Data Bank gets go-ahead
The Cartersville City Council approved DataBank's zoning and variance requests for a proposed data center in the city's industrial park. Despite opposition from one resident citing concerns about sound, water, and proximity to homes, the council unanimously voted in favor of the project, placing three conditions on the zoning approval.
The Cartersville City Council unanimously approved DataBank's rezoning request and two variance requests for a proposed data center project on 69 acres at 218 Industrial Park Road during its Sept. 3 meeting. The council, including Mayor Matt Santini, City Manager Dan Porta, and council members Jayce Stepp, Calvin Cooley, Alyssa Cordell, Cary Roth, and Gary Fox, held a second reading and public hearing for the proposal.
DataBank plans to build two 664,000-square-foot data center buildings, a 25,000-square-foot building, a 10-acre switching station, and a 5-acre electrical substation. Attorney Brandon Bowen, representing DataBank, addressed concerns about water usage, clarifying that the closed-loop cooling system would use approximately 600,000 gallons for the entire site over 20-40 years with minimal adjustments. He also highlighted DataBank's commitment to community involvement.
Area resident Jason Barton was the sole opponent during the public hearing, raising issues about the proximity of residences, the impact on a nearby natural creek, and potential infrasound emissions affecting a wide area. Despite these concerns, the council approved the zoning request with three conditions: limiting the project to the site plan, specifying the property use solely as a data center, and requiring a power source to be secured before any certificates of occupancy are issued. The variances for reduced parking and building orientation were also unanimously approved.