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Residents warn of data‑center impacts; Paulding County reads Switch statement and asks planning staff for overlay amendment
Summary
A resident described alleged noise, vibration, water and air impacts from large data‑center development near North Paulding neighborhoods; the board read a statement from Switch denying plans to construct data centers on the purchased parcel and directed planning staff to initiate a text amendment removing two parcels from the Technology Park overlay district.
A Paulding County resident told the Board of Commissioners that a nearby hyper‑scaled data‑center campus has produced construction noise, blasting, dust and will create long‑term nuisances including low‑frequency hum from cooling systems, generator emissions, light pollution and heavy water use.
Desiree Griffith of Senator's Ridge urged commissioners to reconsider allowing large data center development adjacent to residential areas, saying neighbors "are experiencing daily construction noise with heavy machinery and intervals of blasting whose ground vibrations can severely damage nearby homes," and warning of "low‑frequency hum" that can "penetrate homes" and disrupt sleep, as well as possible water and air impacts.
Chair Tim Nastase responded that he had contacted Bartow County officials and Switch and that Switch had provided a written statement. County staff read a statement from Switch (via Brendan Bowen) saying the company "has acquired a portion of the Century Homes development to secure an underground fiber easement … There are no plans to construct data centers on the acquired property. Instead, Switch is working collaboratively with Paulding County and the Paulding County School District to ... facilitate the transition of the land into designated green space for community use." The statement was offered to the record and available to interested citizens.
Following the exchange, a commissioner asked planning staff to initiate a text amendment to section 220‑40.02 to remove two tax parcels (060.3.4.001.000 and 075.2.2001.0000) from the boundaries of the Technology Park overlay district; staff said the amendment would go to the June Planning Commission meeting.
The transcript records the resident’s claims and the Switch statement read into the record; it does not record a follow‑up hearing decision or a formal vote on the proposed text amendment at this meeting.
