Protect Robeson County: Oppose Project Alps and Demand a Pause on Data Center Development
The Issue
PROTECT ROBESON COUNTY: OPPOSE PROJECT ALPS AND DEMAND A PAUSE ON DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT
To: The Mayor and City Council of Lumberton, North Carolina, and the Robeson County Board of Commissioners
Robeson County residents deserve economic development that strengthens our communities, creates meaningful employment, protects our natural resources, and improves the quality of life for the people who call this county home.
We should not be expected to sacrifice our water supply, electrical infrastructure, environment, land, or financial stability for a development whose long-term consequences have not been fully examined or publicly explained.
We oppose Project Alps as currently presented and demand a temporary pause on new large-scale data center approvals until independent studies are completed, public records are disclosed, and residents have a meaningful opportunity to participate in the decision-making process.
What We Know About Project Alps
A memorandum dated July 31, 2026, from Lumberton City Manager Wayne Horne to Mayor Bruce Davis and the Lumberton City Council discussed Project Alps and potential data center development along the Interstate 74 and Interstate 95 corridors.
Additional city materials identified potential interest in locations near:
Southeast Crossroads Industrial Park — Elkay Way
Atlantic Logistics Park — Sanchez Road
The Interstate 74 and Interstate 95 corridors
These areas have been discussed as potential development locations. They should not be interpreted as confirmed construction sites.
The preliminary project information reviewed included estimates of:
$550 million to $750 million in potential private investment.
50 megawatts of electricity demand.
Approximately 50,000 gallons of water daily.
An estimated 10 to 20 permanent jobs following construction.
These figures are preliminary and require confirmation against the original project records. They should not be treated as independently verified operating requirements or guaranteed economic benefits.
A Timeline That Deserves Public Attention
July 31, 2026: A memorandum concerning Project Alps was directed to Lumberton’s mayor and City Council.
September 4, 2026: Additional city materials discussed growing data center interest near local industrial parks.
September 22, 2026: The Lumberton Planning Board received information concerning industrial park development.
October 5, 2026: The Lumberton City Council addressed the development of data center regulations.
October 20, 2026: The Planning Board considered a request to develop a data center ordinance.
This timeline raises important questions about when discussions began, how far they have progressed, and how residents are being informed.
Public access to meeting records is not the same as meaningful public participation.
Residents should not have to search hundreds of pages of documents to learn about developments that could affect their communities for generations.
Why We Oppose This Development
1. Protecting Our Water Supply
Robeson County communities already have infrastructure needs that deserve attention and investment.
A data center potentially requiring approximately 50,000 gallons of water daily raises serious questions about long-term resource management.
Where will that water come from? Will the facility rely on municipal water, groundwater, or another source? Will water be recycled? How will wastewater be managed? Will residents or existing businesses face additional costs?
Before development proceeds, an independent water assessment must demonstrate that existing households, agriculture, businesses, and future generations will not face unreasonable burdens.
2. Protecting Residents From Higher Electricity Costs
A projected electricity demand of 50 megawatts could require significant electrical infrastructure.
Residents deserve to know whether new substations, transmission equipment, or other system upgrades would be necessary and who would pay for them.
This concern extends beyond Robeson County.
On October 6, 2026, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson publicly argued that large data centers should pay their fair share of energy-grid costs rather than passing those expenses to families.
His office urged the North Carolina Utilities Commission to establish a separate rate structure for data centers and other large electricity users.
If the Attorney General is raising concerns about protecting North Carolina ratepayers, Robeson County residents have every reason to demand those same protections locally.
We must not allow ordinary households, senior citizens, and small businesses to bear infrastructure costs primarily benefiting large private developments.
3. Questioning the Economic Benefits
A proposed private investment of $550 million to $750 million may sound impressive. However, an impressive investment figure does not automatically mean widespread economic opportunity for the surrounding community.
If the project ultimately creates only 10 to 20 permanent jobs, residents deserve a clear explanation of whether the long-term demand on land, water, and electricity is justified by its public benefits.
We demand disclosure of projected tax revenue, potential tax incentives, construction employment, permanent jobs, local hiring commitments, public infrastructure expenses, and other financial obligations.
Robeson County deserves development that provides lasting opportunities for its residents—not simply large investment announcements.
4. Protecting Our Environment, Land, and Neighborhoods
Large data centers can create environmental and quality-of-life concerns involving mechanical cooling equipment, noise, backup generators, stormwater runoff, construction traffic, and electrical infrastructure.
These potential impacts must be evaluated for the specific project and surrounding communities rather than assumed to be harmless.
Residents near Elkay Way, Sanchez Road, and the Interstate 74 and Interstate 95 corridors should receive direct notice of proposed land-use changes and opportunities to participate.
