Dear Neighbor,
There’s been much discussion about data centers in our community, and as a County Commissioner, I want to provide the facts and clarify my votes.
I would be remiss to not first point out the amount of research, number of site visits, and meetings held with county leaders in communities who have faced this issue, along with hundreds of Columbia County residents. Meetings with citizens were held in homes, walking properties, in community gathering spots, and in the County office – we looked at maps and reviewed zoning applications. From individual meetings to community forums, small groups and large groups, I listened to every voice and brought every concern forward to staff and my fellow Commissioners.
Because we have a large power transmission line that runs close to exit 183, an armored fiber ring and other critical local resources, the commission began to anticipate local property owners requesting rezonings of their land for data center use.
We verified answers to questions as they relate to power, water usage, and environmental concerns.
Power: Companies must fully fund all grid upgrades per recent Georgia Public Service Commission rulings. The burden cannot be passed to citizens.
Water: Data center development technology has drastically changed over the years. Most use a closed-loop cooling system now. Water usage in this type of system is close to the equivalent of office space usage (flushing toilets and washing hands). Our Data Center ordinance prohibits well-drilling.
You may have been told the Georgia Environmental Protection Division controls well permitting, but they default to the more restrictive code, which is our local ordinance, which prohibits Data Centers drilling wells.
We got to work compiling a strict Data Center zoning ordinance that would set the national standard and provide the necessary guardrails to protect our citizens. This ordinance addresses additional concerns to the two mentioned above (noise, buffers, cessation of use etc.) and can be found here:
There were three tracts under consideration for rezoning. White Oak Industrial Park, Pumpkin Center, and the Byrd Property.
White Oak Industrial Park: This tract was originally zoned residential and passed approval for data center rezoning, with additional conditions added, above and beyond the ordinance, based on feedback from citizens. It resulted in a 5-0 vote for approval. I voted for approval.
Pumpkin Center: This tract was originally zoned residential passed approval for data center rezoning, with additional conditions added, above and beyond the ordinance, based on feedback from citizens. It resulted in a 4-1 vote for approval. I voted against this rezoning.
Byrd Property: This tract was initially zoned residential and failed to pass approval for data center rezoning with a 4-1 disapproval vote. I voted to disapprove.
For me, the White Oak tract was different than the other two. Property tax burden is by far the most common complaint we receive as commissioners. By itself, the revenue generated from property tax paid by the data center on this tract has the potential to completely relieve county homestead property tax for Columbia County citizens. This project presented a solution to that issue. Another major consideration is national security. The security of our nation requires hosting these on U.S. soil. Data is a critical asset. Blocking domestic builds of data centers, pushes them abroad which is a liability for all Americans. Our data would become subject to foreign laws, surveillance, and disruptions.
This is why I voted yes on one data center: It met strict criteria—inside a long established industrial park, full infrastructure costs are covered by the end user, water/power usage is sustainable per the large load study conducted by Georgia Power and by our water usage permit with the United States Corps of Engineers. By far the largest benefit is the substantial revenue which could eliminate property taxes for Columbia County citizens which remains one of my top priorities.
In an effort to represent constituents’ concerns and to maintain balanced growth, I voted no on the other two data center rezonings
My hope is this dispels rumors and provides clarity in a consistent and concise manner. As always, if you have additional questions, I can be reached at commissioners@columbiacountyga.gov or 706-868-3379.
Sincerely, Alison Couch