Residents press commissioners over proposed data campus; board says site is in Porterdale but will study county ordinances
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Summary
Residents from neighborhoods near Brown Bridge and Crow raised public concerns about a proposed data campus — citing inadequate notice, potential health and infrastructure impacts, and threats to property values — while commissioners said the parcel is annexed into Porterdale and that Newton County is updating its Unified Development Ordinance to address data‑center siting.
A series of public commenters at the Newton County Board of Commissioners meeting urged the county to halt or more closely review a proposed data campus near Brown Bridge and Crow, which residents said sits adjacent to large neighborhoods and a school. Commenters said they received little or no direct notice, expressed worries about generator noise, lighting, water and power demand, and argued county officials should use zoning and impact review tools to protect neighborhoods.
Annette Austin of the Trelawny Homeowners Association told the board residents "had no idea" the Newton Woods area and an old golf course portion were annexed into Porterdale and that a meeting in Porterdale about the project drew little public awareness in nearby unincorporated county neighborhoods. "A public disclosure notice should have been sent in full transparency to residents in Covington and Unincorporated Covington informing them of the project," she said.
Fanny Alston, who said she is 90, said the data campus would be a "backyard" transformation that could affect property values and residents' health. Other commenters raised questions about water use, power grid impacts and long‑term decommissioning plans.
Vice Chair and county staff clarified that the parcel referenced by multiple speakers was annexed into the City of Porterdale, and therefore the county does not have direct land‑use jurisdiction over that parcel. The county manager offered to meet with residents to explain county water resource planning and to discuss county options where municipal approvals have regional impacts. Commissioners also noted staff is updating the county's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to add guardrails for data centers, including potential location restrictions and other mitigation measures.
Next steps: County staff will meet with concerned residents to explain resource planning and jurisdictional limits and will continue work on UDO updates to provide clearer standards and review processes for data‑center proposals that could affect county residents.