Hogansville council reviews draft ordinance on data centers
The Hogansville City Council reviewed a draft ordinance for data centers, which proposes classifying them under a new General Heavy-Industrial (G-HI) zoning district. The ordinance would require all data center developments to be considered developments of impact and necessitate approved development agreements with the city. Council members suggested including specific minimum standards for setbacks, noise limits, and landscaping directly within the Unified Development Ordinance before a public hearing scheduled for June 15.
The Hogansville City Council met for a work session to review the latest draft of an ordinance pertaining to data centers and heavy-industrial zoning. The ordinance is being developed by city staff and a citizen input committee during an existing moratorium on data centers. The Hogansville Planning and Zoning Commission forwarded this draft to the city council for consideration.
According to City Manager Lisa Kelly and Canvas Planning consultant Aaron Fortner, the draft ordinance classifies all data centers under a new General Heavy-Industrial (G-HI) zoning district. This classification would mean all data center projects are deemed "developments of impact" and require a separate development agreement to be approved by the city prior to any permitting or rezoning actions.
While development agreements would be flexible and negotiated on a case-by-case basis, Council Member Jason Baswell advocated for including basic, protective standards directly within the Unified Development Ordinance upfront. He suggested specific requirements such as a minimum 750-foot setback from residential areas, 55-decibel daytime and 45-decibel nighttime noise limits, landscaping, site plan layouts, elevation considerations, and equipment screening. The council generally agreed with Baswell's proposal to incorporate these "bare minimum" standards.
The council decided to compile further suggestions to finalize the draft before a public hearing on the data center ordinance, which is scheduled for June 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Hogansville City Hall.