Readers write

Pro-data centers push needed more balance

As someone professionally involved with urban planning in Georgia for over 40 years, I take strong exception to Georgia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Chris Clark’s guest opinion column pushing data centers in Georgia. (“Georgia needs data centers to compete,” Aug. 27)

The editorial lacks balance. Catchy phrases like “leadership requires action” and adoration for “regulatory sandboxes” do not actually provide facts. A bit of balance is called for.

Data centers are private enterprises. They provide billions upon billions of profits to the tech mega corporations. They require unheard of quantities of electricity and water, instantly overwhelming local government’s ability to provide such resources and destroying the ability to adequately serve local residents. They dangle property tax reductions to area residents that do not come close to compensating for the damage they cause in resources.

Most importantly, they are the black holes of urban planning. These gigantic, ugly box structures destroy acres of land. The current proposal in Rockdale County, for example, approaches some 300 acres in size. Data centers often seek to locate in or near lower value residentially zoned property to further increase profit, requiring rezonings, special use permits and other regulatory permission for which they do not qualify. Turning vast amounts of residentially zoned property into industrial use often stands in direct conflict to the comprehensive plans of these communities. And this nonsense about jobs really needs to stop.

A balanced statewide approach to data centers would ensure they are located far from our communities, in places that are already properly zoned for industrial use and have the required resources.

BOB ZOECKLER, CLARKSTON

Data center column rightfully takes aim at Communist China

Kudos to Chris Clark (“Georgia needs data centers to compete,” Aug. 27) for saying what has to be said about data centers: we need them to compete globally.