Commissioners explain purchase of Walker Co. property amid data center concerns, company reassures
Walker County commissioners enacted a 30-day moratorium on new data center construction in unincorporated areas, with plans to extend it. This action comes amid community concerns following the county's sale of a 4-acre property in Rossville to BridgeTrack. BridgeTrack, a logistics company, has clarified that its facility is not a typical large data center and will operate with minimal water and power demands.
Concerns surrounding data center developments continue to rise in Walker County, Georgia, despite the County Commissioners having enacted a one-month moratorium on new construction in unincorporated areas. Commissioners stated they were considering an extension to this temporary suspension.
Following the moratorium, Walker County leaders, including Chairwoman Angie Teems, posted a video to clarify issues, particularly concerning the sale of a four-acre county-owned property in Rossville. Residents expressed apprehension about the purchasing company and its development plans. The sale, which had been in the works since February, officially closed on July 13th to BridgeTrack, a Chattanooga-based logistics company. BridgeTrack co-founders explained that their facility requires access to EPB's Quantum Center and will collect and redistribute data from cellular devices, emphasizing it is not the large-scale data center many residents envision. They assured the public that their operations do not require significant water and will not impact local EPB power providers, aiming to be "good neighbors."
The company highlighted that its facility's processing needs are minimal compared to major tech giants like Amazon or Google, and the property size could not accommodate such large operations.