Residents press Augusta leaders to toughen data center rules before final vote

Augusta, Georgia, commissioners voted to approve a new 29-page data center ordinance, despite nearly two hours of public debate and internal discussion about strengthening safeguards. The ordinance, which has been under revision for months, will now regulate the location and construction methods of new data centers in the city.

Simultaneously, a motion by District 2 Commissioner Stacy Pulliam to extend the city's moratorium on new data center applications for an additional 30 days failed in a 5-6 vote. City Attorney Jim Plunkett had cautioned that a longer extension could be treated as a new zoning action, requiring a public hearing and potentially allowing the existing moratorium to expire before a new one could be adopted.

The newly approved ordinance does not retroactively apply to the QTS data center already under construction on Gordon Highway, as QTS received its zoning approvals before the moratorium was enacted. Planning and Development Director Lisa Cameron described the ordinance as a "baseline framework" that balances attracting investment with protecting neighborhoods and environmentally sensitive areas, acknowledging it's not the strictest possible approach but is "strong for Augusta."

Commissioners debated proposed changes related to noise, buffers, and community benefits, but legal staff clarified that the vote was on the current draft "as is," meaning any further modifications would require a formal amendment process through the Planning Commission. Commissioner Jordan Johnson criticized the decision to approve the ordinance without incorporating discussed changes, while Commissioners Don Clark and Catherine Smith-Rice argued it was better to adopt a framework now and amend it later, rather than operating without any specific data center protections.