Data centers are a prohibited use in Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, Georgia's current development ordinance prohibits data center construction, requiring an amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance for any future projects. City officials are not currently recommending changes, citing concerns over infrastructure impacts, particularly water capabilities. This stance is maintained despite growing data center interest across Georgia.
Richmond Hill, Georgia, currently maintains a development ordinance that prohibits the construction of data centers within its city limits. According to Bryan Crooks, the city's director of planning and zoning, data centers are not listed as a permitted use under Appendix A of the Unified Development Ordinance, making them a prohibited use. Any proposal for a data center would necessitate a text amendment to the UDO, involving public hearings and approval by the City Council.
City Clerk Dawnne Greene clarified that while other communities in Georgia are reevaluating data center regulations due to concerns over electricity, water consumption, and land use, Richmond Hill has not received any direct interest from developers or resident concerns regarding data centers. The city's planning and zoning board minutes from May 11 indicated a potential future review of use restrictions for various categories, including data centers, partly due to current water capabilities. However, Greene reiterated that data centers are already prohibited, and nothing specific to them was under review at the time of the discussion. Staff currently lacks sufficient information to recommend for or against data centers due to their relatively new status and unknown land use impacts.