The Cartersville City Council approved the rezoning of the Lever Bros. building from heavy industrial to technology to allow for a data center. The vote came after a second reading and round of public hearings during the council meeting Thursday night.
The council also approved the two variance requests to reduce parking and reorient the front of the building. Both measures came to the council with a recommendation for approval from the Cartersville Planning Commission.
Databank still may not open. The city attached three conditions. One is the closed-loop water system. The second is that the only purpose be data storage and other related work. It’s the third condition that could present a problem. The city is requiring the company have a written commitment for electricity before it can be given a certificate of occupancy.
The project will be two buildings with each holding 300,000 gallons of water in a closed-loop system. Council members briefly discussed the impact of the water draw. City Manager Dan Porta said the old industry used more.
Attorney Brandon Bowen, representing Databank Holdings Ltd., said the water would stay in the system. The closed-loop system would last 20 to 40 years without major repairs. Water would then be processed at an approved facility according to Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards.
He said propyline glycol is added to the water in the closed-loop system and that it is a non-toxic substance. Bowen said there wasn’t a better place in Georgia for a data center.
“We have facility currently. It’s a chemical facility, a soap factory that is decommissioning, so this is a great 21st century replacement of it,” Bowen said.
Jason Barton, a local resident, said maps are only showing Cartersville homes surrounding the site. There are 3,723 homes in the county that weren’t included. He also questioned how Pettit Creek would be affected and said that Databank investors are accused in numerous cases with the Department of Justice.
Barton said some of the real dangers of the databank were invisible infrasound. It could be felt within a three-mile radius, which would include almost all of Cartersville.
“This is soundwaves none of the people can hear, but are felt as pressure waves,” Barton said, adding these sound waves can cause dizziness, nausea, and anxiety.
Melody Dareing is a freelance writer for publications in the U.S, Canada, the UK and Germany. She is a former news director of Adelphia Channel 4 and WBHF Radio. She is on Facebook, X, YouTube, content on Substack, and has a podcast on Rumble.