The Franklin Town Council voted last week to hold a public hearing next month to get input on a proposed ordinance that would establish a temporary moratorium on the development of new data centers.
During the June 1 meeting, Town Attorney John Henning said other local governments have adopted temporary moratoriums on data centers due to concerns about water usage, electricity demand, noise and land use compatibility.
“I began to be concerned that if you’re the last one that adopts a moratorium, then you become the target for that kind of development,” Henning said.
The ordinance would apply to Franklin’s planning jurisdiction, which includes property within the town limits and the ETJ (extra territorial jurisdiction).
The initial moratorium would be for a year and could be extended, but Henning said they need to start looking at the issues. He pointed out the town’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) does not address data center development. “So, I worry about exposure to that,” he said.
The proposed ordinance states the temporary moratorium would give the town time to evaluate the impacts of data center development on infrastructure and town services, utility capacity, to develop zoning standards, evaluate environmental and stormwater impacts, and consider amendments to the town’s UDO and Comprehensive Plan.
The public hearing will be during the regular Town Council meeting on Monday, July 6, beginning at 6 p.m. in the board room on the lower level of Town Hall.
Resolution: Healthcare services
The council unanimously approved a resolution, presented by Council Member Travis Higdon, encouraging collaborative engagement regarding healthcare services in Western North Carolina. The resolution addresses the “concerns regarding healthcare access, staffing levels, patient care capacity, service availability, and operational challenges within the Mission Health system.” The resolution states the town wants to continue dialogue focused on addressing those concerns and requests that HCA’s leadership “engage directly with local governments, healthcare professionals, community organizations and regional stakeholders to address and correct deficiencies.”
Mayor Stacy Guffey said the resolution has been adopted by the Region A Southwestern Commission, the Land of Sky Regional Commission, and other local governments.
“The likelihood is that if you go to our local hospital with a serious condition, you’re going to be transferred to Mission, so what happens at Mission directly affects people who live here in Franklin,” said Guffey. He added that the resolution is not a criticism of the services at Angel Medical Center, nor the staff or administration of the local hospital.
Resolution: Roadless Rule
Guffey presented a resolution recognizing the 25th anniversary of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. According to the resolution, over 152,000 acres of the Nantahala National Forest’s one million acres, including 8,170 acres in Macon County have been designated as roadless areas.
The resolution pointed out that the U.S. Forest Service has proposed rescinding the Roadless Rule, which would put 143,972 acres of roadless areas in the state at risk.
The resolution detailed the economic and environmental benefits related to the Roadless Rule, commended the U.S. Forest Service for its management of the areas and urged the agency to retain the Roadless Rule.
“If you live here, you live here because this is a beautiful place. You live here because it’s a small town, because of the slow pace of life. If you moved here, I’m sure you moved here for the same reasons,” said Guffey. “The way we keep that alive – we’re always talking about the balance between the need for growth and inevitable growth, and keeping the small town feel, keeping our natural environment alive, and these are the ways we do that.”
Vice Mayor Mike Lewis said, “No matter what angle you come from, this is something I think everybody can get behind.”
Council votes
During the June 1 meeting, the council approved the following:
• The 2026-27 budget set at $14,726,123. The property tax rate will remain at 33 cents per $100 valuation. Town Manager Amie Owens said while it looks like the overall budget increased by 16%, the operational budgets for the departments remained steady and increased by 5.6%; the remainder of the increase is for one-time capital improvement projects. The budget includes a $1,352,567 appropriation from the general fund balance to cover the capital improvement projects. As part of the budget, there was a reclassification/title change for Finance Director Sarah Bishop, who will take on the role of assistant town manager/finance director.
• The rezoning of a 13.66-acre property on Dowdle Mountain Road, near the roundabout, from R-1 residential to C-2 commercial.
• A development agreement with Duke Energy for a 9.06-acre property on Siler Road where the utility company plans to build a substation. The 15-year agreement states the town will not make any development regulation changes regarding the property, and in exchange the town will gain access across the property to create a Little Tennessee River Greenway connection to Siler Road.
• Refunding $69,521 in tap fees to David Forkner for a development project that will not be moving forward on Cunningham Road. While the town typically does not issue refunds for fees, the council decided since the town had not incurred any expenses to refund the money. The council discussed developing a policy addressing such situations in the future.
• A $207,800 contract with Backwood Bridges (dba Bridge Builders) for the Cartoogechaye Creek (Allman Drive) Boardwalk Project. “I can’t wait to put a shovel in the ground out there,” said Guffey.
Town offices will be closed Friday, July 3, for the Independence Day holiday.
Mia Overton can be reached at editor@thefranklinpress.com