Greenwood County Council Advances Data Center Zoning Rules Amid Moratorium Demands
Greenwood County Council advanced a zoning text amendment to classify data centers as a conditional use, despite significant public opposition and calls for a two-year moratorium from residents and State Rep. John McCravy. The amendment, passed on second reading, aims to establish specific protections and requirements for data center development, but critics argue it doesn't go far enough to address concerns about water, power, and noise.
Greenwood County Council approved, in a 5-2 vote, a zoning text amendment on its second reading (Ordinance 2026-19) that would classify data centers as a conditional use in I-1 Light Industrial, I-2 Heavy Industrial, and Rural Development Districts (RDD). The decision came after a four-hour public hearing held at Greenwood High School's Performing Arts Center to accommodate a large crowd, during which residents and State Rep. John McCravy urged the council to enact a two-year moratorium on data center development for further study.
During the meeting, officials including Economic Development Director James Bateman and Deputy County Manager for Operations Rob Russian presented information on data centers, their potential role in the county, and the lack of specific data center regulations in the current zoning ordinance. Utility representatives from Greenwood CPW, Duke Energy, and Greenwood Metropolitan District also discussed water, power, and wastewater capacities, generally indicating the ability to support new development with developer-paid infrastructure improvements.
However, many residents, including Colleen Duffy and William Leslie, criticized the official presentation as a "sales pitch" and argued that the proposed amendment lacked sufficient protections regarding water use, power demand, noise, and setbacks. Rep. McCravy echoed these concerns, describing the ordinance as "a little bit loose" and providing a draft two-year moratorium ordinance for the council's consideration. The Greenwood County Joint Planning Commission had also previously recommended denying the text amendment and approving a 24-month moratorium.
Council members Mark Allison and Dayne Pruitt voted against the amendment, citing concerns about feeling rushed and the inadequacy of the proposed language. Council Chair Theo Lane clarified that the vote was on the text amendment to establish some protections where none currently exist, not on a moratorium, and that the language could still be revised before its third and final reading. The amendment still requires third reading approval to become final.