Environmental group urges pause on Jefferson County’s new tech zoning
The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners will consider creating a Technology District that would allow large-scale technology projects, including data centers, by right. Ogeechee Riverkeeper is urging commissioners to pause the proposal and send it back to the Planning Commission for further study before taking a vote.
Jefferson County commissioners are scheduled to discuss a proposed zoning amendment on Oct. 28 that would create a Technology District overlay. The draft rules would allow data centers, gas power plants and other large-scale technology projects as permitted uses, avoiding the case-by-case review required for conditional or special uses.
Ogeechee Riverkeeper is opposing the proposed framework and says the county should take more time to assess potential impacts on nearby communities and property owners. The environmental group is asking commissioners to honor the Planning Commission’s request for additional study, but the board has not said whether it will vote at the upcoming meeting or postpone the matter.