Coweta commissioners approve rezoning for ‘Project Peach’ data center campus near Palmetto amid heavy public opposition

The Coweta County Board of Commissioners on April 1 approved rezoning petition 24-014 (branded by the applicant as “Project Peach”) to allow a data‑center campus on about 326 acres near the intersection of State Route 29 and Weldon Road, adjacent to Johnston Circle and Palmetto.

The rezoning changes the site from Rural Conservation to Light Industrial and was approved with the 21 conditions recommended by county staff plus additional conditions read into the record by commissioners. The county’s staff presentation and the applicant’s consultants described the project as an eight‑building campus totaling roughly 2.1 million square feet under roof, with a planned on‑site electrical substation and staged construction over multiple years. The board approved the rezoning motion and set multiple follow‑up requirements before full buildout proceeds.

Why this matters: The project is large in scale and raises infrastructure and quality‑of‑life questions for nearby Palmetto and rural neighborhoods. The applicant estimated a roughly $1 billion construction value (excluding tenant server equipment), about 500 construction jobs over the build period and roughly 50 permanent operations jobs at full buildout. The proposal includes an estimated electrical load of about 700 megawatts and a developer‑planned 13‑acre pad for a substation. Opponents warned of light, noise and traffic impacts and potential effects on property values; backers emphasized tax revenue and the project’s limited demand on county services.

Staff and applicant presentations: Assistant Community Development Director Ben Sewell told commissioners the site is an assemblage of seven tax parcels totaling approximately 326 acres and reviewed the county’s Comprehensive Plan guidance and applicable zoning standards. Sewell noted the plan’s development character and growth‑tier maps do not generally favor new industrial uses in that location, but he presented the staff report and a set of 21 recommended conditions should the board choose to approve. The staff conditions included mandatory right‑of‑way donations and a $1,000,000 contribution toward relocating Palmetto‑Tyrone Road at Weldon Road, road‑work and turn‑lane…