Independent studies should examine potential impacts on nearby homes, farmland, waterways, wildlife, air quality, stormwater systems, and areas vulnerable to flooding.
5. Transparency and Public Accountability
Our elected officials have a responsibility to serve the public interest.
Residents deserve to know the identities of developers seeking to build in our communities, what properties are under consideration, whether financial incentives are being negotiated, and what commitments have already been discussed.
Any legally disclosable communications, proposals, studies, development applications, and public agreements relating to Project Alps should be available for residents to examine.
Public hearings should be accessible, well-publicized, and structured to allow meaningful questions and responses.
Decisions that could affect generations of Robeson County residents must not move forward without meaningful public involvement.
What We Demand From Our Elected Officials
We call on the Lumberton City Council, as the primary land-use authority within its jurisdiction, and the Robeson County Board of Commissioners, within its lawful jurisdiction, to take the following actions.
1. Establish a lawful temporary moratorium on new large-scale data center approvals.
We request that the appropriate governing body consider a temporary development moratorium under North Carolina General Statute § 160D-107, with legally required public notice, hearings, findings, a reasonable duration, and applicable exemptions.
The purpose must be to allow sufficient time for independent analysis, public participation, and the development of appropriate regulations.
2. Release all legally disclosable Project Alps records.
This includes development proposals, correspondence, site plans, land-use applications, utility agreements, projected incentives, and the identities of developers or entities seeking approval.
The city and county should also clearly identify any documents being withheld and the legal basis for withholding them.
3. Require independent environmental and infrastructure assessments.
These studies should address water supply, electricity demand, utility costs, noise, air quality, stormwater, flood risks, emergency response, and potential cumulative environmental impacts.
Results should be released publicly before major approvals are considered.
4. Protect residents from infrastructure and utility costs.
Developers should be required to disclose anticipated utility upgrades and identify how those improvements would be financed.
Residents deserve enforceable protections against unfair cost shifting, including scrutiny of special utility arrangements, incentives, and long-term public obligations.
5. Require a comprehensive economic impact analysis.
The public deserves verified estimates of permanent employment, local hiring, tax revenue, public infrastructure costs, possible incentives, and long-term financial benefits and risks.
Any claimed benefits should be supported by evidence rather than promotional projections.
6. Hold accessible public hearings and community meetings.
Residents should be able to ask questions directly of city officials, developers, utility representatives, and independent experts.
Meetings should be advertised in advance, offer remote access where practical, and provide written responses to substantive questions.
7. Reject Project Alps and comparable proposals that cannot meet these standards.
If independent evidence fails to establish adequate environmental protections, infrastructure capacity, financial safeguards, and meaningful long-term public benefits, the appropriate governing body should deny approvals within its legal authority.
8. Provide a formal public response to this petition.
We request that the responsible governing bodies acknowledge receipt, place the petition into the appropriate public record, address its demands in an open meeting, and provide residents with a written response before taking further discretionary action on the development.
Our Community Deserves Better
Robeson County is not opposed to meaningful economic development. We are opposed to development that places private interests above public health, natural resources, financial stability, and the well-being of our communities.
Our county deserves investments in employment, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and sustainable economic opportunities.
We cannot measure the value of development solely by how much money a corporation proposes to invest.
We must also measure what our community stands to gain, what it may be required to sacrifice, and who will be responsible for the long-term consequences.
This petition is not about political parties. It is about protecting the people and resources of Robeson County.
We deserve transparency before commitments, independent evidence before approvals, and genuine representation before decisions are made.
By signing this petition, we call on our elected officials to oppose moving forward with Project Alps as currently presented, pursue a lawful temporary pause on applicable new data center approvals, and protect the people of Robeson County through transparent, evidence-based decision-making.
OUR WATER. OUR LAND. OUR RESOURCES. OUR FUTURE. OUR VOICE.
ROBESON COUNTY SAYS NO TO DATA CENTERS.
Protect Robeson County. Sign and share this petition.
Public Records and Supporting References
City of Lumberton Meeting Records:
https://lumbertonnc.portal.civicclerk.com/
Relevant materials include the July 31, 2026 memorandum and the September and October 2026 meeting materials. Copies of the original project estimates and location references should be attached to this petition after verification.
