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Resident warns data centers could erode privacy; board says it will seek public input
Summary
A local resident told the Smyth County Board of Supervisors that proposed large-scale data centers risked creating a surveillance infrastructure and called for transparency; the board pledged investigation, scheduled a public-input session and plans a data-center site visit to inform ordinance drafting.
Charles Woma, a resident who identified himself during the public-comment period, urged the Smyth County Board of Supervisors to slow changes to county ordinances that would allow large "hyperscale" data centers in agricultural zones and to disclose agreements he described as secret. Woma cited government surveillance concerns and said citizens should see any proposed agreements before the board moves forward.
Woma called for transparency around what he identified as the "ZMM" and "Project High Tower" agreements and said residents should have input before ordinance changes are finalized. He cited public-opinion polling and examples from Northern Virginia to argue that many residents oppose large-scale data-center development.
The board responded in the meeting that it would investigate the concerns and seek public input before finalizing any ordinance changes. The board referenced a public-input meeting on June 25 intended to gather comments before an ordinance is finalized, and county administration later announced a planned site visit (June 29) to a Microsoft rural data center in Mecklenburg County to study operations and impacts before taking regulatory action.
Why it matters: Counties that permit large data centers can face both local economic benefits and community concerns about land use, scale, service needs and data-privacy implications. Supervisors said they intend to weigh scale limits and public feedback in any ordinance language.
What the board plans next: A public-input session was noted by the board for June 25; county administration also confirmed a planned tour of an operational rural data center for board members to review real-world examples before finalizing ordinance language.
Attributions and notes: Comments and quotes in this article are taken from the June 11 public-comment period and subsequent board remarks. Some names and spellings in the transcript varied; this article uses the names as introduced during the meeting and corrects the county name to "Smyth County" to match local usage.
