AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta-Richmond County commissioners are set to vote on a proposed ordinance that would be the county’s first set of rules specifically for data centers — and decide whether to extend a moratorium on new facilities before it expires.
Eleven residents signed up to speak ahead of the meeting, raising concerns about utility costs, water quality, and what they described as a process moving too fast without enough community input.
What the proposed ordinance would do
The draft ordinance would restrict data centers and high-density computing facilities to heavy industrial zoning only, require a special exception and public hearing before any project is approved, and set standards for noise, cooling systems, and buffers from homes and farms.
Under the proposal, facilities would need to maintain a 500-foot buffer from residential or agricultural properties — reduced to 300 feet if a planted visual screen blocking the line of sight is installed. Noise could not exceed 65 decibels measured at the property line. All facilities would be required to use air-cooled or closed-loop cooling systems; open-loop or water-consumptive systems would be prohibited unless Augusta Utilities grants a written exception…