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Residents press Botetourt supervisors on Google data center at packed meeting; county schedules community fair
Summary
Dozens of residents urged the board to halt or more tightly regulate Google's proposed data center, citing noise, water use, transparency and NDAs; the board announced a community information fair for mid‑June and multiple residents demanded auditor review and fuller public disclosure.
A large and emotional public comment period at the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors meeting centered on Google's proposed data center in the Greenfield industrial park, with dozens of residents citing noise, potential water consumption, transparency problems and the board's use of nondisclosure agreements.
Chair opened the meeting by announcing a planned community information fair, anticipated in mid‑June at Lord Botetourt High School, to allow residents to speak directly with Google representatives and subject‑matter experts about technology and impacts. "Google will be present to provide information and a press release will be going out as soon as possible," the chair said in a pre‑meeting announcement.
Many residents told the board they do not trust the review process. "This is political theater and it's pitting citizens against each other for no reason," said Katherine Hatam, who criticized what she described as inconsistent public information and urged transparency among board members and the school division. Mary Barrera, who identified herself as hearing‑impaired, urged supervisors to consider the impact of continuous industrial noise on residents and students near Greenfield Elementary. "My greatest fear is the loud and damaging continuous noise levels that would be generated by the data centers," she said.
Speakers also criticized the use of NDAs and private meetings with Google. "We're asking you to meet with us in public — not behind closed doors," said another resident, and several entrants asked supervisors to recuse themselves from votes or reconsider prior actions that allowed data‑center uses in the zoning code. Ben Versure asked the board to reconsider the recent appointment of a supervisor to the regional commission given that supervisor's earlier support for rezoning tied to the data center.
Supporters of fuller engagement urged residents to attend a community town hall that organizers planned for the near future. Several citizens reminded the board the General Assembly is still considering tax exemptions for data centers that could materially affect county revenue. One resident described the financial offers from Google as "scraps" relative to the company's valuation and urged state lawmakers to repeal the sales‑tax treatment that benefits large cloud operators.
What the county announced: the board said a community fair is being planned in mid‑June to offer direct Q&A with Google staff and county subject experts on water, infrastructure, operations and environmental measures. The county also said it would distribute formal meeting notices and press materials about the event once details are finalized.
Why it matters: residents said the data center would change rural areas' character, could introduce continuous mechanical noise and generate large utility demands — issues that some said require stricter local controls and more transparent public oversight before the county allows large industrial data facilities to proceed.