North Carolina General Statute § 160D-107 — Development Moratoria:
https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_160D/GS_160D-107.html
North Carolina Department of Justice — October 6, 2026:
Attorney General Jeff Jackson Continues Fight to Require Data Centers to Pay Their Fair Share.
https://ncdoj.gov/attorney-general-jeff-jackson-continues-fight-to-require-data-centers-to-pay-their-fair-share/
36
The Issue
PROTECT ROBESON COUNTY: OPPOSE PROJECT ALPS AND DEMAND A PAUSE ON DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT
To: The Mayor and City Council of Lumberton, North Carolina, and the Robeson County Board of Commissioners
Robeson County residents deserve economic development that strengthens our communities, creates meaningful employment, protects our natural resources, and improves the quality of life for the people who call this county home.
We should not be expected to sacrifice our water supply, electrical infrastructure, environment, land, or financial stability for a development whose long-term consequences have not been fully examined or publicly explained.
We oppose Project Alps as currently presented and demand a temporary pause on new large-scale data center approvals until independent studies are completed, public records are disclosed, and residents have a meaningful opportunity to participate in the decision-making process.
What We Know About Project Alps
A memorandum dated July 31, 2026, from Lumberton City Manager Wayne Horne to Mayor Bruce Davis and the Lumberton City Council discussed Project Alps and potential data center development along the Interstate 74 and Interstate 95 corridors.
Additional city materials identified potential interest in locations near:
Southeast Crossroads Industrial Park — Elkay Way
Atlantic Logistics Park — Sanchez Road
The Interstate 74 and Interstate 95 corridors
These areas have been discussed as potential development locations. They should not be interpreted as confirmed construction sites.
The preliminary project information reviewed included estimates of:
$550 million to $750 million in potential private investment.
50 megawatts of electricity demand.
Approximately 50,000 gallons of water daily.
An estimated 10 to 20 permanent jobs following construction.
These figures are preliminary and require confirmation against the original project records. They should not be treated as independently verified operating requirements or guaranteed economic benefits.
A Timeline That Deserves Public Attention
July 31, 2026: A memorandum concerning Project Alps was directed to Lumberton’s mayor and City Council.
September 4, 2026: Additional city materials discussed growing data center interest near local industrial parks.
September 22, 2026: The Lumberton Planning Board received information concerning industrial park development.
October 5, 2026: The Lumberton City Council addressed the development of data center regulations.
October 20, 2026: The Planning Board considered a request to develop a data center ordinance.
This timeline raises important questions about when discussions began, how far they have progressed, and how residents are being informed.
Public access to meeting records is not the same as meaningful public participation.
Residents should not have to search hundreds of pages of documents to learn about developments that could affect their communities for generations.
Why We Oppose This Development
1. Protecting Our Water Supply
Robeson County communities already have infrastructure needs that deserve attention and investment.
A data center potentially requiring approximately 50,000 gallons of water daily raises serious questions about long-term resource management.
Where will that water come from? Will the facility rely on municipal water, groundwater, or another source? Will water be recycled? How will wastewater be managed? Will residents or existing businesses face additional costs?
Before development proceeds, an independent water assessment must demonstrate that existing households, agriculture, businesses, and future generations will not face unreasonable burdens.
2. Protecting Residents From Higher Electricity Costs
A projected electricity demand of 50 megawatts could require significant electrical infrastructure.
Residents deserve to know whether new substations, transmission equipment, or other system upgrades would be necessary and who would pay for them.
This concern extends beyond Robeson County.
On October 6, 2026, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson publicly argued that large data centers should pay their fair share of energy-grid costs rather than passing those expenses to families.
His office urged the North Carolina Utilities Commission to establish a separate rate structure for data centers and other large electricity users.
If the Attorney General is raising concerns about protecting North Carolina ratepayers, Robeson County residents have every reason to demand those same protections locally.
We must not allow ordinary households, senior citizens, and small businesses to bear infrastructure costs primarily benefiting large private developments.
3. Questioning the Economic Benefits
A proposed private investment of $550 million to $750 million may sound impressive. However, an impressive investment figure does not automatically mean widespread economic opportunity for the surrounding community.
If the project ultimately creates only 10 to 20 permanent jobs, residents deserve a clear explanation of whether the long-term demand on land, water, and electricity is justified by its public benefits.
We demand disclosure of projected tax revenue, potential tax incentives, construction employment, permanent jobs, local hiring commitments, public infrastructure expenses, and other financial obligations.
Robeson County deserves development that provides lasting opportunities for its residents—not simply large investment announcements.
4. Protecting Our Environment, Land, and Neighborhoods
Large data centers can create environmental and quality-of-life concerns involving mechanical cooling equipment, noise, backup generators, stormwater runoff, construction traffic, and electrical infrastructure.
These potential impacts must be evaluated for the specific project and surrounding communities rather than assumed to be harmless.
Residents near Elkay Way, Sanchez Road, and the Interstate 74 and Interstate 95 corridors should receive direct notice of proposed land-use changes and opportunities to participate.
