Data centers would be disallowed in county’s light industrial zoning
Coweta County officials are revising the county’s data center ordinance to prohibit data centers in light industrial districts and require conditional-use permits in industrial districts. The draft also adds stricter setback, noise, monitoring, erosion-control and water-quality requirements, while a 180-day moratorium on new data center applications remains in effect.
The Coweta County Board of Commissioners is considering revisions to its data center ordinance that would bar facilities from light industrial zoning districts and remove data centers as a by-right use in industrial districts. Future projects in those areas would instead require a conditional-use permit from the board. Proposed standards include a 100-foot front setback, limits on noise above ambient levels, noise-monitoring systems, third-party sediment and erosion inspections, and water capture, pretreatment and downstream monitoring.
County Administrator Michael Fouts said the draft’s community-meeting language was being clarified, while commissioners and staff removed a provision that would have allowed on-site power generation. County Attorney Nathan Lee told Commissioner Al Smith that the county cannot regulate the data stored at facilities, but can regulate land use. Residents will have an opportunity to comment at a future public hearing. A 180-day moratorium adopted in June continues to block new data center-related applications and hearings, although four projects submitted under the prior ordinance have vested rights and are exempt; the moratorium is scheduled to expire Dec. 13 or when the amended ordinance is adopted.