Piperton residents push back against data center
Piperton residents are opposing the possibility of an AI data center near I-269 and Macon Road, citing concerns about rural development, water availability and potential groundwater contamination. The Piperton Planning Commission voted 5-0 to amend the future land use map, but city officials said the action did not rezone or annex property or approve a data center.
Piperton residents in Fayette County are pushing back against the possibility of a data center in a rural area near I-269 and Macon Road. The opposition intensified after the Piperton Planning Commission voted 5-0 to amend the city’s future land use map, identifying where future residential, commercial and industrial growth could occur. City officials said the amendment does not rezone or annex property and does not approve a data center.
Residents, including David Vunn, questioned why the city would consider roughly 1,000 acres in the rural area when about 268 acres are available in an existing industrial park. Neighbors also raised concerns that a future data center could draw down private wells, lower the water table and introduce chemicals into groundwater through wastewater. The city is expected to provide more information at a meeting scheduled for Oct. 20, and residents said the effects could extend into neighboring Shelby County.