The City of Tallapoosa has set off a major land fight by moving to pull thousands of acres of Haralson County property into city limits, clearing the runway for a large industrial project that residents worry could turn into a hyperscale data center. Neighbors who showed up at recent meetings say they were blindsided and are now worried about heavy water use, generator noise and the erosion of their rural way of life if the land flips to industrial use. The council’s move creates a formal path for Haralson County to market roughly 1,600 acres to outside industry.
What the city says
City officials say this is about preparation, not a secret deal. According to a city news post, Tallapoosa and Haralson County have joined forces to pursue rezoning and annexation of parcels totaling about 1,600 acres, with roughly 1,000 acres proposed to come inside city limits. As noted in a City of Tallapoosa announcement, the move is meant to get the land ready for industrial marketing and future utility service. City leaders have not named any specific developer or project tied to the land.
Neighbors push back
People who live near the affected tracts say the fine print translates into big changes for their daily lives. Residents told reporters they were alarmed by the decision and worried it could reshape the quiet community they thought they were buying into. As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, neighbors packed public meetings and lined up at the microphone to voice their opposition after the council moved ahead with annexation and rezoning. Several residents said they chose Tallapoosa for its small-town feel and now fear a large industrial campus would rewrite the character of the area.
Council debate stretched back weeks
This did not come out of nowhere. The controversy traces back to a public hearing in March, when city leaders debated changes to Tallapoosa’s Technology Park Overlay District and whether data centers should be treated differently from other uses. Local reporting recorded residents warning that data centers “are the black sheep of permitted uses,” with several speakers raising specific concerns about noisy generator testing and heavy water withdrawals. That tense exchange returned to the spotlight this month as county and city staff pushed the annexation plan forward.
Why the worry is wider than Tallapoosa
The unease in Tallapoosa taps into a broader statewide debate over how data centers devour water and energy and how much information communities actually get before projects are approved. According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, oversight and reporting on data center impacts across Georgia have been uneven, which has fueled calls for clearer regional review. Conservation groups and some lawmakers have pushed for mandatory disclosure of water and power use for very large facilities before local governments sign off on zoning changes.
What’s next
The city’s action summary from the May 11 meeting shows that the council approved the annexation and rezoning request, formally moving the parcels into Tallapoosa’s planning and service area, according to City of Tallapoosa. The same summary lists routine work sessions and regular meetings where the public can track updates and official notices. If an industrial project moves ahead, annexation would put the burden for extending utilities and handling permits on the city, although any construction would still need separate permits and filings before it can break ground.
What residents can watch for
Neighbors say they plan to keep a close eye on council agendas and permit filings and may push for broader review if a large buildout is proposed. State reporting has highlighted regional review processes and the Development of Regional Impact framework as possible avenues for additional oversight, and advocates are pressing for clearer disclosure of likely water and energy demands. For now, residents and local officials are heading back to public meetings, questions in hand, as the county begins to market the acreage to industry.
