CAMDEN, S.C. (WIS) – A planned data center in Kershaw County is causing some concern. This comes after the planning and zoning commission approved a rezoning request at a Sept. 8 meeting.
Now, county leaders will have to approve that request, but some residents are making sure their concerns are heard.
Data centers store powerful computers called servers that run websites and apps. The centers also store huge amounts of digital information. not is the company planning to bring the center to Kershaw County.
They are requesting 161 acres of land on 771 Park Road to be rezoned from residential development to general development–allowing anything to be built in that area. At a planning and zoning meeting earlier this month, representatives said they plan to build two warehouses that will store computer servers and employ 10 to 15 people.
At a county council meeting on Tuesday, several residents spoke up at a council meeting earlier tonight saying they want council members to deny the request.
“There are a lot of factors we don’t have any guidelines for in our community, and before you make any decisions, that’s the first thing you need to consider is a guideline for any type data center coming to the county,” Lynne Conto, who lives near the proposed site.
Another resident who spoke out at the meeting raised concerns about water usage and electricity consumption.
“I’m asking you to stand with the people you represent. Protect our homes, protect our health and protect our way of life. When this comes to a vote, do not approve this rezoning,” the resident said.
County Councilman Derek Shoemake said right now, they’re focused on deciding whether rezoning the area will be a good decision in the long run.
“If we rezone this area to general development, and let’s say it is a data center, or whatever they do, if anything falls through, then now you have 100 acres that can be used for anything,” he said. ” I think as a council, we have to be very careful about rezoning giant tracks of land like this, especially from restricted uses to very permissible uses.”
Wis did reach out to Terra Nexus Ventures, but we’re still waiting to hear back. The county council plans to discuss the rezoning request at its first regular meeting in October.
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