Hormone Replacement Therapy in Lake Wylie, SC

Despite hearing answers directly from data center company QTS on its $1 billion project in Lake Wylie, many neighbors say their concerns have only grown as the data center project seems bigger than ever.

“We saw one beautiful building, glass walls and an American flag,” said former York County Council member Allison Love, who sat on Council when the project was approved for construction three years ago.

Renderings on Tuesday showed nine buildings. The scale is larger than what Love thought it would be when voting for it.

“I’m all for economic development,” she said. “I’m not for economic development that impacts people (negatively).”

The data center is expected to add 200 QTS on-site jobs, at a median income of about $80,000 per year. That’s in addition to an estimated dozen jobs from companies that use the site for data storage.

“The transparency is a big problem for me,” said neighbor Julie Ferraro.

She’s also concerned with strain on the power grid. Along with QTS, ongoing construction in the area includes a new high school, new elementary school and more homes.

“I don’t get it, when we already have a strain right now with what we have,” Ferraro said.

Steve and Judy Penland, longtime owners of the well-known Penland Christmas Tree Farm that borders the QTS property, brought renderings showing how an 80-foot-tall data center overlooking their farm would look. York County approved a code change last year to allow taller data centers, at the request of QTS.

Issues from lighting to the building height would be dramatic for customers at the farm, Steve Penland said.

“They want the farm experience, going out to the country to cut a Christmas tree,” he said.

From school funding to job creation to the work done at the site, there are significant benefits to the QTS project, said company Vice President of Community Engagement Karen DiMaggio.

“Everything in our lives is connected to the internet,” she said. “Every day, you’re using your phones, your tablets, your computers. We run the systems that post the information.”

QTS plans in York County

Three years ago, QTS spent more than $10 million to buy hundreds of acres off Hands Mill Highway and Campbell Road. The company also negotiated a tax incentive deal with York County.

Data centers are a growing industry nationwide, fueled largely by the growth of artificial intelligence platforms. Details about specific projects, from costs to environmental impacts, are often difficult to find.

QTS touted a $1 billion investment with its data center project in Lake Wylie. The company would be allowed to pay the county a fee instead of property taxes for 40 years.

Last spring, York County changed its development rules to allow taller data centers — up to 80 feet — in line with QTS’ plans for a 5.3 million-square-foot facility. In late December, QTS bought more than 400 acres of Paraham Road property for $26.1 million.

The company now owns nearly 800 acres in the area.

QTS doesn’t have plans for the property purchased in December, but it could be used as a buffer or for future growth, DiMaggio said.

Water and power concerns

Based in Virginia, QTS has more than 20 years experience building data centers. The company has more than 2,000 employees and more than 90 buildings in the U.S. and Europe.

A primary public concern with a new data center, DiMaggio said, is water.

“There is a lot of misinformation out in the community about water usage and data centers,” she said. “Old practices had an evaporative cooling system. Water was pumped in on a daily basis, using thousands and thousands of gallons every day.”

Now, she said, water is pumped into the facility only once and operates on a closed-loop system. The initial fill is about the amount of water in four Olympic-size swimming pools. The daily water usage is about 18,000 gallons, DiMaggio said, or less than what two typical households would use.

“It’s office water use,” she said. “It’s kitchens, because we have offices in there. So people use the restroom, wash their hands, they drink out of the water fountains. That is our use of water. That’s it.”

Another concern is power. York Electric Cooperative will serve the site, but it’s actually power provided by Duke Energy that will be used. Duke will sell power to York Electric partner Central Electric Power Cooperative, and York Electric will sell it back to QTS with a markup.

Increased need for power will be treated the same way it would for large industrial additions, population growth and other needs tied to the electric system, experts said Tuesday. York Electric customers shouldn’t notice a difference, said President and CEO Craig Spencer.

“If anything, it should help minimize future rate increases because we will have this revenue that will be coming in that we don’t have to make infrastructure investments for, paybacks for,” he said. “We will be able to use those margins to help offset our fixed costs.”

QTS to build over several years

The 1,000 construction jobs could last five to seven years, DiMaggio said. Four building are under construction, with the first expected to be ready by 2028. In 2027, the company expects to start the next round of construction on five more buildings.

For some, there’s excitement with that activity. Sheila Quinn, superintendent of the Clover School District, compares QTS to Catawba Nuclear Station, which has for decades provided a significant tax base to support schools. The Clover area doesn’t get large manufacturers the way other parts of York County do, Quinn said.

Numbers change over time in the tax incentive deal, but Clover schools expect to get several million dollars per year based on current QTS plans.

“It’s like another power plant,” Quinn said. “It will help tremendously.”

Some neighbors of the property, though, are in the York School District, which doesn’t get that same benefit. For many, the issue is whether QTS fits in the community. They can’t do much about ongoing construction, but there’s concerned if more is proposed.

“It’s a small town,” Ferraro said. “I understand we have to grow. The fact that it’s grown exponentially is beyond what this town can accommodate.”

LAKE WYLIE, S.C. (WBTV) - A data center project is underway in York County and concerns are growing about what that means for the community.

Residents in the county are sharing their concerns about what the QTS data center will mean for the homes, environment, and the county as a whole. QTS says that they are investing in this county’s future adding to its growth and development.

Tuesday was a chance for residents to sit down with QTS leaders to hear more about their plans and to share what they would like to see.

“We all moved out there for the peace and quiet, the nature, said Stacy Armstrong, a resident in the county. ”We had wildlife and woodlands in our backyard and now it’s, there’s no trees.”

Armstrong said she’s lived in the part of York County where the center is being built for some time, in what she’d believed was her forever home. Now, construction has started in her backyard.

QTS — a digital infrastructure company with more than 90 data centers in the U.S. and Europe — has started building along Hands Mill Highway around Lake Wylie. QTS projects that their operations will bring $8 billion to local growth and development.

