Many living in Bartow County were aghast when Commissioner Steve Taylor approved a data center proposal for 75 acres on Spring Place Road near White. Their reaction is primarily because the land was planned to be a subdivision of 115 homes.
The Bartow County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the subdivision to Taylor. The issue had been tabled during the previous county commission meeting. Attorney Lester Tate, representing the landowner, asked for the sudden switch of approval for a data center during the meeting held earlier this month.
Taylor said Tate and the landowner met with him before the meeting and convinced him to approve the data center plan. Taylor said the switch was completely legal.
“It is not a mandate for me to approve (planning and zoning commission recommended) zoning. They meet with a recommendation of zoning and I take that seriously,” Taylor said. “The took the privilege of being the commissioner and I did change that zoning from what they approved.”
“I approved what I thought the community rather have rather than all those homes out there.”
He said the new idea of a data center didn’t have to be readvertised as the first zoning proposal was or go back to the planning and zoning commission. Taylor said many of those who were concerned about the Spring Place zoning were at the meeting and he gave them the opportunity to speak.
Taylor said a data center would mean less traffic, would be quieter and less cumbersome for those living in the area.
He said he doesn’t think the switch to a data center approval at the meeting eroded people’s confidence or trust as commissioner.
“The commissioner has to make decisions sometimes and I realize not everyone is happy with those decisions,” he said.
Taylor said he approved the plan for two reasons. A data center would be better for the community compared to a subdivision and the landowner had been through four rezoning hearings trying to do something with his land.
This proposal came as a new potential buyer appeared. He said the property owner was turned down a few years ago by former Commissioner Clarence Brown for a logistical warehouse. Neighbors fought higher density housing rezonings.
“It’s bordered on three sides by those different (commercial and road) properties and it should be screened on the Spring Place road side and most of those neighbors would never know the data center is there,” Taylor said.
A data center will be next to a substation with Georgia Power attempting to evoke eminent domain over 40 acres owned by the same landowner. That case is still in legal dispute.
Melody Dareing is a freelance writer for publications in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Germany. She is a former news director at Adelphia Channel 4 and WBHF Radio.