Greenwood County Council weighs rezoning, Amazon growth, data center rules

At its recent monthly meeting, the Greenwood County Council addressed several key development and zoning issues, including a significant step towards regulating data centers within the county. The council conducted a first reading for Ordinance 2026-19, a proposal to amend the county's zoning ordinance to define and allow data centers as a conditional use in I-1 and RDD heavy industrial districts. Currently, data centers are not explicitly addressed in the county's code. Deputy County Manager for Operations, Rob Russian, informed the council that staff plans to research state and national best practices for data center regulation before presenting specific conditions. These future conditions are expected to address concerns such as noise, site design, and infrastructure demands, including electricity and water usage. The ordinance will return to the council for further consideration at a later date, marking a proactive move to manage potential data center development. In other council business, Economic Development Director James Bateman announced that Amazon plans to invest over $20 million to build a delivery facility at the Ninety Six Business Park, creating up to 185 jobs. The council also denied a request to rezone a salvage yard for heavy industrial use due to resident opposition concerning traffic and safety, while approving another rezoning for Chandler Construction Services.