The rezoning request has sparked controversy among neighbors.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A proposed data center backed by Teresa Earnhardt, the widow of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, is drawing sharp opposition from residents in a quiet Mooresville neighborhood.
Earnhardt is requesting a rezoning of rural land she owns off Patterson Farm Road to allow for the development of the Mooresville Technology Park — a sprawling data center project that developers say could generate hundreds of millions in tax revenue over 20 years and bring nearly 200 full-time jobs.
But many residents argue the industrial-scale facility is a poor fit for the area’s rural character.
“I was horrified. I couldn’t understand why, of all places, they’d do that out here,” said Krissy Washington, a longtime resident who has lived in the area since 1991. “We’re not opposed to growth. But we don’t want an industrial wasteland.”
Opponents of the plan have launched a website, NoDataCenterMooresvilleNC.com, and posted “No Data Center” signs along nearly every driveway in the surrounding community.
Their concerns range from potential environmental impacts to declining property values.
“It’s going to totally ruin our wildlife, property values” said resident Lynne Taylor.
Residents have also questioned the need for another data center in the region, pointing to a large facility just six miles away that currently sits vacant.
“It’s not necessary, there are so many other places it could go,” Washington added.
The Town of Mooresville will hold a public hearing on the rezoning request on September 15.
Contact Walker Lawson at wlawson@wcnc.com or follow him on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.