MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Dale Earnhardt’s widow has been wanting to develop the Mooresville Technology Park on 400 acres of land, but the city says it is prepared to shut down the debate once and for all.
Neighbors say they’ve hunted on the property for years, but signs from Earnhardt Properties tell people not to anymore. It’s about four miles southwest of downtown Mooresville along Patterson Farm Road, and there’s a big reason it’s being targeted for a data center: high-power transmission lines.
Kerry Pennell and her family have lived nearby for 19 years, and they’ve seen how the area has developed.
“So with the topography, you would see the top of the buildings. You can see the top of the power lines, but all of that would be cleared,” Kerry told Channel 9.
Her neighbor, Dale Sr.’s widow, wants the property rezoned so a developer can build the data center on it.
“Miss Earnhardt has every right to do with her property whatever she wants to,” Pennell said. “We would much rather see it stay rural residential.”
Pennell was one of several people to speak out against the development at the town commissioners meeting last week. René Earnhardt, Teresa’s stepdaughter-in-law, also spoke at the meeting.
“The lack of transparency by the applicant and their representatives to date is unacceptable,” René said.
The applicant is Tract, a data center developer based out of Denver, Colorado.
Tract says, “The town of Mooresville has the opportunity to play an important role in the future of our community’s online access by housing a vital data center in the proposed Mooresville Technology Park.”
According to our partners at The Charlotte Observer, Mooresville’s mayor recently told Tract that the town can’t support the rezoning request without knowing which company will take it over once complete. Pennell says even knowing that answer wouldn’t ease neighbors’ concerns.
“Duke [Energy] - the rates could increase in the area ... once water and sewer are run down Highway 3, you’ll have a lot of developers gobble up empty land, look to build high-density developments,” Pennell said.
The issue is scheduled to come up again at the commissioners’ meeting next month on Sept. 15.
We reached out to Tract to see if they wanted to address the neighbors concerns and for reaction to the possible denial. We have not yet heard back – but they told the Observer they were surprised and disappointed, and evaluating next steps.
(VIDEO: Street race honoring Earnhardt family coming to Kannapolis)
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