Жители Уэстовера требуют разъяснений по проекту дата-центра и настаивают на шестимесячном моратории

How did Westover’s proposed data center get here? Records show the timeline A proposed data center on more than 400 acres near Cheshire Drive in Westover has drawn concerns from residents as city leaders consider what comes next for the development. The ABC 33/40 I-Team attended three meetings last week where the proposal was discussed — a Planning Commission meeting Monday, a City Council meeting Tuesday and a town hall Thursday. Residents raised questions about the project, its potential impact and how the city got to this point. We went back through city and property records to trace the timeline. Data center discussions date back to 2024 During Thursday's town hall, Gregory DeBacker with Swift Willow Property, LLC, said discussions with the city began after the company secured a contract on the property. “After we secured a contract on the property, my partner reached out to then-Mayor Larry Riggins to ask a simple question: ‘Is Westover open to a data center on this tract?’ Mayor Riggins was receptive, so he brought it to the council, and the first public discussion happened in May 2024,” DeBacker said. City records show data center discussions that May. Minutes from the May 7, 2024 Westover City Council meeting state Riggins was in discussions with two developers, including one looking for property for a possible data center. The minutes do not identify that developer. By December, the records become more specific. Dec. 3, 2024 City Council minutes reference an upcoming rezoning for a data center on the Westervelt property. Later that month, Planning Commission minutes document a public hearing on a request to rezone the Westervelt property from a combination of Highway Commercial, Employment Center-Office and Rural Residential to Employment Center-Industrial. Property rezoned in February 2025 The rezoning went before the Westover City Council on Feb. 4, 2025. City Council minutes document a public hearing on the rezoning. According to the minutes, Riggins asked whether anyone wanted to speak in opposition, and no one did. The minutes also identify Jeremy Wolf with Swift Data Development as the petitioner who provided an update on the project. The City Council approved the rezoning, moving the property into the Employment Center-Industrial district. The recorded ordinance describes approximately 437 acres. Data centers added as a permitted use In April 2025, the Westover Planning Commission considered adding “Data Center” to the uses permitted by right in the city's Employment Center-Industrial district. Planning Commission minutes state the requested change was for current and future developments. The commission unanimously approved sending the change to the City Council for approval. The zoning ordinance currently posted by the city lists “Data Center” as a use permitted by right in the Employment Center-Industrial district. At Thursday's town hall, DeBacker said Swift's purchase of the property was contingent on the zoning. “Swift only sought to acquire the property if it was zoned for a data center, and we conditioned our closing on that,” DeBacker said. Swift Willow purchases the property Property records show Westervelt Realty transferred the property to Swift Willow Property, LLC, in June 2025. The Real Estate Sales Validation Form attached to the statutory warranty deed lists a total purchase price of $6,565,238.57. Residents question the process More than a year later, residents are asking questions about the decisions that led to the current proposal and what protections could still be put in place. “Show us when the public was notified, when the hearing occurred. Show us the meeting minutes. Show us the records,” one resident said during Thursday's town hall. The records reviewed by ABC 33/40 document public hearings and meetings concerning the property. However, we have not located a record showing when or how notice of the rezoning public hearing was published. City approves six-month moratorium Those concerns were also raised as city leaders considered how Westover should regulate data centers moving forward. At Tuesday's City Council meeting, Councilor Dr. Jay Crisman called for more time. “I think we need more time to prepare. I mean, clearly the public sentiment is not positive, so I would be prepared to suggest — you know, we have a resolution in front of us, a six-month moratorium — I would be prepared to move forward with a motion for that,” Crisman said. The City Council unanimously approved the six-month moratorium on data centers. Mayor Bobby Pardue said the pause is about “giving us time to make changes that we need to make so that we are doing the best that we can do for the city of Westover.” City looks at financial impact City leaders have also looked at how other communities have handled data centers. Pardue said Westover officials traveled to Walton County, Georgia, where they spoke with the county manager about the pros and cons associated with data centers. “He lined it up for us. We rented a van, went over to Walton County, Georgia, and they talked to the county manager for Walton County,” Pardue said. “He shared all the pros and cons that he knew that dealt with data centers. They didn't get to see the inside; they got to tour the outside.” During last week's Planning Commission meeting, the discussion also turned to the potential financial impact of a data center and what Westover could seek in return. “So we asked the general question: As a small community, is there a way that we can gain some revenue from this that would be beneficial to the citizens of our community? Their recommendation was that we ask for double our budget per year,” a speaker said during the meeting. No final changes were made during that Planning Commission meeting. The six-month moratorium remains in place while Westover leaders consider potential regulations and conditions for data center development. After Thursday's town hall, ABC 33/40 asked Hugh Williamson, founder of Swift Willow Property and DeBacker's business partner, for an on-camera interview about the project. Williamson declined the request. This story is based on public records located and reviewed by ABC 33/40's I-Team, including Westover city meeting records, zoning documents and Shelby County property records. Additional records related to the proposed development may exist that were not included in our review.