City of Statesboro clarifies details and addresses concerns on recent Burkhalter rezoning
Statesboro City Manager Charles Penny addressed the City Council about the yearlong research into data centers and the recent rezoning of Burkhalter Road, emphasizing that no data center project has been approved and no end user identified. The city adopted an ordinance limiting data center size and requiring environmental and operational standards, with projections showing potential tax revenue if a facility is eventually built. Concerns from residents about water, energy, and noise are being considered alongside financial benefits.
Statesboro City Manager Charles Penny provided a detailed presentation to the City Council at its September 1 meeting, clarifying the city's approach to data center developments following the controversial August 18 rezoning of 26.49 acres at 6539 Burkhalter Road. The property was rezoned from high-density residential to office and business, a decision that passed 3-2 with Mayor Jonathan McCollar breaking a tie. Penny stressed that this rezoning merely changed allowable uses for the land and did not constitute approval for a specific data center project, which would still require a special-use permit, multiple reviews, and further public hearings.
Penny outlined the city's yearlong research into data centers, which included visits to facilities in Social Circle and Alpharetta. This research informed the city's data center ordinance, adopted in May, which prohibits hyperscale data centers and limits campuses to 50 acres. The ordinance also mandates closed-loop cooling, municipal water and sewer connections, water-management and decommissioning plans, noise studies, setbacks, buffers, and compatible building designs. Penny highlighted that these regulations lead to smaller facilities than those proposed elsewhere in Georgia.
The presentation included a 10-year fiscal-impact analysis, requested by the Burkhalter Road property owner, which projected potential tax revenue from a data center. Penny noted that these figures are projections and not guaranteed revenue, emphasizing that the city has not identified an end user or received a special-use application. Mayor McCollar also addressed allegations of corruption and kickbacks, reiterating that the August 18 vote was solely for rezoning and no specific data center entity is planning to come to the community. He asserted the council's commitment to making decisions in Statesboro's best interest, despite public criticism and online threats.
Residents previously voiced concerns about water and energy use, noise, health impacts, and property values related to a data center near residential areas. Penny acknowledged these concerns, stating they would be part of the city's overall evaluation process. No opponents spoke at the September 1 meeting.