Protect the old Boy Scout camp from being replaced by a data center

Recent signers:

The Issue

The nearly 500 acre Boy Scout camp in Peach/Crawford County GA has been a cherished location for generations, providing our youth with invaluable experiences in nature, leadership, and personal growth. And while it’s not in service today, the nearly untouched nature on its grounds does not deserve to be flattened and turned into a massive drain on local resources.

The locations surrounding the old camp are mostly residential, most of which have underground well water systems. Data Centers require a lot of water to run and it unfortunately is not drinkable afterward. When the water dries up they can simply move on to a new location but what about our families that can’t just simply move our roots?

Not only do they require a lot of water but they require a lot of power as well. This extra load means that the infrastructure must change to support it which in turn will cause everyone’s bill to skyrocket.

Furthermore, it will not provide sustainable jobs for the community. There will be initial construction but nothing that would create sustainable careers in a location that needs income for its people.

Please join me in urging the local authorities and developers to explore alternatives for this area. Let us rally together to protect our slice of paradise from being replaced. Sign this petition to make your voice heard and ensure that future generations can benefit from this treasured site.

These are the times and locations of local government meetings if you would like to protest in person (these are copy pasted from their websites)

Byron (Peach County):

The Mayor and Council meet in regular session the second Monday of every month at 6 p.m.
The Planning & Zoning Commission meets in regular session the fourth Thursday of every month at 5 p.m.

All official regular meetings are in the Council Chamber at the Byron Municipal Complex, 401 Main Street, Byron, Georgia.

Roberta (Crawford County):

The Crawford County Planning and Zoning Commission will be holding a work session for: Data Center on April 28, 2026 Time: All meetings - 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm at Crawford County Annex 640 GA Hwy 128 Roberta, GA 31078
Planning and Zoning Board tentatively meetings scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of every month at 6pm in the Paul Coverdell Room at the new courthouse on Hwy. 42, Knoxville, Georgia.

Heather DanielPetition Starter

Media inquiries

2,281

Recent signers:

The Issue

These are the times and locations of local government meetings if you would like to protest in person (these are copy pasted from their websites)

Byron (Peach County):

The Mayor and Council meet in regular session the second Monday of every month at 6 p.m.
The Planning & Zoning Commission meets in regular session the fourth Thursday of every month at 5 p.m.

All official regular meetings are in the Council Chamber at the Byron Municipal Complex, 401 Main Street, Byron, Georgia.

Roberta (Crawford County):

The Crawford County Planning and Zoning Commission will be holding a work session for: Data Center on April 28, 2026 Time: All meetings - 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm at Crawford County Annex 640 GA Hwy 128 Roberta, GA 31078
Planning and Zoning Board tentatively meetings scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of every month at 6pm in the Paul Coverdell Room at the new courthouse on Hwy. 42, Knoxville, Georgia.

Heather DanielPetition Starter

Media inquiries

Support now

2,281

The Decision Makers

Michael Chidester,

Byron City Mayor

Responded

Georgia

“Thank you for your emails. My view on the issue raised is that the people affected live within the immediate two miles of the old scout camp. Therefore, the number of signers is far less important to me than where they live. What disappoints me about such "petitions" as yours is that anyone can sign, regardless of where he or she lives. It would have far greater credibility if one could sign only if one's address were within a limited radius of the former scout property. The land has been purchased by a private entity. Believe it or not, we cannot just say no to a legal business locating on land it owns or leases, if the proposal meets the requirements of the law. I agree that the people who live nearby should have input into the final outcome. However, I will also make decisions based upon current and accurate information, not the accumulated experience with older and outdated technologies. For instance, Georgia Power has already implemented a data center electric load billing rate, which has resulted in a three year freeze on residential rate increases. GP is placing the cost of data center power consumption, and the infrastructure upgrades necessary to supply it, squarely on the data centers, not the public. So, to the extent that opponents wish to cite the experience of people in other states or continue to insist that electric rates will be driven up, I can only conclude that no facts would convince them otherwise, and such people need to understand that this costs them their credibility. Likewise with water use. On a site of 500 acres, and given the actual water use documented at Meta's data center in Social Circle, Georgia, there is virtually no likelihood that anyone's water supply will be affected. This is especially true of the rural residents who use well water. Because the city's water is drawn from the deep aquifer, the groundwater wells of the local area will remain unaffected. I am certainly concerned about noise, and I realize any construction will cause much inconvenience over a period of more than a year. Any proposal would have to convice me tht noise would not be an issue. Obviously, in a widespread power outage situation, the generators running at a data center would likely be noisy. However, most folks in the area would be running their own generators as well, which would probably drown out the data centers. A Korean company recently proposed a plant to manufacture batteries to power electric automobiles in that same area, which would actually have required a million gallons a day of water and would have discharged heavy metals. I heard not a peep concerning that. I believe every resident would prefer the data center to that, especially given that the data center would pay property taxes sufficient to reduce the property taxes across the board of every city and county resident. As for the complaints about tax incentives, I can assure you that the city will offer none. I can do nothing about state tax incentives, and complaints regarding those should be directed to the House and Senate members of the district of any resident unhappy with them. The bottom line is this: the Byron Council is composed of intelligent people who are not idiots swayed by waving a little cash at us. We run this city like a business. If we ever approve a data center, it will be based on hard facts and protections built in for people nearby. Michael Chidester, Mayor [Note: The Change.org Civic Engagement Team reaches out to decision makers to let them know about petitions in their community and to help facilitate engagement with supporters. The above was an email response we received regarding this petition.]”

Michael Chidester

Byron City Mayor

Responded

Crawford County Commission,

4 Members

Georgia