Rezoning status Planning Board recommends denial

The Planning Board voted 7-2 on to recommend denial of rezoning case F-1669. The case now moves to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners for a final decision.

Expected commissioner hearing:

Help Stopthe proposedHyperscale Data Centerin Rural Hall, NC

“The garden spot of the world”

Forsyth County is considering a 128.54-acre rezoning request to build a hyperscale data center campus across the street from Rural Hall Town Hall.

If approved, this project would permanently transform the heart of Rural Hall into a utility-heavy industrial campus. It would include its own power substation, extensive mechanical equipment, and acres of cleared and developed land. The project would permanently change the town’s character and replace open land and wildlife habitat. It would also threaten streams and wetlands. Nearby residents would face long-term risks from continuous industrial noise, diesel generator emissions, and immense water and electricity demand.

On , the City-County Planning Board voted 7-2 to recommend denial for this rezoning request, F-1669; the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners still has final vote on this. Contact your county officials and watch the published agenda. See upcoming meetings for the next public dates on this case.

Take Action Now

Sign the petition

Show visible public opposition and help build momentum.

Sign the petition

Contact County Commissioners

These are the officials that will vote on the rezoning request. Email them and urge them to vote NO on rezoning request F-1669 / Project Iron Spur.

Email commissioners

Contact other leadership

Find county officials, local leaders, and other public bodies that should hear from you about this proposal.

View full contact list

Get involved

Want to help? Reach out and tell us how you'd like to get involved.

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Support the organizing effort

Contributions help residents cover the cost of signs, flyers, shirts, printed materials, and other outreach to help get the word out about the proposed data center rezoning.

Donate to the GoFundMe

Help spread the word

Share this site with neighbors, family, local businesses, and community groups.

Who to contact

If you oppose this rezoning, these are the public officials and bodies that should hear from you.

Forsyth County Commissioners

Decision Maker
Email Commissioners Mailing Addresses

These officials have final authority over the rezoning request. Contact them before the expected final hearing, currently anticipated for , and ask them to vote to deny rezoning case F-1669 / Project Iron Spur.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning Board

Recommendation complete

The Planning Board voted 7-2 on , to recommend denial. The case now proceeds to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.

Rural Hall Mayor and Town Council

LOCAL LEADERSHIP
Contact

On , the Town Council voted 3-1 to adopt Resolution 912, replacing Resolution 901, withdrawing Rural Hall’s opposition, and expressing support for the proposed data center. The special meeting was announced only three days earlier as a “Project Iron Spur/Data Center Discussion,” and residents were not allowed to speak before the vote.

Forsyth County Historic Resources Commission

Special Review
Contact

Contact preservation staff and commissioners to raise concerns about historic and cultural impacts on Nazareth Lutheran Church, its cemetery, and the nearby historic mile marker Founded in 1778, Nazareth Lutheran Church sits directly beside the proposed site. Its cemetery and recognized place in Rural Hall’s heritage make this more than a typical land use dispute. Church history Mile marker page . Ask the Historic Resources Commission to recommend denial of the rezoning request to county commissioners.

Nearby Leadership

Ask neighboring towns to speak up publicly, and make it known to Forsyth County commissioners about the regional impact of this project. Facilities at this scale do not belong next to town centers, homes, and churches.

  • City of Winston-Salem Mayor and City Council Contact
    LOCAL LEADERSHIP
  • Village of Tobaccoville Mayor and Village Council Contact
    LOCAL LEADERSHIP
  • Town of Bethania Mayor and Town Council Contact
    LOCAL LEADERSHIP
  • City of King Mayor and City Council Contact
    LOCAL LEADERSHIP

Upcoming meetings

The Impact of Data Centers on Forsyth County

Monday, July 21, 2026 | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Forsyth County Central Library Auditorium, 660 W 5th Street, Winston-Salem

Panel discussion.
Topics will focus on environmental justice, public health, and water issues. For more information, contact ruralhallinfo@gmail.com.

Forsyth County Board of Commissioners Meeting

Thursday, July 30, 2026 | 6:00 PM

Forsyth County Government Center, 201 North Chestnut Street, Winston-Salem

We need another strong turnout. Attend on July 30, bring neighbors, and make your opposition visible before the final vote.
The commissioners are expected to hold the final county hearing and vote on rezoning case F-1669. The Planning Board previously voted 7-2 on to recommend denial, but this meeting is the vote that decides.
Official agenda pending.

