Atlantans organize ahead of Zoning Committee vote on West End data center

This story has been updated to include that NPU-X and the Atlanta Planning Advisory Board also took action against the proposed West End data center.

Three weeks have passed since the Atlanta City Council Zoning Committee voted 6-1 to hold a zoning exemption for the construction of a Digital Realty data center on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard in West End. Ahead of the Zoning Committee’s follow-up vote on Monday, Aug. 10, many questions remain regarding the future of Atlanta’s data center regulations.  

Spearheaded by Council member Antonio Lewis, the zoning ordinance proposes an amendment to a September 2024 council vote to ban data centers around the Atlanta Beltline and within a half mile of any MARTA station.  

Zoning ordinances go through a three-part review process prior to the council’s final vote. The data center ordinance was favorably recommended by city staff, while the Zoning Review Board and Neighborhood Planning Unit-V, where the site is located, recommended against it.

In the neighborhood where the proposed data center would be built, Adair Park Today, Adair Park’s nonprofit neighborhood association, also voted 81-18 against the legislation. Drew Owen, president of the nonprofit, described the record number of residents who turned out at the meeting.

“People knew about this and wanted their voices to be heard, both for and against, but by a broad margin against,” Owen said in an interview with ACPC.

Neighboring NPUs S, T and X, and the Atlanta Planning Advisory Board, which is made up of representatives from all 25 NPUs, also voted against the ordinance and sent letters to the city officials urging to deny the amendment. Council member Lilliana Bakhtiari acknowledged one of the major concerns that a data center would not align with what the city initially envisioned for the future of West End. During the Zoning Committee meeting, Bakhtiari stated that they would be voting against the proposal.

“It doesn’t match the [Comprehensive Development Plan] and the direction we’re trying to move in. I mean, yes, they’re trying to create walkability with the retail that’s been proposed and offering, you know, obviously a trust to the neighborhood to tackle things,” Bakhtiari said in an interview with ACPC. “But I agree with the community that this doesn’t match the CDP.”

The data center’s opponents also noted a lack of regard for the general public’s preferences in the policy decision-making process. Bakhtiari emphasized that these kinds of inconsistencies have damaged Atlantans’ trust in their government, something they said will take“many, many, many, many, many years to build back.”

Owen expressed his concern about the precedent that would be set from a data center zoning exemption.  

“It’ll prove that our elected officials aren’t willing to actually commit to a vision, and I would expect to see a lot more institutions [and] data center companies coming in and trying to say, ‘Well, you did it for that person; you do it for me,’” Owen said. 

West End data center organizing opens new doors for neighborhood advocacy

NPU-S resident Alex Dileo detailed the advocacy of the Southwest Atlanta Residents Mobilize community group, which has gathered over 2,000 signatures on a petition against the data center. Dileo shared that the bonds she has made with other advocates united against the data center will be sure to carry over into other civic issues.

“I think the beauty of this diffuse coalition of neighbors is that now we know one another better. Now we’re interconnected in different ways, and whether it’s organizing around upcoming elections at the local level or other zoning matters for our communities or mutual aid efforts, I think that this is a coalition that will stick together, albeit in different forms, in the future,” Dileo said.  

Dileo expressed less certainty for the upcoming follow-up vote in the Zoning Committee. She said she attempted to reach out to multiple city officials with questions regarding consistencies she noticed between the ZRB staff report and Digital Realty’s site but received minimal response to provide clarity.

Zoning regulations limit Dileo’s and other opponents’ ability to ask additional specific questions during public comment.  

“Now it’s a little bit awkward because in public comment, given the state rules, we can no longer speak directly to this ordinance at the zoning committee meeting or at full council. Our public comment opportunity directly on the issue is over, and so it feels a little bit like I and others are reliant on council members to really press on this issue for clarity,” Dileo said.  

Data center development “unavoidable,” Council member says

Bakhtiari conceded their belief that data center development in Georgia is an “unavoidable” reality due to America’s participation in the international artificial intelligence arms race. They elaborated that this inevitable future only affirms the council’s duty to do everything necessary to offset the harm that will befall on these small communities.

Bakhtiari said there appears to be no positive examples to look to yet in the United States for data center development that properly aligns with community demands but added that Georgia has the opportunity to set the example. They offered a few solutions, expressing support for an elected board or group for the neighborhood to help oversee the dollars, alongside strict funding bylaws and distribution regulations.

“I think that the neighborhood needs to have an elected group, a board, or something that allows them to help steward the dollars and meets,” Bakhtiari said. “There needs to be bylaws put in place that there’s going to be that amount of money.”

“But the community would need to be able to have a say on how dollars were steward,” Bakhtiari added, “rather than having being told how their how these dollars are going to be spent.”