Durham has temporarily paused any data center development in town. 

The moratorium, passed during Monday’s city council meeting, will prevent the city from approving any data center construction for the next 60 days. This shrinks the timeline significantly from a previous proposal, drawing some disappointment from residents who lined up to speak at a public hearing. 

The Durham City Council was expected to consider a two-year ban but, because the city’s proposed ordinance hadn’t been reviewed by the joint city-county planning commission, the moratorium can only be 60 days.

City Councilmember Nate Baker, who proposed the moratorium, acknowledged the timeline change before the meeting, saying conversations about a prolonged ban would continue. 

“That buys us time to bring forward more robust language for more robust moratorium,” Baker said. “I will say this, I think that it is vital that we have no less than a 24-month moratorium on hyperscale data centers in the city of Durham.”

In addition to data centers, the moratorium will also prevent data processing and cryptocurrency mining facilities from being approved in the two-month period.

The city wants time to develop zoning standards and mitigation methods for “these intensive land use types which may cause detrimental harm to the natural environment and the quality of life of City residents.”

The City Council voted unanimously to pass the ordinance, with all expressing support for finding ways to extend it. Council member Shanetta Burris said time is needed to clarify how long a moratorium by city or county could be. 

“While 60 days is a start, it just feels like 60 seconds to me,” Burris said. “And so I look forward, in the immediate future, to learning more and making sure we are working close with our staff to learn more about what our options are, as well as using our voices to compel our colleagues to maybe (push) for a longer moratorium as well.”

Among the concerns the ordinance lists are the “considerable amounts of electricity, land, and water” data centers require. It also mentions the “exceedingly high greenhouse gas emissions,” noise, and pollutants that data centers can produce. These are concerns that some Durhamites share. 

City Attorney Kimberly Rehberg later clarified the city’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) caps moratoriums at 12 months. 

The 60-day pause will allow city staff to work on studying the impacts of data centers and developing land use regulations.

About 40 residents showed up to city hall to support the moratorium, with concerns ranging from pollution to water usage to public health. Some came with signs—one that Leslie St Dre, founder of local housing and environmental justice group Community Land and Power, hoisted during their speech read “Data centers = Death” in dark blue paint, clashing with the sign’s orange background. 

Andrea Cazales, a nurse, said she has seen the impact data centers have had on people’s finances, environments, and their health. 

“We are called the city of medicine, and if we are called the city of medicine, we have to act at being preventative instead of reactionary once harm is done,” Cazales said. “Saying no to data centers is actually the bare minimum.” 

Gabriella Lott, a real estate analyst, said data centers would undermine the council’s work on affordable housing and economic development because of the land and resources they require. 

Many residents voiced disappointment in the ordinance’s reduced timeframe. 

Mary “Mimi” Kessler, a retiree who has been active in organizing around local housing and development issues, said 60 days is “window dressing.”

“The moratorium should be for a much longer time, in fact, forever,” Kessler said. 

Earlier in the day, Durham County commissioners discussed potentially creating their own moratorium. Commissioners shared what information they would need from staff to consider an ordinance, including questions about the county’s existing data centers, resource usage, pollution and potential tax revenue.  

Commissioner Stephen Valentine said he is in favor of bringing the moratorium as soon as possible. 

“I want us to act in a way that I feel comfortable with, being responsible to the needs of our community on one hand and the fiscal needs of our county on the other,” Valentine said. 

Commission Vice Chair Nida Allam, who requested the discussion, said the city’s 60-day moratorium will allow the city to potentially “loop in” to a joint proposed 12-month moratorium with the county. 

County Manager Claudia Hager said the goal is to bring information back to the commission by June. 

The city has noticed an “increase in inquiries and potential applications for data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations” in nearby counties, which could lead to expansion into Durham, according to a city memo. 

Baker said that even projects located outside city limits would likely need city approval.

“I think it’s almost impossible that it would be in the county’s jurisdiction outside of RTP (Research Triangle Park), right?” Baker said. “Because hyperscale data centers, they need utilities, right? They need water. So where are they going to get their water from? In order to get to hook up to city water, you need to annex into the city.”

Comment on this story at [email protected].