AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Before Augusta leaders vote on new rules for data centers, they plan to head to Atlanta to see one in action on August 3rd.“My main thing is to see what the surrounding area looks like as far as for the buffers, noise is a main concern. I think that’s a lot of concern for the people,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Wayne Guilfoyle.In the Hayne’s Station neighborhood, there is a lot of concern about the QTS data center under construction nearby off Gordon Highway.James Mitchell moved into the neighborhood a year and a half ago and didn’t know about the data center until after.“I moved here not knowing that this data center is in progress I think it’s very unfair because most people didn’t know about that,” said Mitchell.
Last month, city leaders approved a seven-week moratorium on approving new sites waiting for the new regulations, but next week, to allow time to visit to the center in Atlanta, city leaders are looking at putting off the vote on the new regulation and extending the moratorium into August.“We need to have something in place 30 days, I feel, is plenty sufficient and this is where we need to go,” said Commissioner Catherine Smith Rice.The Mayor Pro-Tem says the moratorium should last until August 18th when he wants the vote on the regulations after the visit. “We’ll come back and hopefully if any changes need to be done to the ordinance, we change it then if not, we just go ahead and move forward,” said Guilfoyle.The current moratorium expires next Tuesday, so for commissioners, it will be time to make the decision…