Zoning vs. data centers: Without land use laws, Laurens County can’t issue ban
Residents in Laurens County, Georgia, are urging the County Commission to ban or impose a moratorium on data center development due to concerns over pollution and resource usage. The commission explained that without a countywide zoning ordinance, implementing such a ban is difficult. Community concerns were heightened after a federal grant application suggested a former industrial site as a potential data center location.
Laurens County, Georgia, is grappling with growing community opposition to potential data center developments. During a recent County Commission meeting, residents, including Vonda Morton and Joe Powers, pressed commissioners to enact either a complete ban or a six-month moratorium on data center construction, citing concerns about water, light, air, and noise pollution, and skepticism regarding promised tax relief and jobs. Morton highlighted the nearly 200 data centers already operating or planned in Georgia, arguing against the need for more in Laurens County.
Commission Chairman Jimmy Rogers explained that the county’s lack of a countywide zoning ordinance, a measure previously rejected by public outcry in the 1990s, limits the commission's ability to prohibit data centers in unincorporated areas. Residents' concerns intensified last month following the discovery of a federal grant application by the Heart of Georgia Altamaha Regional Commission, which listed a former Mohawk carpet plant as a potential data center site. Although commissioners assured the public at a previous meeting that there were no current plans to attract a data center, residents like Morton expressed suspicion, suggesting "back-room deals" without a formal ban. Powers, a candidate for state representative, advocated for a moratorium to allow time for the county to establish guidelines. While counties without comprehensive zoning cannot outright ban data centers, they can implement specific ordinances to regulate external impacts such as noise and water usage, a path being explored by neighboring Montgomery County which is considering a special land use ordinance requiring permits, fees, environmental analyses, and community meetings for data center developers.