Data center confusion in Brookwood
Residents and environmental advocates in Brookwood, Alabama are scrutinizing a proposed massive data center campus, raising concerns about transparency from city officials. The Brookwood Planning and Zoning Commission recommended a rezoning petition for the 370-acre project despite neighbor frustrations, and Mayor Joe Barger, who signed an NDA, refused to answer questions. The rezoning decision will now go to the city council for a vote.
A proposed massive data center campus in Brookwood, Alabama, is facing scrutiny from local residents and environmental advocates, who are raising concerns about transparency from city officials.
The Brookwood Planning and Zoning Commission recently voted to recommend a rezoning petition for more than 370 acres for the data center campus. This decision was made during a meeting where city leaders heard neighbors' frustrations. The commission's recommendation is not connected to a recently approved permit for another massive data center across from Brookwood Middle School, indicating multiple data center-related developments.
Brookwood Mayor Joe Barger, who is also a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, has come under fire for signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) regarding the project. When approached by WBRC 6 News outside City Hall, Mayor Barger refused to answer questions about the NDA, how the project would benefit Brookwood, or why rezoning was being considered without public answers. The rezoning recommendation now heads to the city council for a vote in a few weeks.