Early-morning blasts and floodlight-bright skies are turning a quiet corner of Lake Wylie into a construction zone, neighbors say, and they are not taking it lying down.
On Tuesday, QTS representatives met with residents near Lake Wylie as site work and blasting for a large data center campus moved into early construction phases. Neighbors say the activity has shaken houses and wiped out the woodlands they moved in for. Petition leader Stacy Armstrong and other residents told reporters they are worried about noise, blinding security lights before dawn and potential long-term health or property damage. York County Council also convened a special called meeting last week and advanced a first-reading ordinance meant to add noise, design and other development standards for data centers.
Neighbors Say Blasts and Lights Are the Core Complaints
Armstrong, who organized an opposition petition, told WBTV, “We all moved out there for the peace and quiet, the nature,” and said recent blasting has left homes literally shaking. Residents report construction crews starting work as early as 5:30 a.m. and lights coming on around 4:30 a.m., which they describe as blinding.
The petition on Change.org shows nearly 800 signatures as of this week and outlines calls for greater county oversight.
QTS: We’re Listening and Following Permits
QTS says it is engaging with residents and has posted a project FAQ that notes clearing for Phase I is complete and earthwork is underway at the Hands Mill Highway site. As detailed by QTS, the firm plans a multi-building campus and says blasting will be carried out “under strict safety and environmental guidelines” with advance notice to nearby homeowners.
The company also asserts it will fund required energy infrastructure and has applied for state air permit approvals.
How the Project Reached This Point
QTS quietly amassed hundreds of acres near Paraham Road and Hands Mill Highway after a 2023 county incentive deal tied the anonymous “Project COBRA” to a large data center plan, reporting by the Rock Hill Herald shows. The Herald reports county planners have already adjusted height limits to accommodate campus scale facilities, and property records point to addresses including 2107 Hands Mill Highway.
County leaders said the draft ordinance received a first reading last week as officials try to balance economic promises with neighborhood impacts, WBTV reported.
What’s Next for Residents and the County
The ordinance will require further readings and public comment before becoming law, and residents will have additional chances to testify at council sessions. QTS’s project page says it will provide blasting notifications, limit site lighting with directional fixtures and implement road cleaning and repair measures to reduce construction impacts, per the company’s FAQ.
For now the dispute is playing out at school gym drop ins, county meetings and online. Neighbors continue to press for stricter limits while QTS maintains its outreach and permitting are in order. Whether the county’s new standards will satisfy those who moved to the area for trees and quiet remains to be seen.
