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Residents urge caution as Clayton County’s data-center moratorium collides with active projects
Summary
Residents told the Clayton County Board of Commissioners that recent and proposed data centers — including a large Forest Park project — threaten local water use, electric rates, construction impacts and privacy; speakers urged firmer county action and better coordination with city authorities while the county’s moratorium remains in place.
Garth Park resident Zach Parker told the Clayton County Board of Commissioners that the county’s moratorium on data centers is being undermined by overlapping city- and agency-level approvals, and urged the board to lead with a unified policy for the entire county. "You passed a moratorium on data centers…and people are starting to notice," Parker said, adding that a large Forest Park project has proceeded while residents endured blasting and little clarity.
Forest Park resident Clifford Pellegrini said data centers pose concrete local risks, calling attention to water use, higher electricity bills and surveillance concerns. "We're gonna blow through a lot of water. Our electric bills will go sky high…The more we have, the more we're being watched," Pellegrini said, and asked commissioners to negotiate harder and avoid tax abatements unless protections are secured.
The concerns came during the board’s public comment period on April 21, when multiple speakers described construction impacts in residential areas and urged the county to ensure developers address property damage and community safety. Real-estate agent Demetrius Collins said he has documented cracking foundations and sidewalks in new subdivisions he inspected and argued developers should be required to remedy damages tied to blasting or construction.
Board members acknowledged a county moratorium on data-center development while staff completes impact work. The chair reiterated that the moratorium is not permanent and covers county-level approvals; she told speakers that Forest Park is a separate municipal jurisdiction but acknowledged the county’s responsibility where county infrastructure or residents are affected. Commissioners asked staff to continue studying health, safety and welfare impacts and to track coordination with cities and regional agencies.
Why it matters: data centers can consume large volumes of water and power and may involve heavy construction; residents said the cumulative impacts fall on neighborhoods. Speakers sought clearer protections, more aggressive negotiation with developers, and an explicit countywide policy that prevents projects from moving to jurisdictions with weaker oversight.
What’s next: Commissioners said they will continue the moratorium review and invited public follow-up. Several related rezoning requests and moratorium-exemption petitions were handled elsewhere on the agenda; the board scheduled community meetings for items that affect neighborhoods and tabled several applications for further review.
