BESSEMER, Ala. (WBMA) — A proposed 700-acre data center in Bessemer has ignited a wave of outrage among local residents who fear the development could irrevocably alter their way of life. The project, backed by Logistic Land Investments LLC, would require a zoning change from agricultural to industrial, a move that has already cleared its first major hurdle with a 4-2 vote of recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Ron Morgan, who moved into his Jefferson County home with his wife in 2011, expressed his concerns about the potential impact on their peaceful surroundings. “We bought this because we like the peace and quiet, we want to be in the country, away from the city,” Morgan said. He added, “It would be intrusive. It would be ever-present 24/7. Our quality of life would go in the toilet.”
The plans for the data center are in the area around Rock Mountain Lake Road. The proposed plan includes 18 buildings, each 250,000 square feet, totaling 4.5 million square feet—equivalent to roughly 78 football fields. Marshall Killingsworth, a resident for 42 years, who lives within 100 feet of the proposal, echoed Morgan’s concerns, stating, “There’s so many unknowns at this point in time. It’s the enormousness of it.”
Killingsworth warned of the environmental impact, saying, “When you think of a data center, you think this is just another industry. Well, it’s not. It’s a polluter. It generates an enormous amount of heat.”…