Holly Ridge Residents Weigh Leaving as Meta Data Center Construction Disrupts Community
Neighbors in Holly Ridge, Louisiana, are grappling with the impact of ongoing construction for a Meta data center, prompting some to consider leaving their homes.
Frequent water outages, rising utility bills, and heavy traffic are among the challenges reported by residents living near the construction site. While Meta asserts that they enforce strict site rules and dust controls, neighbors feel the measures are insufficient.
Kevin Dove, a local resident, highlights the increased traffic and dust, stating, "It’s just a whole totally different country. I mean, this is not country anymore. It’s like turning into town."*
Randy Dove, a resident with over five decades in the area, expresses frustration with the construction traffic blocking residential driveways. "They don’t give no respect to let you out of your own driveway that we’ve been using for 50-something years," he says, adding that he plans to move.
Meta's response includes ensuring drivers adhere to traffic regulations and implementing dust management practices. However, some residents feel these efforts are inadequate.
Neighbors like Lisa Hopkins question Meta's lack of concern for daily disruptions, stating, "They haven’t seemed to show any concern on what they’ve done." The ongoing issues are prompting some residents, like Randy and Lisa Dove, to consider leaving their long-time homes.