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Resident urges public education and hearing on data‑center zoning
Summary
A Smyth County resident urged supervisors to hold public informational sessions and extended comment time before the June 25 joint hearing on a draft data‑center ordinance, citing concerns about privacy, land use and nondisclosure agreements.
Charles Lisonbee, a member of the public who signed up for citizen's time, urged the board to educate residents and hold dedicated informational meetings about the draft data‑center zoning ordinance before the joint public hearing scheduled for June 25. Lisonbee said data centers pose countywide concerns—from privacy to long‑term land‑use effects—and asked for at least 10 minutes at the next meeting and a broader public forum.
"Data centers is a tremendous topic," Lisonbee said during citizen comment, and added, "Data centers is a threat to every single right that the people have, especially the privacy right." He asked the board to schedule a non‑decision informational session to explain what data centers do and do not do, and urged staff to publicize the joint hearing widely and consider moving the venue to a school auditorium to accommodate larger turnout. County administration responded that an educational session from 5–7 p.m. before the 7 p.m. joint hearing could be arranged and that staff will prepare informational materials for the public.
The board indicated support for outreach and one‑on‑one conversations with supervisors ahead of the hearing. No changes to the ordinance were proposed at this meeting; staff were instructed to try to secure a larger hearing venue and publish educational materials ahead of the June 25 hearing.
