Effingham County delays vote on OpenAI data center site plan
Effingham County commissioners postponed a vote on the site plan for Project Camellia, a proposed OpenAI data center near Rincon. Residents raised transparency and neighborhood-impact concerns, while the developer presented a revised plan with six buildings, lower projected water use and reduced traffic; commissioners still had unresolved questions.
Effingham County commissioners delayed a decision on Project Camellia, a proposed OpenAI data center near Rincon. Residents speaking at Tuesday night’s meeting called for greater transparency and said they would continue attending meetings until commissioners answered their questions. The commission had been scheduled to vote on the project’s site plan but postponed the decision.
Octans GA, LLC presented a revised proposal calling for six buildings up to 42 feet tall, rather than the earlier plan for four buildings. Company representative Rich Modliszewski said the revision would reduce daily water use from 100,000 gallons to 30,000 gallons, shrink the project and reduce traffic. Commissioner Roger Burdette sought a commitment to build a 20-foot berm along Hodgeville Road to protect nearby homes, but the developer said the site currently has a variable screening buffer and did not commit to whether a 20-foot berm would be installed.