Residents urge Carroll County commissioners to oppose proposed Centerpoint data center
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Summary
Dozens of Centerpoint and Carroll County residents told the Board of Commissioners they oppose a proposed hyperscale data center, citing concerns about water use, noise, light, road impacts, property values and loss of generational farmland.
Dozens of residents told the Carroll County Board of Commissioners at its February 2026 meeting that a proposed large‑scale data center in the Centerpoint/Temple area would harm local water supplies, rural life and property values.
Rusty Lambert, a Carrollton resident and farm owner, warned that "hyperscale data centers can use up to 5,000,000 gallons of water a day," and noted the project site would drain toward Sharps Creek Reservoir and the Little Tallapoosa River, which supply Carrollton's water. Several other speakers repeated water‑supply concerns and described wells and creeks that have dwindled during droughts.
Zach Martin, a resident with family land in the area, asked the board to oppose the project at the proposed location, saying a facility of this scale "does not belong on rural generational land" and that the county should require a full, transparent impact analysis before any decision moves forward.
Multiple speakers — including Anna Curtis, Brooke Yerda and Reid Morris — raised related worries about noise and constant operational hum from cooling equipment, bright security lighting that would affect night skies, long durations of construction and potential long‑term expansion. A number of commenters said they feared spot‑zoning agricultural land for industrial use and urged the county to favor siting such projects in industrial parks instead.
Speakers also raised economic doubts about local benefits. Brooke Yerda said data centers create few permanent jobs while often requiring tax incentives and infrastructure upgrades paid by taxpayers. Summer Rand pointed to developer materials for the project (which she identified as "Project Bus" and noted Atlas Development’s role) and warned that permitting one facility could encourage additional projects in rural areas.
No county official provided new technical data during the public comment period; residents asked the board to "do its part to oppose this project at this location," to demand independent environmental and economic studies, and to place limits on where such industrial projects may be sited in Carroll County.
The public comment period concluded with the chair moving on to the business session; no formal action on the data center proposal was taken at this meeting.
