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Residents urge study before data center permits and warn parking losses are hurting downtown
Summary
Multiple residents used the public-comment period to call for more study and engagement: James A. Jones urged a study and public input before siting another large data center and asked council to meet Save Our Towers proponents; Laurie Coggins warned that the loss of about 300 downtown parking spaces is harming small businesses.
Several residents spoke during the council's public-comment period, urging more public input and caution on projects that affect downtown residents and businesses.
James A. Jones, a candidate for South Carolina's 31st House seat, urged the council to adopt a resolution calling for balanced expert research and full public engagement before approving another large data center near the city. "These vast facilities may promise investments, but they also raise serious questions about the demand for power and water and their impact on our environment and our health," Jones said, asking that the city meet with Save Our Towers proponents before proceeding on plans related to the downtown clock tower.
Laurie Coggins, a lifelong Spartanburg resident, said she has seen roughly 300 downtown parking spaces removed and warned that a local small-business owner told her he plans to relocate his business when his lease ends because of reduced parking. "Spartanburg city businesses need Spartanburg County residents to thrive," Coggins said, urging council to consider parking impacts when planning downtown changes.
Wesley Stoddard, a local attorney and lifelong resident, recounted a history of community fundraising for the original clock tower and urged preservation of historic plaques and names; staff later confirmed plans to restore plaques and display the bell.
What happens next: These residents' requests and concerns were entered into the public record and will be part of the council's material as staff collects input for upcoming meetings; the data-center request was a public comment rather than a formal staff item and was not answered with a commitment to a separate study during the meeting.