See past meetings and recordings

What residents need to know

Quick summary

A data center is a large industrial facility filled with computers that run websites, apps, cloud services, and artificial intelligence systems. These facilities operate 24 hours a day and require major electricity, cooling, and utility infrastructure. A developer has proposed a hyperscale data center campus immediately next to Rural Hall, across the street from Town Hall in the town center, in a location that would directly affect the community. The formal rezoning request covers 128.54 acres. The rezoning request is still under review by Forsyth County and has not been approved.

Who decides?

Because the site is in unincorporated Forsyth County, the rezoning request is reviewed and decided through the county process, even though the project would directly affect Rural Hall and surrounding areas.

Location

This site is located near Glade Street and Bethania-Rural Hall Road, directly across from Rural Hall's Town Hall on land that has previously been farmland.

Map: 8084 Glade St area - across the street from Rural Hall Town Hall

The proposal would rezone this area for light industrial use, even though the Rural Hall Area Plan envisions mixed-use development here rather than a large industrial campus.

Satellite view of Rural Hall with the proposed three-building project site highlighted in orange near Town Hall, Frank's Restaurant, and Tobaccoville Road, May 15, 2026 revision.

Site plan: Per the last submitted developer site plan, submitted May 15, 2026.

Area map: Rural Hall town shown in blue and the proposed three-building project site in orange, May 15, 2026 revision.

Area map: Blue indicates town of Rural Hall; orange indicates the proposed project site.

Project details

Project parties
  • Developer: The company behind the proposed project and rezoning request.
    Drox Group LLC
  • Project Manager: The consulting firm representing the developer, and the proposed project, in public meetings and community outreach.
    Montrose LLC
  • End user of data center: The company that would ultimately occupy or operate the facility has not been publicly disclosed.
    Unknown to the public
Location
Rural Hall, Forsyth County
Site area
Approximately 144 acres
Buildings
3 two-story data-center buildings
Combined gross floor area
1,122,300 square feet
Maximum height
80 feet (approximately 84 feet to top of rooftop or mechanical equipment)
Utility infrastructure
Substation and related utility infrastructure
Intended use
Hyperscale data center (AI / computing)

Why this project harms Rural Hall and public health

See supporting resources

Community response

About NDCRH

No Data Center Rural Hall is a group of residents, families, workers, homeowners, renters, business owners, and neighbors in Rural Hall and Forsyth County, who recently learned that a massive hyperscale data center campus is proposed across the street from Rural Hall Town Hall.

We created this site to help residents understand the proposal, contact decision-makers, follow public meetings, and find source materials in one place. We believe this project is the wrong fit for Rural Hall and should be denied.

We believe opposition to the data center is non-political, and we are focused on preserving our rural community.

Resources

Download / Print / Share materials

Use these materials to help share information with neighbors, local businesses, and community groups.

Official documents and public records

Project Iron Spur applicant-submitted materials

Current revised site plan (May 15, 2026): The aerial overlay exhibit below is the latest publicly available applicant site plan for F-1669. Supporting May 15 applicant materials follow.

These materials were submitted by the project applicant/developer and may be revised before or after public hearings. Project-size figures on this site reflect the May 15, 2026 revision.

Rural Hall Town Council resolution opposing the proposed data center

Rural Hall’s elected town leadership formally opposed the proposed data center rezoning by passing resolution 901. This is a meaningful action from Rural Hall leadership. Forsyth County still has the final authority over the rezoning decision.

Official land use plans for Rural Hall

The most detailed official guidance for this exact site is still the Rural Hall Area Plan Update (adopted August 8, 2016). The plan details the project site to be mixed-use development, not industrial or anything resembling a data center campus at this scale.

Forward 2045 Comprehensive Plan

Adopted 2024/2025. The county-wide vision for future growth and development.

View Forward 2045 Planning & Development

Why data centers at this scale raise concern

Media

June 11 Planning Board hearing and recommendation

Resolution 901 and Rural Hall’s opposition

Earlier coverage