Columbia County leaders ‘confident’ proposed data center project will proceed

EVANS, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Columbia County commissioners moved forward with a proposed data center zoning district on Tuesday after holding a public hearing on the project that has sparked months of debate.

The hearing followed the commissioners’ earlier decision this month to create a specialized zoning district for data centers in the county.

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“It is creating a zoning by right, but each of those zonings would be heard at a later date,” said County Manager Scott Johnson.

The planning commission passed the motion to the board of commissioners, who conducted their first reading of the proposal during Tuesday’s hearing.

Zoning standards set building limits

The proposed guidelines establish that data center buildings can reach up to 75 feet in height and must maintain a natural buffer of at least 500 feet adjacent to agricultural land. The standards also limit noise levels to 70 decibels.

Some residents said the noise restrictions are inadequate.

“Noise is cumulative. Each additional device, building, generator, or HVAC unit that they put in there will add to that noise,” said Vin Muller, a Columbia County resident.

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Despite concerns, commissioners unanimously approved moving the zoning district proposal to its final reading scheduled for December 2.

White Oak project may require rezoning

County officials said they plan to ask Trammel Crow, the developer of the White Oak Technology Park, to seek rezoning under the new data center district.

Johnson indicated the White Oak project may not be the only development coming to the county.

“I think that if this moves forward, this is something that our company would be looking to take advantage of. That would happen fairly quickly, we believe,” Johnson said.

In a statement, Chairman Doug Duncan addressed the uncertainty surrounding the project, expressing confidence in its progression.

Duncan stated that Georgia Power has approved the proposed power consumption model, which he says brings the county significantly closer to securing an end-user.

“All costs associated with infrastructure, construction, and utility usage will be fully borne by the end user, with no financial burden placed on our residents. I anticipate that the developer and end user will complete the land acquisition before Dec. 19,” said Duncan.

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Aaron Bilyeu is the Chief Development Officer at Cloverleaf Infrastructure, a company based in Houston, Texas. He came to the meeting in support of the zoning decision.

“I think this is a very robust set of requirements. There is nothing here that is sort of below standard or that they’re proposing to let anybody sort of skate by on,” Bilyeu said.

Cloverleaf Infrastructure develops sites for data centers, and Bilyeu says they’re looking at Columbia County as a potential site.

“We believe that there is likely additional power that could be available for additional data center sites in the area. So we look for that first, and then we also look for communities that have zoning and the appropriate entitlements in place to support data center development,” he said.

In April, the Development Authority applied to rezone nearly 2,000 acres of land. The application was approved in May.

The project would bring about $118 million in revenue to the county.

Previous Coverage:

• Columbia County leaders move to create data center zoning district
• Columbia County commissioners defend data center amid unanswered questions
• Columbia County leaders address data center project concerns
• Concerns continue over data center in Columbia County
• Columbia County neighbors push for transparency on proposed data center
• Leaders hold town hall to discuss data center in Columbia County
• Columbia County data center: How we got here and what’s at stake

Commissioners also say that they have notified the developer that it is their desire that the parcel owned by the Development Authority be rezoned from its current S-1 designation to DC.

“It’s worth emphasizing that the creation of this new DC zoning classification involved extensive deliberation and effort. We drew upon best practices from other jurisdictions while prioritizing the needs and concerns of our residents,“ said Duncan. ”Make no mistake: these regulations are rigorous and far from conciliatory. In fact, they impose some of the most stringent requirements in the nation on developers and end users alike.“

In response to why the county is pursuing data centers, Duncan says the reality is that these facilities are an emerging industry trend, and that they generate “extraordinary levels of revenue–funds capable of transforming communities for generations to come.”

When it comes to how this extra money will be used, the main goal, according to commissioners, is to give tax relief to residents.

“While some may express skepticism about whether this will materialize, I am pleased to report that we are actively collaborating with our state legislators to enact Homestead tax relief provisions into state law. This measure will ensure that our commitments are upheld by future commissions,” said Duncan.

Duncan warned that these benefits won’t happen right away. He said it will take several years, with the money coming in slowly over time.

“I truly hope that we will start to see the good results of our efforts within the next two to three years,” said Duncan.