Citizens to protest forthcoming Bells Ferry Road data center

Citizens opposed to a new data center in the city of Marietta are planning to speak out on the issue at a Marietta City Council meeting this coming week.

Some had claimed that a public hearing was to have been held at the council’s regular meeting on Wednesday, but city officials said Friday that’s not the case.

“The City of Marietta is aware of misinformation being circulated regarding discussion of data centers,” the city announced over social media channels Friday afternoon.

“The City confirms there is NO town hall, public hearing, or item for Council discussion regarding data centers scheduled for the June 10, 2026 City Council meeting.”

There’s no mention of the data center on the council’s meeting agenda.

The city’s message was in response to information distributed on a website opposed to the data center with the URL StopCobbDataCenter.com and headlined “Not for Us—Cobb County.”

The site includes a message at the top indicating a public hearing before the Marietta City Council on June 10 (Wednesday), and asks that “we’re asking all attendees who support a permanent ban to wear red—speaking slots are limited, so a united visual presence is our strongest message.”

A Northeast Cobb resident contacted East Cobb News this week on the same matter, saying that she “just found out about the data center they’re planning to put up” and that “apparently there’s folks going to show up at a meeting of the Marietta City Council to have a say about this.”

But the caller’s concerns, as well as those from the “Not for Us—Cobb County” site are coming nearly a year too late.

In June 2025, the Marietta City Council unanimously proved a digital data center proposal on a 30-acre undeveloped tract following claims from prominent land-use attorney Kevin Moore that it would provide more than $70 million in tax revenue.

The data center would employ 40 people and house computer systems and servers and data and networking equipment.

While there was some community support expressed at the time, concerns also were raised over possible effects on nearby residential developments.

The more recent opposition comes as protests specifically against artificial intelligence data centers are growing around the country, citing electrical and water costs, as well as noise and environmental impacts.

A number of local governments in metro Atlanta have imposed temporary moratoria on data centers, including a six-month pause in unincorporated Cobb approved unanimously by commissioners in February.

Noted environmental activist Erin Brockovich also has joined efforts to oppose data centers and has begun an online map to track data centers across the country.

Her map includes the Bells Ferry Road property as a “community reported” site as of May 4. According to the map, such sites “show data submitted by concerned residents across the US about AI data centers.”

The concerned residents behind the “Not for Us—Cobb County” site are not identified. The site offers tips on how public speakers should express their opposition to the data center, including pointing out that no environmental impact study was conducted before the Marietta vote in 2025, and to contact their city council members.

“The developer has lawyers and $100M for a substation. You have the vote and the documented evidence,” according to the “Not for Us—Cobb County” site.

On the City of Marietta’s Facebook page, some citizens took exception to the city’s message about there not being a public hearing.

“There has been zero misinformation about it—public comment is open to non-agenda topics,” wrote one citizen.

“Surely you aren’t trying to discourage your constituents from attending a public council meeting, to speak with representatives who work for us? See you on Wednesday!,” commented another.

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