Residents tell Forest Park council blasting near Gillam Logistics Center cracked homes; mayor urges collective reporting

Dozens of Forest Park residents told the City Council on April 20 that blasting connected with work at the Gillam Logistics/Data Center site has damaged homes in nearby Crown River/Crown Point neighborhoods.

At least three residents described cracks, separated siding and a sinkhole behind one home they said developed after "two to three explosions a day" over several weeks. Janet Robinson said her home developed a sinkhole "larger than two bedrooms," and Melissa Cooper said she documented "divinely shifting, separation of the structure's components" and cracked concrete that she believes resulted from the blasts. "It's not normal wear and tear," Robinson said.

Pamela Felder told the council the blasting company denied responsibility and told her she would need an attorney to obtain blasting measurements. "That's BS," Felder said of the company's denial, adding that roughly 12 of the subdivision's roughly 56 homes have visible damage.

Ann Pellegrin said a records request identified thousands of documents related to the project, and she told the council her search turned up "45,000 items," including 2,500 construction and blasting complaints, 1,049 water complaints and 1,858 power complaints. She pressed officials on a 25-foot variance for buffer encroachment she said had limited public notice.

Mayor Ellison acknowledged residents' concerns and urged collective reporting: "There is safety in numbers," she said, providing the blasting contractor name Maine Drilling and Blasting Incorporated and a contact (Chris Scott) that residents may use to report damage. The mayor also noted the property was sold to Digital Realty and that some technical reviews had been completed by Clayton County Water Authority and Georgia Power site-control filings. She said the city's ability to pay for third-party investigations is limited under state law but that officials are negotiating community-benefit agreement language with the buyer.

Several council members echoed residents' calls for documentation and coordination. A councilmember told residents the city will try to use existing processes, urging them to compile evidence and continue contacting the contractor and buyer so the council and attorneys can be better informed.

What the council did: no formal investigation or financial relief was authorized during the April 20 meeting. Council members directed staff to collect residents' complaints and to pursue transparency and potential protections as part of the community-benefits agreement being negotiated with the property buyer. Residents said they plan to escalate their claims and consult attorneys.

Why it matters: Residents assert that repeated blasting near a major data-center development has caused structural harm to private homes and that notice and response from project actors have been insufficient. The council's response is procedural: it can collect complaints and press for terms in negotiated agreements, but the property and blasting are controlled by private actors who say they will investigate individual claims.

What residents said they want next: independent investigations or monitoring data, clearer public notice of permitting and variance requests, faster access to blasting measurements, and explicit protections in the community-benefits agreement. The council recommended that residents document damage with photos, keep records of communications, and use the provided contractor contact while the city seeks to include resident protections in negotiation.

Next steps: Residents and council members said they will continue to press the buyer and contractor for answers. The city said it will try to incorporate protections into the community-benefits agreement and advised residents to continue compiling evidence and reporting incidents to the contractor and the city.