What: a rezoning request (F-1669) by Drox Group LLC of Charlotte for a hyperscale data center campus of about 129 acres across from Rural Hall Town Hall, with a power substation (about $3B).
Timeline: community meeting in March 2026; the Planning Board recommended denial on June 11; the Board of County Commissioners denied the rezoning on July 30, 2026, 5-2. Per the official minutes, a motion to approve (by Don Martin, seconded by Gloria D. Whisenhunt) failed 2-5, and Dan Besse's substitute motion to deny passed 5-2, with Martin and Whisenhunt opposed. G. Gray Wilson said the county should not "cram it down everybody's throat" and voted to deny.
Where it stands: after the vote the developer said it was "going back to the drawing board." No appeal or reapplication reported through Oct 21.
2026-10-15 - Board of County Commissioners - Rob Yoder thanked the board for the denial in public comment, and Robin Smith of Rural Hall said another attempt there is reportedly likely after the midterm elections (per a news report she cited).
2026-10-21 - Page created from public town materials (retrieved 2026-10-21); no meeting transcript processed yet.
2026-07-30 - Board of County Commissioners - Public hearing and vote. Staff and the planning board (7-2) recommended denial as inconsistent with the Rural Hall Area Plan and Forward 2045; the Rural Hall mayor and the project team spoke for, a petition with 1,243 signatures and many residents spoke against. A motion to approve failed on a voice vote; Dan Besse cited about 400 comments, 376 opposed. A motion to deny followed (the vote falls in a caption gap) and the request was denied.
2026-07-30 - Board of County Commissioners (minutes) - Official record: staff and the Planning Board (7-2 on June 11) found the plan inconsistent with the Rural Hall Area Plan Update and Forward 2045. Petitioner's agreed noise conditions: the greater of the pre-construction level or 55 dBA at residential lines in normal operation, 60 dBA maximum for emergency or testing generator runs, and no more than two complaint-based noise studies a year unless a limit is violated. Site plan: three two-story buildings, 1,122,300 square feet, on 128.54 acres to be rezoned from RS20 and GI to LI-S. Ten speakers for (including Rural Hall Mayor Terry Bennett) and twelve against (including Robin Smith). Approval motion failed 2-5 (Martin, Whisenhunt for; Besse, Linville, McDaniel, Wilson, Woodbury against); Besse's motion to deny, seconded by McDaniel, passed 5-2.
2026-07-27 - Board of County Commissioners Briefing - Briefing before the hearing: staff and the Planning Board (7-2) recommended denial; the developer moved to a square building plan and verbally agreed to a 55 dBA day-to-day noise limit (up to 60 for emergency or testing runs), with written conditions still unsigned. Commissioners asked about a $1 million third-party homeowner property-value fund, which staff and the attorney said is not an appropriate zoning condition, and about cooling-system flushing and noise.