Google Data Center Town Hall — Just Don’t Bring the Media

Google Data Center Town Hall — Just Don’t Bring the Media

BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. — A town hall about one of the biggest development debates in Botetourt County came with a rather interesting ground rule Thursday night:

Residents could come in. The media could not.

Botetourt County Board of Supervisors member Tim Snyder held a town hall at VFW Post 1841 for residents of the Amsterdam District, with one major topic on the agenda — Google data centers.

But members of the media, including 10 News, were not allowed inside the building.

Naturally, that raised a few questions.

Ahead of the meeting, reporters asked Botetourt County officials why members of the press were being kept outside.

County Director of Communications Brent Watts said the restriction wasn't specifically about the media.

Instead, officials said Snyder wanted to make sure residents from his district had priority because the VFW facility has limited space.

“It’s not just for media,” Watts said. “Tim wants folks from his district, the Amsterdam district, wanted to make sure there is space for folks in there, for priority and to have seating in there; it is a smaller building.”

So, apparently, the room was too small for both residents and the people whose job is to tell everyone else what happened inside.

The meeting focused on Google's proposed data center development in Botetourt County, a project that has generated significant interest and concern among residents over issues including infrastructure, water usage, electricity demand and the potential long-term impact on the community.

For residents who made it inside, the meeting provided an opportunity to hear from their elected representative and raise questions about the proposed development.

For everyone else — including the press — apparently there just wasn't enough room.

Because when the topic is Google data centers, the one thing that apparently couldn't be accommodated was a few extra chairs for reporters.

Original Facebook source: Open post

Source note: Star News TV · Aug 14, 2026 2:04 PM.