DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — After months of community opposition and even county staff recommending denial, the Douglas County Commission approved construction of a new data center in the historic Winston community.
The vote came Tuesday night during the Board of Commissioners Planning and Zoning meeting, where with the addition of some extras, the data center by TC Atlanta Development was allowed to move forward.
Channel 2′s Tom Jones has been in Douglas County speaking with those for and against the new project since November.
According to project plans, the data center would be built between the cities of Douglasville and Villa Rica, putting in Winston.
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The specific location had neighbors in the area concerned due to how close it would be to both an elementary school and a public park.
TC Atlanta requested a rezoning for what was the old Waldrop Farms property so they can build two facility buildings and a substation. For those opposed to the project, some of the issues centered on environmental hazards, while others said it was dangerous to children.
“It’s up to the adults to protect these kids,” Jackie Chestnut told Channel 2 Action News previously. “They’re gambling with our lives and with the lives of the kids.”
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Responding to those concerns, TC Atlanta said at the time that it’s listening to the community and working to address those worries, while also saying the project would be both environmentally sustainable and a boon for the local economy and community.
The Douglas County analysis of the project says tax revenue is expected to start at a level of $2.4 million per year in 2025 before rising to $96 million over the next 10 years.
However, not everyone was against it, and ultimately, the county commission agreed to push it forward with extra conditions.
Those conditions include making sure the facility matches the aesthetic of the community of Winston, that the project includes biking, pedestrian an transit facilities such as access points, multi-use trails and public sidewalks, that it is connected to the sewage and water system for the county, that heavy vehicles not be used on the property after construction and that the rezoning is tied to the property, not the project in the event of the project falling through or failing to be completed.
As part of the sewer and water requirement, county officials said that access for emergency vehicles must also be available and maintained.
That also meant, according to the county commissioners, that if the project does fall through, any other rezoning or development attempts would have to start the overall process from scratch.
The land at the location picked out can only be used for data centers, regardless of who is developing it or building on it, unless more permits and requests are filed with the county.
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