricity costs. I also voted for the 2026 State Budget, which eliminated the sales-tax exemption for electricity used by data centers.
My wife and I purchased our property on October 1, 2021. We owned and lived on that land for nearly five years before selling it on June 26, 2026. It was 95 acres zoned residential.
I support responsible economic development that creates good-paying job opportunities for the people in our communities. I also believe those projects must be transparent, protect our natural resources, and pay their fair share without shifting costs onto working families. That is the standard reflected in my record, and it will continue guiding me as your State Representative.”