The telecommunications company behind a controversial data center project in east Charlotte pushed back the public hearing on its rezoning petition to next month. During the zoning meeting Monday evening, Charlotte’s Party for Socialism and Liberation gathered a group of around 15 people outside the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Government Center.
American Towers plans to build a small data center on 10 acres of the 58-acre property it owns near the Reedy Creek Nature Preserve. The company said that the data center would support the digital devices people use.
An American Towers representative said in a written statement that the proposed facility would be a fraction of the size of a so-called hyperscale data center like those built by tech giants, and would consume “2% of the power those facilities consume.”
April Alexander spoke alongside other East Charlotte residents during the protest.
“I’m still concerned about it being in a residential neighborhood and people not having a say,” Alexander said. “I would love to hear more about safeguards.”
Alexander said a conversation about community protections with the developers would ease some of her concerns. A city official said that the petitioner had requested more time to meet with community members about their concerns.
Alexander and those of her neighbors who were at the protest said they haven't received a message from American Towers about the project.
