Blount County Commission Advances Data Center Zoning Restrictions
Blount County commissioners have approved a resolution to begin strengthening industrial ordinances and proposing zoning changes to restrict data centers and cryptocurrency mining. This action follows strong public opposition sparked by ALCOA's announcement of a potential data center partnership at a former smelter site. Proposed limitations include specific zoning districts, setback requirements, and noise limits.
The Blount County Board of Commissioners has advanced efforts to regulate data center development by unanimously passing a resolution to strengthen industrial ordinances and encourage the Planning Commission to adopt new zoning changes. The move comes amidst strong public opposition, which intensified following ALCOA's announcement of its intention to pursue a data center partnership at former smelter locations, including the South Plant site in Alcoa.
The proposed restrictions, suggested by the resolution, include limiting data center operations to industrial zones and requiring them as a special exception needing approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals. Additionally, they suggest a minimum setback of 5,000 feet from residential dwellings, schools, or churches, and a noise limit of 60 decibels at property lines. Commissioner Jared Anderson moved to include these additional suggestions, noting their similarity to restrictions recently implemented in Bradley County.
While the resolution passed, an ordinance enacting these comprehensive changes could take several months to be finalized. The process involves the Planning Commission directing Development Office staff to prepare code changes, followed by Planning Commission approval, and then submission to the County Commission for final adoption. It was clarified that any county-level ordinance addressing data centers would not directly impact the South Plant site, which falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Alcoa.