Local resident wants Dublin City Council to protect area from data centers

A local resident proclaimed to the Dublin City Council on Thursday that she and others do not want a data center in the city and asked council members to take the necessary steps keep one from ever becoming a reality here.  

Rae Bloodworth handed information about data centers to City Clerk Dorothy Rozier to be passed out to Mayor Joshua Kight, City Manager Josh Powell and the rest of the council members. 

“I provided you information to review,” Bloodworth said. “I want to ask you to consider if our current ordinances are prepared for this type of development and whether additional planning and zoning and consideration of public input and opportunity should be discussed?” 

Almost a week before the council meeting, news broke that the former Mohawk carpet plant is being promoted as a possible site for a data center, both in a federal grant application and by the property’s owner. Officials with the county and East Dublin said there had been no governmental effort to bring a data center here.  

Bloodworth said her stance is not about being against growth or economic development.

“This is about making sure that our community has a voice, that residents have an opportunity to participate and that we plan ahead of issues that may affect our water resources, our electricity, our needs, our traffic, our noise, our neighborhoods and our quality of life,” Bloodworth said. “I’m asking you all to consider looking at your ordinance and see if there is any protection for us as citizens if a data center is proposed.We’re asking that you make sure that you are covering us as a community.” 

Toward the end of the meeting, Powell thanked the public for their patience in two road projects happening on West Mary Street and at the intersection of Claxton Dairy and Woodlawn Drive.

“Ideally, we wouldn’t have two projects so close together happening all at once,” he said. “Mary Street right now is pretty torn up. We appreciate everybody who lives over there and has to normally drive through there.”

Powell said the roundabout is starting to take shape.

“I think we’re still on target of meeting our deadline for the roundabout at the beginning of August,” Powell said.

Kight informed the council and audience that they have received some estimated census data that approximately 500 people have moved to Dublin.

“That is good steady growth,” the mayor said. “We are sitting at close to 17,000 residents now. I think that has been encouraged by our economic opportunities in town but also the changes that we’ve made in the last four years in recreation. Our parks are really good, the golf course is coming along and there’s activities at Oconee Gym. Really, all over town, there is more stuff to do and our neighborhoods have become more attractive.” 

In other meeting news, council members: 

• Honored five people for their retirement from the city: Scott Allen, Randy Floyd, Daron Powell, Billy Ritch and Tracy Yanken. Allen, who was the only one in attendance, received a watch from Mayor Pro Tempore Bennie Jones. Allen served the city for 35 years.

• Honored Donald Matecun who was recognized as the employee of the second quarter for 2026.

• Approved a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 with service body from Hardy Chevrolet Buick GMC for $75,343. It will be paid from the 2024 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

• Heard the first reading of an ordinance to annex a .5 acre parcel to be used as parking for a medical office on Fairview Park Drive. A second reading and public hearing is scheduled for the 5:30 p.m. Aug. 6 meeting. 

• Heard the first reading of an ordinance regarding the distance requirements for alcohol licensing for consumption on premises.

“We’ve had a request for a restaurant to be able to locate and serve alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises across from a church that’s located on Hillcrest Parkway,” Powell said. “After that request came in, staff looked at our existing ordinance which currently has some exemptions.”

Distant requirements can be set at the local level as it relates to schools and churches. The council has those requirements in the ordinances, but Powell said they have a few places where the distance requirement has been exempted.

A second reading and public hearing is scheduled for the 5:30 p.m. Aug. 6 meeting. 

• Took no action on the rezoning of a 3.5-acre parcel to all MGVG Living Dublin to build additional multi-family units adjacent to their current development on Woodlawn Drive. 

• Approved to amend clerical changes to the future land use map. 

• Approved an agreement with i3 Verticals LLC for licensing and service for 25 licenses.

“We have purchased a lot of laptops for the police department to help them to be mobile and being able to not just be locked into their offices,” Powell said. “There are a number of officers that do not have the software that is primarily used for report writing, GCIC searches and inquiries and those type of things for their normal day-to-day operations. This would provide the licensing for those officers that don’t currently have that on their laptops.”

The total purchase price was below $75,933. 

• Heard from Janet Sands, who lives on Cascade Circle and thanked the council for the speed bumps in that area.

“I’d like to take the time to thank the mayor and the council for your great work … to complete the job and getting the special bumps on our streets. There are no more cars racing down the street or cutting through the neighborhood. We really appreciate your help. I know you get a lot of complaints, but I wanted to let you know that we really appreciate it.” 

• Heard from Mitch Griggs, who lives on Stonewall Street, regarding a drainage structure and storm water drainage issue on Elm and Stonewall Street.

“The drainage structures have failed there and it is now become my problem even though it’s not across my property,” Griggs said. “It’s adjacent to my property. The properties it is affecting have now become blighted and are creating a problem, including a health problem.” 

Griggs wanted to bring it to the council’s attention.