Marietta Residents Plan Protest Over Bells Ferry Road Data Center, City Clarifies Meeting Agenda
Citizens in Marietta, Georgia, are protesting a data center previously approved by the City Council, despite the city clarifying no related public hearing is scheduled. This local opposition, fueled by concerns over environmental impacts, electricity, and water costs, comes as a six-month data center moratorium has been enacted in unincorporated Cobb County. The project was approved in June 2025, with proponents citing significant tax revenue.
Citizens in Marietta, Georgia, are preparing to protest an approved data center project on Bells Ferry Road at an upcoming Marietta City Council meeting, despite the city's assertion that no discussion on data centers is scheduled. The City of Marietta issued a social media statement Friday to counter "misinformation being circulated," clarifying that the June 10, 2026, meeting agenda does not include a town hall, public hearing, or item for council discussion regarding data centers. This public outcry stems from information distributed on a website named "StopCobbDataCenter.com," which urged residents to attend a public hearing on June 10 and wear red to support a permanent ban.
The opposition, which includes a Northeast Cobb resident expressing concerns to local news, is coming nearly a year after the Marietta City Council unanimously approved the digital data center proposal in June 2025. The project, planned for a 30-acre undeveloped tract, was backed by land-use attorney Kevin Moore, who projected over $70 million in tax revenue and 40 jobs. While there was some community support during the initial approval, concerns about impacts on nearby residential areas were also raised.
The renewed local activism aligns with a broader national trend of protests against AI data centers, with opponents citing high electrical and water consumption, noise pollution, and environmental impacts. Notably, a six-month moratorium on data centers was unanimously approved by commissioners in unincorporated Cobb County in February. Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has also joined the movement, creating an online map to track data centers, which includes the Bells Ferry Road site as a "community reported" location. Opponents behind "StopCobbDataCenter.com" are advising residents to highlight the absence of an environmental impact study before the 2025 Marietta vote.