LaGrange City Council Calls Public Hearing for Data Center Permit
The LaGrange City Council has scheduled a public hearing for September 8 regarding a special-use permit for a proposed data center at the Lafayette Logistics Center. While the planning commission recommended approval with conditions, council members expressed reservations about the project, emphasizing that calling for the hearing does not indicate support. Concerns include unknown end users, the feasibility of environmental studies without a specific plan, and electricity sourcing.
The LaGrange City Council has scheduled a public hearing for September 8 to deliberate on a special-use permit (SUP) application for a data center project within the Lafayette Logistics Center. Developers Grandview Partners and Farpoint are pursuing the SUP for a 134-acre industrial park, where they have already invested $53 million in two leased industrial buildings. The property was initially zoned Campus General Industrial (CPGI), which developers believed allowed data centers by right, though the city disputes this.
The planning commission previously recommended approving the SUP, contingent on conditions such as noise and air studies, and a 100-foot vegetative buffer with a six-foot berm along Old Hutchinson Mill Road. However, City Planner Mark Kostial highlighted concerns about eight contiguous Troup County residential parcels outside the city limits.
During the council meeting, council members, including Ameia Cotton Williams, raised questions about the lack of specific details regarding the data center's end user and facility plans, making it difficult to assess noise and air impacts. Developers Justin Patwin and Eric Freeman explained that the "chicken-and-egg" process means specific user needs are determined after a site is secured. Councilman Mark Mitchell also inquired about electricity sourcing, which the developers stated would come through Georgia Transmission, though City Manager Patrick Bowie noted additional work would be required. The council ultimately approved calling for the public hearing by a 5-1 vote, with Councilman Quay Boddie dissenting, reiterating that this procedural step does not signify support for the project.