Residents press Augusta commissioners for stricter data-center rules, clearer public review for QTS project

Residents pressed the Augusta Commission on data-center oversight and transparency during public comment, urging changes to zoning and clearer public review of the proposed QTS project.

Chastaney Cherry, a resident of District 7, told the commission the city's B-2 general business zoning "does not adequately protect Augusta, Richmond County for the scale of infrastructure that is being built," and urged officials to amend the code with enforceable standards for generator noise, water management, independent environmental review and reporting. "This is a pro-planning argument," Cherry said, adding that the city should remove grandfathering that could exempt QTS from forthcoming rules.

The request for clarity continued when Dr. Zakiyah Mabry asked whether there is any legal restriction preventing the city from publicly explaining why the proposed Eisenhower data-center project was excluded from the moratorium. Attorney Plunkett responded that the law department provides legal advice to the commission and does not typically answer specific constituent legal questions on the spot; he offered to discuss details with the speaker and noted open-records requests as the formal channel for documents.

Gayla Casey, co-president of the League of Women Voters of the CSRA, pressed the commission on timing and scope: residents were told at a public forum that the QTS project could span roughly six phases over about six years, with only phase 1 under way. Casey asked whether the company's "vested interest" applies to all six phases or only the phase where work has begun, and requested that the revised data-center ordinance and public meeting schedule be posted in a clear, central place on the city's website with enough notice for meaningful input.

Why it matters: Residents said the stakes include long-term noise, environmental and infrastructure impacts near proposed sites, and they asked that the city's review process include independent studies and public-facing records so affected neighborhoods can evaluate risks and mitigation.

What the commission said/did: Commissioners and staff did not adopt an ordinance change during the meeting. Attorney Plunkett reiterated the department's role in advising the commission and directed residents seeking detailed legal rationale to pursue formal records requests; no vote was taken on Cherry's specific call to eliminate grandfathering. Several speakers requested a town hall meeting limited to commissioners and subject matter experts (no developers) within 30 days; the transcript records the request but does not record a Commission commitment to schedule one.

Next steps: City staff are developing a revised data-center ordinance and planning-related materials that, per staff comments heard in the meeting, will be shared with the planning commission and posted for public review and comment before coming back to the Augusta Commission for action.