“Once we found out what it was, blasting had ensued and houses [were] literally shaking,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong started a petition, that’s reached nearly 800 signatures, sharing more information about the project. She hopes that more people will consider joining it and adds that funds are not being raised for the group’s efforts at this time.

“We listen to the unique needs of the community to determine the best way in which we can contribute,” QTS said.

More than the impacts to homes in the area, Armstrong says the construction has caused ongoing noise and light issues and possible long-term health implications

“The stressors that we deal with on a daily, of the 5:30 a.m. start time and it goes all hours of the night. At 4:30 a.m., you can see the light start to click on and it’s blinding.”

Last week, York County Council held a special called meeting to look at the county’s regulations around the development of data centers taking concerns presented to council into account.

he first reading of the ordinance draft passed. It outlines development standards including noise, design standards, and more. Armstrong doesn’t want any data centers in the area but hopes their continued feedback will make a difference.

“We hope to succeed with that, we’re trying, and we’re trying to get some community support for those that aren’t just in the direct impact of what the construction is now, but those who will be impacted in the future — that would be all of York County," Armstrong said.

Annex Brands, Inc. Celebrates Franchise Renewal, Ensuring the Continuation of Essential Shipping and Office Services

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Annex Brands, Inc., a leading franchisor in the packing, shipping, and office services industries, is proud to announce the renewal of a franchise agreement for the AIM Mail Center location in Lake Wylie, South Carolina. This renewal reflects the ongoing dedication of Richard Winter with the addition of his daughter, Ashli Ornoski, to the business. Now that she is incorporated into the family business, they can continue providing essential shipping and office services to the local community.

Located at Landing Station, at 168 Highway 274, in Lake Wylie, SC 29710, this AIM Mail Center offers a comprehensive array of services, including shipping options with UPS, FedEx, and USPS, plus expert packing services, private mailbox rentals, notary public services, and office solutions such as printing and packaging supplies.

"I chose to renew our contract because I truly believe in the values, and the systems and support that Annex Brands provides," said Winter. "Over the years, they've given me the tools to grow a strong, sustainable business, while still allowing me the flexibility to put my own touch on how we serve our customers. Renewing and adding my daughter to the family business felt like the natural next step for continuing to build on what we've started here."

Annex Brands recognizes the importance of franchise renewals for strong, locally-owned businesses that support their communities.

"We're proud to see Richard and his daughter, Ashli, reaffirm their franchise agreement with AIM Mail Center #1147 and the customers they serve," said Patrick Edd, Chief Executive Officer & President of Annex Brands. "Strong, lasting franchise relationships like this underscore the reliability of our system and the value we bring to local communities. We look forward to their continued achievements."

Headquartered in San Diego, CA, Annex Brands has been providing business ownership opportunities since 1985 and now licenses and franchises over 800 locations across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Their brands, including PostalAnnex, Pak Mail, AIM Mail Centers, Parcel Plus, Sunshine Pack & Ship, Navis Pack & Ship, and Handle With Care Packaging Store, are synonymous with reliable and professional service.

For more information about AIM Mail Center #1147, located at Landing Station, at 168 Highway 274, in Lake Wylie, SC 29710, and the services offered at this location, please visit www.aimmailcenters.com/1147.

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LAKE WYLIE — Michael Knotts oversaw one of television’s biggest secrets as it was built in Lake Wylie last year.

Knotts, a second generation home builder and owner of Knotts Builders, was tapped to build the 2026 HGTV Dream Home. Fans of the annual sweepstakes, for which people can enter to win the house until Feb. 13, spend a lot of their spare time trying to guess where the next prize home will be.

But Knotts kept mum.

“I wanted to tell my kids,” said Knotts, whose office relocated to Fort Mill two years ago from Charlotte’s Ballantyne area. “I would have liked to tell my mom, who lives around the corner. But I didn’t tell anyone. And we had to put the tradespeople on our non-disclosure agreement.”

HGTV unveiled the details of the next Dream Home in November, and now Knotts can share the news and join the excitement.

“It was a really great process to get to this great home,” Knotts said. “I know we built a great home, but the design and the creativity and the insight of (the HGTV) team was so cool to be a part of, to work alongside these professionals. I truly think what they did was magic.”

HGTV paired Knotts with Brian Patrick Flynn, a veteran Dream Home designer who has laid out 10 homes for the contest, including last year’s prize in Bluffton. That sweepstakes garnered 118 million entries, with people able to submit two a day.

Flynn also hosts the 20-minute video tour of the home, located on the North Carolina side of Lake Wylie, making it the first lakeside Dream Home. The body of water spans York County and two others in North Carolina — Mecklenburg and Gaston counties. The area is unincorporated, with residents having “Lake Wylie” as their addresses on either side of the state line.

Knotts said he’s built comparable “dream” homes previously, though with the HGTV partnership, he incorporated some new features.

Flynn designed the home with an emphasis on natural light. Thus, beyond windows and sun roofs, Knotts also incorporated sun tunnels, which can send sunlight to rooms that wouldn’t normally have it.

The garage was built adjacent to the kitchen, and a small pantry door will allow future residents to pass grocery bags through it without the need to carry them inside, Knotts said.

Through networking, Knotts recalled, a realtor from Compass Realty in Charlotte approached him about the possibility of participating in a “very neat opportunity” that would involve exposure on national television. His company and two other builders were asked to submit sites for the project.

“They wanted a spot on Lake Wylie, and I had this one available,” Knotts said. “It’s one of the best sites we’ve ever had.”

The online sweepstakes can be entered twice per day for a chance to win the HGTV Dream Home grand prize package valued at $2.4 million, which includes the home, furnishings and $100,000 cash.