Independent studies should examine potential impacts on nearby homes, farmland, waterways, wildlife, air quality, stormwater systems, and areas vulnerable to flooding.
5. Transparency and Public Accountability
Our elected officials have a responsibility to serve the public interest.
Residents deserve to know the identities of developers seeking to build in our communities, what properties are under consideration, whether financial incentives are being negotiated, and what commitments have already been discussed.
Any legally disclosable communications, proposals, studies, development applications, and public agreements relating to Project Alps should be available for residents to examine.
Public hearings should be accessible, well-publicized, and structured to allow meaningful questions and responses.
Decisions that could affect generations of Robeson County residents must not move forward without meaningful public involvement.
What We Demand From Our Elected Officials
We call on the Lumberton City Council, as the primary land-use authority within its jurisdiction, and the Robeson County Board of Commissioners, within its lawful jurisdiction, to take the following actions.
1. Establish a lawful temporary moratorium on new large-scale data center approvals.
We request that the appropriate governing body consider a temporary development moratorium under North Carolina General Statute § 160D-107, with legally required public notice, hearings, findings, a reasonable duration, and applicable exemptions.
The purpose must be to allow sufficient time for independent analysis, public participation, and the development of appropriate regulations.
2. Release all legally disclosable Project Alps records.
This includes development proposals, correspondence, site plans, land-use applications, utility agreements, projected incentives, and the identities of developers or entities seeking approval.
The city and county should also clearly identify any documents being withheld and the legal basis for withholding them.
3. Require independent environmental and infrastructure assessments.
These studies should address water supply, electricity demand, utility costs, noise, air quality, stormwater, flood risks, emergency response, and potential cumulative environmental impacts.
Results should be released publicly before major approvals are considered.
4. Protect residents from infrastructure and utility costs.
Developers should be required to disclose anticipated utility upgrades and identify how those improvements would be financed.
Residents deserve enforceable protections against unfair cost shifting, including scrutiny of special utility arrangements, incentives, and long-term public obligations.
5. Require a comprehensive economic impact analysis.
The public deserves verified estimates of permanent employment, local hiring, tax revenue, public infrastructure costs, possible incentives, and long-term financial benefits and risks.
Any claimed benefits should be supported by evidence rather than promotional projections.
6. Hold accessible public hearings and community meetings.
Residents should be able to ask questions directly of city officials, developers, utility representatives, and independent experts.
Meetings should be advertised in advance, offer remote access where practical, and provide written responses to substantive questions.
7. Reject Project Alps and comparable proposals that cannot meet these standards.
If independent evidence fails to establish adequate environmental protections, infrastructure capacity, financial safeguards, and meaningful long-term public benefits, the appropriate governing body should deny approvals within its legal authority.
8. Provide a formal public response to this petition.
We request that the responsible governing bodies acknowledge receipt, place the petition into the appropriate public record, address its demands in an open meeting, and provide residents with a written response before taking further discretionary action on the development.
Our Community Deserves Better
Robeson County is not opposed to meaningful economic development. We are opposed to development that places private interests above public health, natural resources, financial stability, and the well-being of our communities.
Our county deserves investments in employment, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and sustainable economic opportunities.
We cannot measure the value of development solely by how much money a corporation proposes to invest.
We must also measure what our community stands to gain, what it may be required to sacrifice, and who will be responsible for the long-term consequences.
This petition is not about political parties. It is about protecting the people and resources of Robeson County.
We deserve transparency before commitments, independent evidence before approvals, and genuine representation before decisions are made.
By signing this petition, we call on our elected officials to oppose moving forward with Project Alps as currently presented, pursue a lawful temporary pause on applicable new data center approvals, and protect the people of Robeson County through transparent, evidence-based decision-making.
OUR WATER. OUR LAND. OUR RESOURCES. OUR FUTURE. OUR VOICE.
ROBESON COUNTY SAYS NO TO DATA CENTERS.
Protect Robeson County. Sign and share this petition.
Public Records and Supporting References
City of Lumberton Meeting Records:
https://lumbertonnc.portal.civicclerk.com/
Relevant materials include the July 31, 2026 memorandum and the September and October 2026 meeting materials. Copies of the original project estimates and location references should be attached to this petition after verification.
North Carolina General Statute § 160D-107 — Development Moratoria:
https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_160D/GS_160D-107.html
North Carolina Department of Justice — October 6, 2026:
Attorney General Jeff Jackson Continues Fight to Require Data Centers to Pay Their Fair Share.
https://ncdoj.gov/attorney-general-jeff-jackson-continues-fight-to-require-data-centers-to-pay-their-fair-share/
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Petition created on October 30, 2026