Effingham County residents sue county over data center zoning ordinance, demand transparency
Effingham County residents have filed a lawsuit against Effingham County, Georgia, alleging the county illegally changed zoning rules to allow data centers without proper public hearings. The lawsuit challenges a specific ordinance that expanded the ability for data centers, including the proposed "Project Camellia" AI data center by OpenAI, to be built on industrial-zoned property. Residents claim the county manager signed a non-disclosure agreement with OpenAI, preventing public disclosure of project details.
Three Effingham County residents, Dr. Michelle Finch-Mincey, Lehman Mincey, Jr., and Raymond Carver, have filed a lawsuit in Effingham County Superior Court against Effingham County, Georgia. They allege that county officials unlawfully altered local zoning rules, specifically Ordinance 2026-352, to permit data centers on industrial-zoned land without conducting the legally required public hearings before both the planning board and the county commission.
The lawsuit asserts that the ordinance, which received final approval from Effingham County commissioners on August 4, 2026, was part of a multi-year scheme to conceal details about "Project Camellia," a multi-billion-dollar AI data center project. This project, linked to OpenAI (identified as Open AI OpCo, LLC in the filing), involves a 1,440-acre data center planned near homes and a public school. The residents claim they were not informed about the project until July 26, 2026, after negotiations were completed behind closed doors.
Further allegations in the complaint include that County Manager Tim Callahan signed a non-disclosure agreement with OpenAI, prohibiting him from sharing information about "Project Camellia" with residents and taxpayers. The lawsuit also traces a series of zoning changes, including a 2019 vote granting commissioners blanket authority over zoning changes without planning board review, and an October 2024 retreat where land-use definitions were reportedly reworked. In June 2025, the county's land-use definitions were expanded to include a new "Data Center" category, but the lawsuit argues this definition does not adequately cover AI data centers, which require significantly more power, water, and cooling. The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys E. Gregory Gilluly, Jr. and Brent J. Savage.