‘Devastated.’ Neighbors near proposed Columbus data center petition with 1,200 signatures
In 2021, Leslie and Robert Landi found their forever home at the edge of Muscogee County in Upatoi, after “chasing quiet and peace” for years in Columbus and Midland.
Leslie, a retired nurse, and Robert a retired corporate tax accountant for Aflac, moved to a 70-acre property in 2021. They surrounded themselves with rescued donkeys and mini-goats, a pig, chickens, ducks and all the stars they can count in the sky.
For years, they have enjoyed walking the grounds, where 65 of the 70 acres are in a conservation easement. They also ride four-wheelers to access one of their dozens of underground springs or nearby Kendall Creek.
Since the news broke two weeks ago about Project Ruby, which would build a $5.18 billion data center in northeast Columbus, Landi’s days and nights are occupied with Googling information on what it’s like living near a hyperscale data center.
A portion of the nearly 1,000 acres of land where developer Habitat Real Estate Partners wants to build the data center abuts Landi’s property.
“What’s it going to do to our water?” Leslie Landi posed to the Ledger-Enquirer.
She has spent hours online looking at testimony of water experts talking about “sludge” that is formed from hyperscale data centers.
Landi said she is blown away by the speed this data center project is being moved through city government. When complete, it is estimated the facility will use more power than all the city’s usage.
“This didn’t happen overnight for Planning or City Council,” she said. “For them, it’s a business transaction; for us, it’s a very emotional thing. We’ve had just 10 days to digest this idea. Nothing goes through any government agency in 10 days. It feels like it’s been crammed down my throat.”
Landi wants the process to slow down, which was publicly requested at the Feb. 24 Columbus Council as a 90- or 180-day moratorium.
She decided to create an online petition Saturday. As of Tuesday at 6:20 p.m., it has 1,204 signatures opposing Project Ruby.
“Several of my neighbors want protection and feel this is a done deed,” she said. “We’re just doing damage control. How do we protect ourselves?”
In addition to water quality, the Landis are worried about changes forced upon and costing upwards of $40,000, based on how much they paid for their power and drinking water line.
If a $30 million dollar sewer line is added to the area, which has been confirmed as needed infrastructure by Columbus Water Works president and CEO Jeremy Cummings, Robert Landi expects he might have to pay for a connection line running from the road to his property. He had to do the same for power and drinking water as requried by the state.
“We didn’t ask for this, so why should we have to pay for a water pipe,” Landi said.
The 8.5-mile sewer development that will create 200 jobs has been part of a 2049 master plan according to Cummings.
“From a cost, perspective it’s a good thing because it provides the opportunity for more development for homes or industry, and it gives customers an option to tie into sanitary sewer,” Cummings told the Ledger-Enquirer. He added there will be no increase to water bills from this project because it spreads more cost across more customers.
Construction plan information has been shared between Columbus Councilor Gary Allen of District 6 and the Landis, such as where the construction trucks would come in and out.. Layfield Road is city property only until the unpaved portion, right where the Landis live.
Allen told the Landis and a group of concerned neighbors at a private meeting Sunday construction trucks would come through Cartlidge Road.
Construction for this project isn’t determined yet as environmental permits and zoning ordinances must be approved by state and local government.
McKee Road resident also concerned about proposed Columbus data center
Kim Hicks, a Upatoi resident on the other side of Kendall Creek, told the Ledger-Enquirer she is “devastated” this data center is being discussed and is as far along as it is.
Hicks, an art director at TSYS and born in Phenix City, bought a few acres 25 years ago on McKee Road.
“It’s devastating for my community — water pollution, noise pollution, destruction of green space and wildlife that lives near there,” she said.
Hicks said this is her dream home she built with subcontractors as her forever home.
“I don’t plan on selling my house ever,” she said. “We love looking at the stars at night and going for nature walks with my dog.”
Hicks, a breast cancer survivor for three years, has created flyers and gone up and down McKee Road to inform her neighbors about why she thinks this data center is a bad idea.
“I’ve never been to a city council meeting before (until Tuesday), but this has really struck me, and I see no positives to it,” she said.
This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 6:18 PM.
