City of Grifin commissioners approve data center ordinance
The City of Griffin Board of Commissioners unanimously approved amendments to its Unified Development Code, establishing new regulations for data centers through a special use permit process. These regulations, developed after a 180-day moratorium, outline specific requirements for data center size, setbacks, buffers, noise, and prohibit hyperscaler campuses. The previous lack of regulation could have made Griffin vulnerable to unregulated data center development.
The City of Griffin Board of Commissioners recently voted unanimously to approve amendments to the Unified Development Code (UDC), implementing new regulations for data centers. The changes now require data centers to obtain a special use permit to operate in Planned Industrial Districts (PID) within city limits.
Previously, Griffin's UDC lacked specific regulations for data centers, raising concerns about potential risks to public health, safety, and welfare. This led the Board of Commissioners to impose a 180-day moratorium in January on the construction of technological facilities, including data centers, which is set to expire on July 12. City staff, including Assistant City Manager of Development Services Kelsey Carden and Director of Planning and Development Michelle Haynes, developed the new zoning codes through a multi-departmental effort.
The new regulations stipulate that data centers are not permitted as a matter of right but can operate with a special use permit in PID zones. They differentiate between minor (up to 10,000 sq ft) and major (10,001 to 275,000 sq ft) data centers, imposing stricter rules on larger facilities. Notably, campus or "hyperscaler" data centers are explicitly prohibited.
Key features of the ordinance include new construction setbacks of 1,000 feet for minor and 1,500 feet for major data centers from residential dwellings, along with 100-foot and 200-foot buffers, respectively. HVAC units and generators must be 100 feet from property lines, screened, and surrounded by acoustic barriers to reduce noise. Generators are restricted to Tier 4F, limited to two hours of testing per day, and are to be used only for emergency backup power.