By Tabitha Evans Moore
Editor & Publisher

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. —The Metro Council will meet on Monday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the American Legion. The agenda covers a handful of routine items — an Atmos Energy franchise renewal, a notary appointment, attorney fee adjustments, and the monthly building permit report — but two items stand out as consequential for the county’s long-term direction: a proposed moratorium on data centers and high-impact technology facilities, and a discussion-only item on Lynchburg Stone LLC’s plans to reopen a rock quarry on Highway 50.

Both items, in different ways, ask Moore County to decide what it is and what it wants to become.

The Data Center Moratorium: Buying Time Before the Boom Arrives?

The most significant item on Monday’s agenda is the first reading of an ordinance that would impose a two-year moratorium on the development, construction, and permitting of data centers, cryptocurrency mining operations, and other high-impact data processing facilities anywhere in Metro Moore County. If passed through its two required readings, the moratorium would take effect April 20, 2026 and run through April 19, 2028.

The ordinance is a direct response to what it calls an “unprecedented increase” in high-impact facility construction happening across the country. The Metro Council’s concern, laid out plainly in the proposed ordinance, is that Moore County’s existing planning, land use, and zoning regulations were never written with these kinds of facilities in mind — and that without a pause, the county could find itself approving projects it lacks the tools to properly regulate.

The Metro Planning Commission — who recommended the moratorium to the Metro Council — concerns are worth reading in full because they are precise and practical. Data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations bring extremely high energy consumption that strains existing utility infrastructure. They generate significant noise from cooling systems and backup generators that can affect adjacent residential areas. They consume substantial water for cooling. They create potential environmental impacts through hazardous material storage and electronic waste. And they raise land use compatibility concerns — particularly in rural and agriculturally zoned districts like much of Moore County.

During the two-year pause, the moratorium requires the county and its staff to take concrete action: study the energy, water, noise, and land use impacts of these facilities in consultation with local utility providers; draft specific land use ordinance amendments and performance standards; and hold public workshops and Planning Commission meetings to gather community input before any final amendments are adopted.

The moratorium is broad in scope. It applies countywide and covers special use permits, conditional use permits, zoning map amendments, and building permits — with a carve-out only for interior renovations that don’t expand capacity or affect a facility’s exterior appearance. It does not grandfather existing facilities.

Monday’s meeting is a first reading only. Under Tennessee law, an ordinance of this type requires two readings and a public hearing before final passage. Residents who want to weigh in will have additional opportunities before it becomes law. But the first reading will signal where the council stands — and whether Moore County intends to get ahead of this wave or wait to see where it lands.

Lynchburg Stone: A Quarry Question on Highway 50

The second major item Monday is listed as “discussion only” — meaning no vote is expected — but it involves a proposal with significant implications for the Highway 50 corridor near Lynchburg and the broader question of industrial land use in Moore County.

Scott Fruehauf of Lynchburg Stone LLC is asking the Metro Council to recommend rezoning a 99.98-acre property at 606 Winchester Highway (Highway 50) from A-1 Agricultural-Forestry to I-2 Industrial — Medium and Heavy Manufacturing — in order to reopen a former sand and gravel quarry on the site. The property previously supported an operational quarry and concrete batch plant. Fruehauf submitted a preliminary site plan to the Planning and Zoning Commission on March 3, which forwarded the request to the Metro Council for discussion.

According to a detailed operations narrative prepared by Pugh Wright McAnally Civil Engineers of Decatur, Alabama, the initial scope of operations would serve primarily as a construction materials supplier for Lee Adcock Construction Company — producing crushed limestone and fines for local projects on an as-needed basis. The plan envisions long-term growth, with a stated quarry lifespan of 30-plus years and potential future scaling to serve a broader customer base.

The quarry site sits approximately 1,060 feet south of Winchester Highway, screened by mature tree growth. Mining operations would concentrate in the southern and southeastern portions of the property, more than 300 feet from the nearest property line. The operations narrative describes a range of environmental management measures, including buffer zones along Pitts Branch — a waterway that passes through the lot — dust control through water misting and integrated machinery features, seismograph monitoring during blasting operations, and stormwater pretreatment before discharge.

The operations plan also acknowledges that portions of the lot fall within a 100-year FEMA flood zone, though the narrative states this is not expected to prevent or significantly impact operations. Equipment planned for initial operations includes a horizontal impact crusher capable of processing up to 480 tons per hour and a screener capable of handling up to 800 tons per hour.

The proponents frame the quarry as a community benefit — locally produced construction materials that reduce costs and lead times for local projects, employment opportunities, and increased tax revenue.

Also on the Agenda

Beyond the two headline items, the council will also consider approval of a ten-year franchise agreement with Atmos Energy Corporation to maintain and operate the county’s natural gas distribution system — a renewal of the existing arrangement, signed on behalf of the county by Mayor Sloan Stewart. Sheriff Tyler Hatfield will open the meeting. Kellie R. Leverette is up for appointment as a notary public. The council will also take up a budget amendment related to attorney fees for the Gateway Project.

About The Lynchburg Times: The Lynchburg Times covers Metro Council meetings as part of its commitment to community accountability journalism. This work is support by our community partners at Barrel House Barbecue.