Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge county action on data campus near Brown Bridge/Crow; commissioners say site is annexed into Porterdale
Summary
Dozens of residents at the Newton County meeting expressed alarm about a proposed data campus near Brown Bridge and Crow; they said they received no notice and raised concerns about water use, noise, lighting and property values. County leaders said the specific site has been annexed into Porterdale, but committed staff outreach and UDO updates to address broader data‑center policy concerns.
Multiple residents spoke during public comment at the Newton County Board of Commissioners meeting to voice opposition to a proposed data campus near Brown Bridge and Crow (the parcels are in Porterdale following annexation). Speakers said they were not notified of the project and raised concerns about health, heavy electrical loads, water consumption, noise from backup generators, light emissions, tree removal and potential property‑value impacts.
Annette Austin (Trelawny Homeowners Association) said residents received no full public disclosure and demanded the county “stop this project” until people could weigh in. Fanny Alston, a 90‑year‑old resident, told commissioners the site is within walking distance of her home and asked officials to protect adjoining neighborhoods. Other speakers urged the county to develop zoning guardrails — such as data‑center overlay districts, minimum buffers from homes, limits on generator placement, lighting and sound mitigation and disclosure of power and water usage — to prevent concentrated data‑center siting near residential areas.
Vice Chair and county staff responded that the specific Brown Bridge/Crow property mentioned by residents had been annexed into the City of Porterdale and is therefore under municipal jurisdiction; the chair invited the concerned residents to meet with the county manager for an explanation of county water‑resource assessments and to discuss the county’s ongoing work to update the Unified Development Ordinance to address data‑center siting. Commissioner Long and others said the county is monitoring and will pursue UDO changes and noted plans for joint meetings with municipalities to coordinate a regional approach.
What residents asked for: public notice to surrounding neighborhoods for projects with off‑site impacts; environmental and infrastructure impact statements; power and water consumption transparency; minimum distance buffers from housing and schools; and clearer municipal‑county coordination.
Provenance: Public comment portions of the meeting; county responses and commissioner remarks.
