Effingham County commissioners delay vote on data center site plan
Effingham County commissioners unanimously delayed a decision on the proposed Project Familia data center site plan after residents raised concerns about wetland impacts, noise and transparency. The project has been reduced from 30 buildings to six, and developers must return with additional information before the vote resumes.
Effingham County commissioners in Georgia unanimously tabled the site plan for Project Familia, a proposed OpenAI data center development, after hours of discussion and community opposition. The revised proposal calls for six data center buildings, down from an original 30, and includes a proposed 20-foot berm intended to shield nearby homes from noise.
Residents questioned the project's potential impacts on wetlands and criticized the county's transparency during the approval process. Developers are expected to return with more information on land impacts and written assurances before commissioners reconsider the site plan on Nov. 17.